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Elizabeth Morgan
'''Jean Elizabeth Morgan''', M.D., Ph.D. (born [[1947]] in [[Washington, D.C.]], [[USA]]) is a [[plastic surgeon]] who was involved in a widely publicized and long-running [[child custody]] case over her daughter Hilary.  She claimed that the father, Dr. Eric A. Foretich, an oral surgeon, had sexually abused Hilary.  During the course of the case, she was incarcerated for two years, and following her release from prison she went into hiding overseas; the [[Congress of the Unite(contracted; show full)

On [[September 25]], [[1989]], Morgan was released from prison; she then retrieved her passport from the D.C. Superior Court, and went into hiding. It turned out that Morgan, her parents, and Hilary had fled the country, and were in [[New Zealand]], where they were located in February [[1990]] by a [[private investigator]] hired by Foretich. New Zealand chose to maintain the [[status quo]]. At around this time, Hilary's name was changed to Ellen.

=== The Elizabeth Morgan Act ===

By [[1995]], Morgan had developed [[cancer]] and Ellen, then 13, indicated to Rep. [[Thomas M. Davis]] that she wanted to return to the U.S. In September [[1996]], Davis sponsored the Elizabeth Morgan Act as a [[Rider (politics)|rider]] on a major transportation bill. While this new legislation was worded to focus on Ellen's needs, it effectively shielded Morgan from all of the judicial orders that were still in force, and they⏎
: ''See main article at [[Elizabeth Morgan Act]]

The Act allows Morgan and Ellen returned to the U.S in [[1997]].

Foretich claimed that the damage to his reputation from the Act reduced his professional practice in the D.C. area and made it difficult for him to find comparable work anywhere else in the nation. He dropped all further attempts to gain visitation and focused on the undoing of the Act.  On [[December 16]], [[2003]] the [[United States Court of Appeals]] for the D.C. circuit ruled that the Elizabeth Morgan Act was an unconstitutional, as a rare [[bill of attainder]], but the decision was [[mootness|moot]] as Ellen was no longer a [[Minor (law)|minor]].

[[Jonathan Turley]], a [[George Washington University]] law professor who represented the Foretich family, said the government will have to pay for legal fees in the case&mdash;about $1 million.  He added, "I would hope this would be the final chapter, but such hopes have been dashed many times in the case."  He also said in a ''[[USA Today]]'' editorial in  March [[2005]]): "The bill negated 10 years of orders in the husband's favor and effectively labeled him a danger to his daughter."

Comparisons regarding congressional intervention in the judicial system can be drawn between the Elizabeth Morgan Act and the [[Palm Sunday Compromise]] of the recent [[Terri Schiavo]] conflict. without having to share custody with Foretich.  It was later overturned, but by that time, Ellen was no longer a minor.

== The case in popular culture ==
In [[1992]], a made-for-television movie about this story titled ''A Mother's Right: The Elizabeth Morgan Story'' was filmed and aired nationally. Actress [[Bonnie Bedelia]] played the part of Morgan.  [[Patricia Neal]] played Morgan's mother, Antonia.  Many consider it to be [[Prejudice (law)|prejudicial]] in Morgan's favor.

== Recent career ==
(contracted; show full)== External links ==
*[http://www.drelizabethmorgan.com/ Web site of Morgan's practice]
**[http://www.drelizabethmorgan.com/pages/cv.html Dr. Morgan's curriculum vitae]
*[http://www.washingtonian.com/people/deadlytriangle.html Deadly Triangle] Online Washingtonian 06/01/02

[[Category:1947 births|Morgan, Elizabeth]]
[[Category:American physicians|Morgan, Elizabeth]]
[[Category:American surgeons|Morgan, Elizabeth]]