{
  "id": 1906082,
  "name": "Steven Charles REAVES, Father and Next of Friend of Chad Steven Reaves v. David Harrison HERMAN, Father and Next Friend of Carrie Magdalene Herman",
  "name_abbreviation": "Reaves v. Herman",
  "decision_date": "1992-05-18",
  "docket_number": "92-224",
  "first_page": "370",
  "last_page": "373",
  "citations": [
    {
      "type": "official",
      "cite": "309 Ark. 370"
    },
    {
      "type": "parallel",
      "cite": "830 S.W.2d 860"
    }
  ],
  "court": {
    "name_abbreviation": "Ark.",
    "id": 8808,
    "name": "Arkansas Supreme Court"
  },
  "jurisdiction": {
    "id": 34,
    "name_long": "Arkansas",
    "name": "Ark."
  },
  "cites_to": [
    {
      "cite": "304 Ark. 689",
      "category": "reporters:state",
      "reporter": "Ark.",
      "case_ids": [
        1880936
      ],
      "weight": 2,
      "year": 1991,
      "opinion_index": 0,
      "case_paths": [
        "/ark/304/0689-01"
      ]
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    {
      "cite": "Ark. Code Ann. \u00a7 20-18-401",
      "category": "laws:leg_statute",
      "reporter": "Ark. Code Ann.",
      "weight": 2,
      "year": 1987,
      "pin_cites": [
        {
          "page": "(e)(l)"
        },
        {
          "page": "(e)(3)"
        }
      ],
      "opinion_index": 0
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  "analysis": {
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    "char_count": 4240,
    "ocr_confidence": 0.892,
    "pagerank": {
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    "sha256": "97bafd872d599e7d96545d9d14035423412ea0b4b9da7068b17d88b50bb21747",
    "simhash": "1:edf3e8ffe4cc5285",
    "word_count": 711
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  "last_updated": "2023-07-14T19:13:54.665869+00:00",
  "provenance": {
    "date_added": "2019-08-29",
    "source": "Harvard",
    "batch": "2018"
  },
  "casebody": {
    "judges": [],
    "parties": [
      "Steven Charles REAVES, Father and Next of Friend of Chad Steven Reaves v. David Harrison HERMAN, Father and Next Friend of Carrie Magdalene Herman"
    ],
    "opinions": [
      {
        "text": "Steele Hays, Justice.\nThe appellant, Steven Charles Reaves, and appellee, David Harrison Herman, are the fathers of Chad Steven Reaves and Carrie Magdalene Herman, respectively. Carrie Herman gave birth to an infant boy on September 28, 1990, when she was seventeen years old. The baby\u2019s father, Chad Reaves, was also seventeen at the time of his son\u2019s birth. This appeal arises out of a dispute concerning the child\u2019s surname.\nFollowing the birth of her son, Carrie Herman submitted the name Mitchell Harrison Herman for placement on the child\u2019s birth certificate. Thereafter, the appellant filed a complaint in the juvenile division of the Washington County Chancery Court alleging that the child\u2019s name is Mitchell Harrison Reaves, seeking a determination of paternity and a schedule of visitation and asserting a willingness to pay a reasonable level of support and maintenance commensurate with his earnings.\nFollowing a trial of the issues, the Washington Chancery court entered an order on January 15, 1991, establishing that Chad Reaves is Mitchell\u2019s natural father, vesting custody with Carrie Herman, dividing laying-in and future medical expenses equally between the parties and fixing visitation and support. The court held in abeyance its decision with regard to the surname of the minor child.\nOn June 6, 1991, another hearing was held concerning Mitchell\u2019s surname. In an order entered June 18,1991, the court held that it was in the best interest of the minor child that his surname remain Herman. Chad Reaves appeals from that finding, raising two points of error. We affirm the trial court\u2019s decision.\nThe appellant first argues that pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. \u00a7 20-18-401(e)(l) (1987) the court was without discretion to apply any surname other than Reaves, however, the appellant quotes the statute as it read prior to a 1989 amendment and the amended statute does not apply to this situation. The applicable section is Ark. Code Ann. \u00a7 20-18-401(e)(3) (1987) which provides:\nIn any case in which paternity of a child is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction, the name of the father and the surname of the child shall be entered on the certificate of birth in accordance with the finding and order of the court. In the recent case of McCullough v. Henderson, 304 Ark. 689, 804 S.W.2d 368 (1991), we held that, rather than directing that the surname of the child become that of the father, \u00a7 20-18-401 (e)(3) simply states that the father\u2019s full name and the child\u2019s surname shall be entered on the birth certificate in accordance with the court\u2019s order. Thus, appellant\u2019s first argument is without merit.\nSecondly, the appellant contends that, if the trial court had discretion, it abused its discretion by failing to require the use of the father\u2019s surname.\nThere was evidence at trial that Chad was initially angered and shocked by Carrie\u2019s pregnancy and was unwilling to accept the baby until sometime after his birth, but, it is apparent from the testimony that both of Mitchell\u2019s parents are troubled by this dispute and earnestly concerned for Mitchell\u2019s emotional welfare. Chad testified that it was important to him for Mitchell to carry his surname because it might be confusing to Mitchell in the event Carrie marries and uses another last name. Carrie testified that she had no immediate plans to marry and in the future if this was a concern she would retain her maiden name. She also testified that if Reaves had been Mitchell\u2019s last name from his birth she would not have tried to change it, but since he has gone by Herman for so long she was opposed to changing it at this point in time.\nBased on the evidence presented at trial we can hardly agree with the appellant that the court abused its discretion since there are no compelling facts that show it would be in the best interests of the minor child to change the surname he has carried since birth. Accordingly, we affirm.",
        "type": "majority",
        "author": "Steele Hays, Justice."
      }
    ],
    "attorneys": [
      "Boyce R. Davis Associates, by: Boyce R. Davis, for appellant.",
      "Mark Lindsay, for appellee."
    ],
    "corrections": "",
    "head_matter": "Steven Charles REAVES, Father and Next of Friend of Chad Steven Reaves v. David Harrison HERMAN, Father and Next Friend of Carrie Magdalene Herman\n92-224\n830 S.W.2d 860\nSupreme Court of Arkansas\nOpinion delivered May 18, 1992\nBoyce R. Davis Associates, by: Boyce R. Davis, for appellant.\nMark Lindsay, for appellee."
  },
  "file_name": "0370-01",
  "first_page_order": 394,
  "last_page_order": 397
}