In re Adoption of D.N.T.

Camille was a minor who gave birth to a child, Diane. Camille and Diane lived with Carol and Rick, a married couple, in Mississippi. Camille and Diane were completely financially supported by Carol and Rick. While she was living with Carol and Rick, Camille had a boyfriend, Calvin, who she spent a lot of time with. Carol began joking about adopting Diane, and she confided in Camille that she had considered cheating on Rick to get pregnant. Discussions about Rick and Carol adopting Diane began in February. Calvin discouraged Camille from going through with the adoption, offering to marry Camille and raise Diane as his own child. Rick and Carol went to an attorney to get the papers prepared. In March, Diane went to the attorney’s office with her college-aged sister, Denise. Denise advised Camille that she did not have to sign the papers. Denise told Camille that she would not go through with an adoption if she were Camille. Despite the advice, Camille read the papers, which were a surrender of her parental rights to Diane, and she signed them. Camille also joined in the adoption complaint filed by Rick and Carol. Shortly after Camille signed the papers, she called her mother, Sally, and told her she had second thoughts about the adoption. Sally, who lived in Arizona, came right away, and once Sally was there, Camille told Carol and Rick that she had changed her mind. Carol began crying, and Rick told Camille to get out of the house and that no one was taking the baby from them. Camille and Sally filed a complaint to revoke consent to the adoption and the order granting the permanent adoption of Denise by Rick and Carol. Rick and Carol filed a motion to dismiss. After making detailed findings, the chancellor granted Rick and Carol’s motion to dismiss. Camille and Sally appealed.