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THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2011
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
LEGAL
Custody of Robinson's sister uncertain
MIKE GUNNOE/KANSAN
Junior forward Thomas Robinson looks to the ground with disappointment after the 74-63 loss to Texas shortly following his mother's death. His relatives are in the middle of a custody battle regarding his younger sister Jayla Paris.
IAN CUMMINGS
icummings@kansan.com
Relatives of 7-year-old Jayla Paris, sister of Kansas junior forward Thomas Robinson, contested custody of the girl Wednesday in a Prince George's County, Md., circuit court.
jayla's mother, Lisa Robinson, died of a sudden heart attack at age 43 on Jan. 21, and her own parents had passed on only a short time before. Following the loss, Thomas gained permission from the NCAA to set up the Lisa Robinson Foundation, a trust fund in his sister's name, to collect donations that could provide for her future.
But her present situation remains uncertain, as an aunt and uncle have filed a complaint questioning her father's fitness as a parent.
Jayla is currently living with her father, James Paris, in Washington, D.C. She attends second grade in Maryland, where she had lived with her mother for about a year prior to Lisa's death.
On March 2, Lisa's brother, Willantain Austin Jr., and his wife, Carrie, filed a complaint for custody with Prince George's county court, alleging that Paris was not fit to care for layla. The complain, obtained by the The Kansan, points out that Paris was released from prison in December 2010 after serving a five-year sentence for felony distribution of marijuana. He had been convicted of similar charges four times between 1999 and 2004, in addition to felony escape from an institution in 2001.
The complaint asserted that the Austins have a close relationship with Jayla, have been married for 33 years and have raised several children: two of their own, two sons of Willittan deceased cousin, and other nieces and nephews.
While one section of the complaint alleges that Paris is unemployed and "appears to be homeless or vagrant," filings from both parties in the custody suit indicate that he and Jaya reside at his sister's home on a temporary basis.
Paris, through his attorney,
Edward Varrone, filed a motion
to dismiss the complaint on May
2. disputing the suggestion that he was an unfit parent and arguing that the Maryland court lacked standing to challenge his custody of Jayla. In the motion, Paris informed the court that he had no connection to Maryland and that Jayla had lived in Washington, D.C., for most of her life. While acknowledging that he had been incarcerated, Paris said that Lisa and Jayla had visited him monthly and that he maintained "an active interest in Jayla's well-being." Paris provided documentation to show that he formally registered Jayla with the same Prince George County public school she had previously attended, even though he still resides in Washington, D.C., and authorized his family members to pick her up from after-school care. He also supplied Jayla's report card to show that she had received grades of "A" or "B" in all subjects and documentation that Jayla was receiving health care, dental care and grief counseling.
In a May 20 response to Paris' motion, the Austins filed their opposition with the court and alleged that Paris was not permitting other relatives to speak with or visit Jayla, with the exception of Thomas. They also allege that Paris entered Lisa's apartment, removed property, and had been seen driving her car, which had been reported stolen.
The Kansas City law firm SNR Denton, which monitors the Lisa Robinson Foundation, is also representing the Austins in Maryland. Mark Johnson, a partner in the firm and a University of Kansas lecturer, said there had never been plans to bring Jayla to Lawrence, and any rumors to that effect had no basis in fact.
The result of Wednesday's custody hearing was not known as of press time.
BATTERY CHARGE AGAINST
ROBINSON DROPED
10, at a Lawrence nightclub. As reported by the Lawrence Journal-World, Little said the investigation showed Robinson spit on a bouncer during an argument, and other people apparently involved in the
Lawrence Prosecutor Jerry Little dropped a misdemeanor battery charge against Thomas Robinson on Aug. 5, according to the Associated Press. Robinson was cited for battery on April
Edited by Lisa Curran
LAWRENCE
the victim. Little said he dropped the charge because the accuser did not want to continue the case.
incident could not be located. The case was dismissed less than three days before Robinson's scheduled court appearance. He completed 20 hours of community service and wrote a letter of apology to
Ovens still hot at local pizzeria
IAN CUMMINGS icummings@kansan.com
After a summer in bankruptcy court, Papa Keno's Pitzeria, 1035 Massachusetts St., is ready for students to return.
According to court documents, the Lawrence pizzeria filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in June after a food vendor pursued a lawsuit against the pizzeria for unpaid bills.
The restaurant remained open throughout the summer, with the owner, Greg Keenan, classified by the court as a debtor in possession.
BR
The bankruptcy filing was voluntarily dismissed on Aug. 2. Keenan said Tuesday that he reached an agreement with his creditors and withdrew his case from the court. The restaurant's court filings estimated debts of less than $50,000.
"We were able to work everything out," Keenan said. "It's all been taken care of."
A list of creditors included beverage and supply vendors, the Kansas Department of Revenue and the Kansas Department of Labor.
As reported by The Kansan, some former employees have filed complaints with the KDOL against Keenan, claiming unpaid wages, beginning in 2008. Keenan said he had resolved most of those cases, but not all of them.
— Edited by Marla Daniels
"It's just business," he said
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