Ear Hustle

“Judge who ordered parents to change baby’s name from Messiah to Martin is fired”

Lu Ann Ballew was terminated from the Tennessee court on Friday

A Tennessee magistrate has been replaced  months after ordering a baby’s name changed from Messiah to Martin because she  believes Messiah is a title held only by Jesus Christ.

Lu Ann Ballew was a child support magistrate,  serving at the pleasure of the chief judge of Tennessee’s fourth judicial  district.

Judge Duane Slone terminated Ballew on Friday  and appointed a new magistrate.

baby

 

He did not return calls seeking comment, and  his order does not explain why he ended Ballew’s appointment.

Ballew, an attorney, still faces  a March 3 hearing on accusations that she violated Tennessee’s Code of Judicial  Conduct, according to WBIR.

Among other things, the code requires judges  to perform all duties without bias or prejudice based on religion.

Ballew’s August name change decision was  overturned at a September hearing.

Ballew ordered the name change during a  paternity hearing in Newport on August 8.

 

baby2

At the time, the parents were disputing the  8-month-old baby’s surname.

The boy’s mother, Jaleesa Martin, hoped to  keep the name she had given the  boy- Messiah Deshawn Martin – and father,  Jawaan McCullough, wanted the  baby to bear his last name.

parents of baby

Ballew surprised both parents by  ordering  the baby’s name be changed to Martin Deshawn McCullough, saying the name Messiah  was not in the baby’s best interest.

Her written order said: ‘Messiah is a title  that is held only by Jesus Christ.’

‘Labeling this child “Messiah” places an  undue burden on him that as a human being, he cannot fulfill,’ the order  said.

Ballew further stated that ‘it is highly  likely that he will offend many Cocke County citizens by calling himself  “Messiah”.

That  decision was overturned in Cocke County  Chancery Court the following  month, with the judge saying that Ballew’s ruling  violated the U.S.  Constitution.

Source:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk

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