Fighting for dignity: Daughter of late famed radio personality pushes for visitation rights in Texas
By Victor R. Martinez / El Paso Times /
Texas House Bill 2665 — which partly states that if death is imminent, an emergency hearing must be held within 10 days — was approved by the House on May 8.
The bill also would require guardians to notify adult children of significant changes in their ailing parent’s health and of funeral arrangements after death.
“It was an awful situation, but it’s one I’ve seen before (without the same media attention) as an attorney,” Moody said in a statement to the El Paso Times in April. “No child should suffer the heartbreak of having a parent kept from them.”
He added, “The current law not only makes it possible for the guardian of an incapacitated adult to stand between that person and their children, it doesn’t provide any legal way for children to fight back.”
Kasem’s plight began in late 2013 when Casey Kasem’s second wife, Jean Kasem, allegedly prevented his children from seeing their father. He died in June 2014.
“My father told the court over and over again that he wanted to see his kids, and the court had no ability to rule on visitation,” Kasem said. “This bill would allow the judge to rule on visitation, it’s as simple as that.”
If passed by the Senate and signed by the governor, Texas would be the second state to have such legislation.
Dinah Street, Joe Moody, Kerri Kasem and other supportive citizens testifying before a senate committee on behalf of the “Visitation Bill”.
You can watch video at the 12 min 40 second mark, the VISITATION BILL being discussed before the Texas committee in Austin: (Kerri Kasem and Dinah Street speak at 14:56): http://tlcsenate.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php