In re Guardianship of Lake

MEMORANDUM

(December 30, 2004)

I. INTRODUCTION

This is an appeal from a Territorial Court order granting custody of Jahleel Lake to his father, Jerome Lake. The initial hearing before the court was scheduled for a guardianship hearing, requested by his mother so that relatives in Maryland could obtain guardianship of Jahleel during the school year. The Territorial Court interpreted a letter from the father responding to the notice for guardianship as a request for custody and granted custody of Jahleel Lake to his father at the hearing. Because a mother has a constitutional right to both notice…