ASENTE ADOPTION Judge asks for advice

The judge did not address a contempt of court complaint filed against the Girard couple.
By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
GIRARD -- A Kentucky court has ordered two psychologists to meet and recommend what's best for Justin Asente, 4, who is the focus of an interstate custody battle.
Judge Patricia Summe of Kenton County Circuit Court in Covington, Ky., ordered Wednesday that court-appointed psychologists meet and make a recommendation to the court.
During a hearing Wednesday, Judge Summe did not take up a contempt of court complaint that had been filed against Richard and Cheryl Asente of Sioux Trail.
The complaint had been filed by Regina Moore and Jerry Dorning of Kentucky, who gave up their son, Justin, for adoption in February 1998, but changed their minds.
The Asentes had previously adopted the Kentucky couple's older son, Joey, in 1995.
Visitation: Moore and Dorning filed the contempt complaint against the Asentes, alleging they have been denied visitation of Justin, 4.
Mrs. Asente said that she and her husband wanted Justin to have only supervised visits with his birth parents because Justin told them and his therapist that Moore hit him.
Debbie Grabarkiewicz, director of case advocacy for Hear My Voice, a Michigan-based group that supports the Asentes, said the Asentes and the birth parents could not come to an agreement Monday or Wednesday about the visitation.
The judge was not involved in those discussions.
Grabarkiewicz said the judge did not address the issue of contempt. A supervised visit took place Wednesday, and both supervised and unsupervised visits are scheduled for April 21.
Judge Summe expressed displeasure that the visitation issue was not resolved, Grabarkiewicz added.
Janet Duricy of Howland, an Asente family friend, said, "They know they're in for another long haul."
It was a long week for the Girard couple, and nothing was really accomplished, Duricy said this morning, calling attention to the length of the legal battle and the accumulation of more than $400,000 in legal fees.