Missing Mom Given 30 Days to Appear in Court

A Virginia mother who vanished with her daughter has been given 30 days to resurface before a judge imposes sanctions that could lead to a warrant for her arrest.

Rutland, Vt., family court judge William Cohen found Lisa Miller in contempt of court on Friday after she has failed to transfer legal custody of her 7-year-old daughter to Janet Jenkins (pictured), her former partner, on January 1, the Rutland Herald reports. Cohen said that immediately calling for her arrest would not be in the child's best interest.

Jenkins and Miller were joined in a civil union in 2000 in Vermont. The couple broke up in 2003, when Miller moved to Virginia to join an "ex-gay" ministry. Miller, the girl's biological mother, was ordered by a court to hand over custody to Jenkins, who is the girl's adoptive mother, on December 22.

As reported in December, custody was originally granted to Miller, with liberal visitation rights to Jenkins. But the Vermont court switched that custody to Jenkins in November after finding Miller in contempt for denying Jenkins access.

On Friday, Cohen said that if Miller did not appear in court by February 23, he would consider harsher actions.

"At that point, I will consider all possible sanctions under the law," he said, according to the Herald.

Jenkins, who lives in Fair Haven, Vt., held up pictures of the couple's daughter, Isabella, outside of the courthouse.

"Every day I wonder where she is and if she's OK," she said. "I only want what's best for my child."