A Virginia father attempting to gain custody of his infant daughter lost his appeal at the Utah Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of the adoptive parents who live in Utah. ---

According to stories on the Trib and the DNews' websites, the court determined that the child's biological father, John Wyatt, did not take action to assert his parental rights in time to stop the adoption proceedings in Utah, where the adoptive parents reside.

The story shows the unique challenges that unmarried biological fathers face when up against Utah's adoption laws. For context, read the July 28, 2010, City Weekly cover story, written by former reporter Jesse Fruhwirth, titled "Some Call It Kidnapping" and follow-up blog post titled "Utah Adoption: Some call it kidnapping, others racketeering."