Grandparents Struggle To Visit Child Of Slain Ashland Man

The Jacksonville Journal-Courier reported on a couple who have not seen their granddaughter in the more than 16 months following the shooting death of their son, Steven Watkins, on Nov. 25, 2008. Court-mediation did not resolve the issue as paternal grandparents Dale and Penny Watkins seek visitation of Sidney Watkins, who is nearly 3-years-old.

Steven Watkins (Sidney' father) was found shot to death in the Ashland home of Shirley Skinner, the grandmother of estranged wife Jennifer Watkins. The divorcing couple was scheduled to appear in court the very next day for a child custody hearing.

Ms. Skinner, 75-years-old, was accused in the killing and will stand trial for murder in May.

After a mediation to determine the paternal grandparents' visitation rights failed, the Illinois family lawyer retained by Jennifer Watkins (Sidney's mother) filed three motions to dismiss Dale and Penny Watkins' visitation petition. The attorney, Michael Goldberg, argued that his client should be making these decisions and not the court.

Mr. Goldberg cited the state's Grandparent Visitation Act in arguing against the visitation petition, which requires proof "that the parent's actions and decisions regarding visitation times are harmful to the child's mental, physical, or emotional health."

In other words he claims that unless their lack of visitation rights actually harms Sidney, they have little legal leverage in this matter. But according to FindLaw, grandparents in Illinois cannot be "unreasonably denied" visitation with a child.

Illinois family lawyer Michael Metnick, representing Dale and Penny Watkins, countered that Jennifer Watkins "deliberately and unreasonably delayed" proceedings to prevent the grandparents from maintaining their relationship with Sidney. Jennifer Watkins even denied an offer to reduce Ms. Skinner's $5 million bail in return for allowing visitation with Sidney's paternal grandparents.

So the visitation dispute remains in a stalemate and will be revisited at an April 29 hearing.

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