Fla. Court Upholds Lesbian Adoption Ruling

An appeals court in Hollywood, Fla., upheld a lower court's ruling to allow a lesbian to adopt a young relative.

Vanessa Alenier was granted adoption rights by a Miami-Dade County judge in January, but the Florida Department of Children and Families appealed the decision. The third district court ruled Wednesday in Alenier's favor, in a page-long decision, according to The Palm Beach Post. The Post described the child as a toddler, related to Alenier, who had been taken into foster care shortly after birth.

The decision comes a month after the state supreme court ruled that the 33-year-old ban on gays and lesbians adopting children was unconstitutional. Florida attorney general Bill McCollum said last week that he would not appeal the high court's ruling.