This was to have happened the day after Christmas 2004. However, the courts were “kind” enough to delay it until December 29th. Duval County Family Court Judge Waddell Wallace III ruled that Evan be returned to his biological mother, Amanda Johnson Hopkins, even though he has had limited contact with her. The judge's decision gave Evan's biological mother temporary custody of Evan, and visitation rights to his biological father. Evan's biological father currently lives in Maine and was convicted of assaulting Evan's biological mother during her pregnancy with him. The court made this ruling with the full knowledge of Evan’s biological father’s prior criminal conviction.

Currently, the Florida Senate Judiciary Committee, at the urgings of State Senator Steven Wise (R)-Jacksonville, is attempting to review the case. They are questioning the right of a judge to send a child away from his state of residence.

If this court order is not stopped, it will only be a matter of days before Evan forever loses the only family he has ever known. All Florida state legislators have the ability to help Evan. This includes Governor Jeb Bush and Attorney General Charlie Crist. So far, Senators Steven Wise (District 5) and Stan Jordan (District 17) have stepped up in an attempt to help.

You can help, too, especially if you are a Florida resident. Below is a list of e-mail addresses for Florida legislators. Please contact them as soon as possible and join efforts to keep Evan Scott with the only family he has ever known. Feel free to share this information with everyone you know.

Governor Jeb Bush (R)
(850)488-4441
Jeb@myflorida.com


Lieutenant Governor Toni Jennings (R)
(850)488-4711
Toni.Jennings@myflorida.com


Attorney General Charlie Crist (R)
(866)966-7227
Charlie_Crist@OAG.state.fl.us


Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallgher (R)
(850)922-3100
CFO@DFS.state.fl.us



State Senate

District 1
Anthony C. Hill Sr. (D)
(850)487-5024 (Tallahassee)
(904)924-1649 (Local)
Hill.Anthony.web@flsenate.gov


District 5
Steve Wise (R)
(904)573-4900 (Local)
(850)487-5027 (Tallahassee)
Wise.Stephen.web@flsenate.gov


District 8
James E. King Jr. (R)
(850)487-5030 (Tallahassee)
904)727-3600 (Local)
King.James.web@FlSenate.gov


State House

District 12
Aaron Bean (R)
(850)488-6920 (Tallahassee)
(904)491-3664 (Yulee)
Aaron.Bean@MyFloridaHouse.gov

District 13
Jennifer Carroll (R)
(850)488-5102 (Tallahassee
(904)573-4994 (Local)
Jennifer.Carroll@myfloridaHouse.gov


District 14
Terry Fields (D)
(850)488-6893 (Tallahassee)
(904)359-6256 (Local)
Terry.Fields@MyFloridaHouse.gov


District 15
Audrey Gibson (D)
(850)488-7417 (Tallahassee)
(904)353-2180 (Local)
Audrey.Gibson@MyFloridaHouse.gov


District 16
Mark Mahon (R)
(850)488-4171 (Tallahassee)
(904)359-6090 (Local)
Mahon.Mark@MyFloridaHouse.com


District 17
Stan Jordan (R)
(850)488-4388 (Tallahassee)
(904)359-2644 (Local)
Stan.Jordan@MyFloridaHouse.gov


District 18
Don Davis (R)
(850)488-0001 (Tallahassee)
(904)247-4040 (Local)
Don.Davis@MyFloridaHouse.gov

District 19
Dick Kravitz (R)
(850)488-1304 (Tallahassee)
(904)213-3005 (Local)
Dick.Kravitz@MyFloridaHouse.gov


Editor's Note: The Hear My Voice website and its links were the sources of information for this article.