Lehr v. Robertson
United States Supreme Court
463 U.S. 248 (1983)
Jonathan Lehr (defendant) fathered a child, Jessica, with Lorraine before she married Richard Robertson (plaintiffs), who later petitioned to adopt Jessica; Lehr, unaware of the adoption proceeding, separately filed a visitation-and-paternity petition, but never registered on New York's putative-father registry despite the simplicity of doing so (mailing a postcard). After the adoption was approved without his knowledge, Lehr moved to vacate it on due process and equal protection grounds; New York's courts rejected his challenge, and the U.S. Supreme Court granted certiorari.
Whether the Due Process Clause requires notice of an adoption proceeding to be given to a biological father who may be an interested party to the proceeding.