The ruling by the appeals court for an expedited appeal gives the Pages fresh hope, because that court has twice ruled in favor of the family. Both times, the appeals court sent the case back down to lower courts, which ruled against the family. But if the appeals court now rules that Lexi’s case has “good cause” to be considered an exception to ICWA, the girl will return to the Page family, most likely, for good. That could happen by mid-summer.

WASHINGTON – The attorney for the family of a foster child named Lexi, whose plight has become a cause celebre, informed WND they have received the news they were hoping and praying to hear: The California Court of Appeals has granted their motion for an expedited hearing.

Lexi was taken from the Page family by the state and sent to live in Utah with a non-blood relative, who is also a non-Native American, under the Indian Child Welfare Act, or ICWA, because she has a mere 1.5 percent Choctaw blood.

The Pages hope to adopt the 6-year-old girl, who has lived with them as a foster child since she was 25 months old.

Rusty Page told WND, “When she first came to us, she was virtually a shell of a person.”

“She’d been bounced around among several homes. She’d experienced abuse, both at home and also at foster homes,” he said.

Page said she is now a sweet, happy girl who loves the family and is loved by them.

Lexi wants to stay with the Pages but was seized by the state on March 21 from their Los Angeles-area suburban home. The family watched in horror as she clutched to her foster father, who had to deliver her to Los Angeles County agents.

The ruling by the appeals court for an expedited appeal gives the Pages fresh hope, because that court has twice ruled in favor of the family. Both times, the appeals court sent the case back down to lower courts, which ruled against the family. But if the appeals court now rules that Lexi’s case has “good cause” to be considered an exception to ICWA, the girl will return to the Page family, most likely, for good. That could happen by mid-summer.

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