One Woman's Concern for Kids Brings Reforms in Adoption Realm
by Allie Martin
January 13, 2004
(AgapePress) - A former New Jersey pornographer has dropped a lawsuit against a Texas adoption advocate.Last year, the State of New Jersey shut down "A Child's Hope International," an international adoption agency operated by David Dolinsky. The action came after state officials were notified that Dolinsky had once operated hard-core pornographic websites.
State officials were notified of Dolinsky's past by Texas resident and adoption advocate Becky Swanson. Dolinsky sued Swanson, claiming defamation of character.
But Joe Murray, an attorney with the American Family Association Center for Law & Policy, says that lawsuit has now been dropped. "We were very good on the law in this case, and the attorneys for the former pornographer agreed to dismiss the complaint against our client," he explains.
According to Murray, the lawsuit was never about defamation, but about intimidation. "It was about trying to keep someone down who was speaking up and shining a light on a very dark part of our society," he says.
The real question presented by this case, the attorney says, was whether Swanson was going to be rewarded or penalized for doing her civic duty. "In this instance, the just outcome was realized," Murray adds.
Swanson's actions prompted New Jersey lawmakers to pass a law that protects the adoption arena from those with questionable moral character. The Law Center reports that the impact of Swanson's actions were not limited to New Jersey, noting that the International Courts in the Hague have adopted similar measures.
Michael DePrimo, senior litigation counsel for the Law Center, says the case serves as "a perfect example of how one person can impact the world in which she lives."
