Gunn v. Davis, 2016 IL App (1st) 152171 (Ill. App. Ct. 2016)
Jun 19, 2016OUTCOME: Affirmed
In a child custody action, trial court did not err in modifying child custody arrangement by granting biological mother sole custody of minor; doctrine of forum non conveniens does not apply, as Ghana ... does not have proper jurisdiction over this custody matter; trial court did not err in denying biological father's motion to quash court's order of commitment on the basis of civil contempt of court for his repeated failure to produce the minor child in Illinois. 2 Plaintiff Raymond Gunn (Raymond) appeals from the July 1, 2015 and July 29, 2015 orders entered by the circuit court of Cook County. The July 1, 2015 order denied Raymond's emergency motion to quash the court's previous entry of an order of commitment, which remanded him to the custody of the Cook County Sheriff for failure to comply with multiple court orders. The July 29, 2015 order modified the original custody arrangement by granting defendant Ivy Davis (Ivy) sole custody of her and Raymond's minor child, C.J.G., with leave to remove C.J.G. to Atlanta, Georgia. On appeal, Raymond argues that: (1) the trial court abused its discretion in modifying the original child custody arrangement; (2) the trial court abused its discretion in proceeding on a hearing on the modification of custody, where Illinois was not a convenient forum and, instead, Ghana, Africa, was the best forum for determining the issue of custody; and (3) the trial court abused its discretion in denying his motion to quash the court's previous order of commitment, remanding him to the custody of the Cook County Sheriff. For the following reasons, the appellate court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court of Cook County.
