This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: RICKETSON, PRITCHETT, WINTERS, WILLIAMS, STROH, DILKA Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/xU.2ADE/423.1 Message Board Post: Hi Sue - Thank you for your kind words. My apologies for not being able to post earlier than this but I had been away for an extensive period of time doing genealogical research (a traveling vacation of sorts) and just returned in the last few days. Arizona is one of those states that's become very picky about who they release birth certificate copies to. I recently had no trouble acquiring a copy of my father's brother's birth certificate (Richard George PRITCHETT) from the Arizona Archives on Washington Street, but that was because my uncle was born in 1912 and these confidentiality rules are not applicable to records of that era. As a matter of fact the copy was free of charge, the archivists were extremely helpful and courteous too, and took virtually no time to respond to my request for a copy. Don't we all wish all our experiences could be that way!?!? While not a lawyer, I work hand in hand with the legal field every day in my profession. It would seem to me there should be a way to obtain the certificate but it may take a court order or some notarized letter of permission to do so if the record is sealed. First, I presume your sister was refused a copy of the original birth certificate by some county record keeping official? Or was it from someone at the adoption agency? Secondly, just because the address shown on the certificate is thought to have been of the adoptive parents doesn't mean that it was. It's possible the address was of the natural parents. If you think this might be a possibility, please identify the address or addresses and I'll check my address cross directories to see if the address is listed under another person's name if I have a directory of the era you and your siblings were born in. Assuming every official is playing by the rules, and assuming birth certificates exist with your natural parents names on them, then I'd start with the easiest thing and that would be to have a letter prepared by your grandparents authorizing the county clerk to release your birth certificate to you. Make sure the letter is very specific in that you want the birth certificate that shows your natural parents, not the adoptive parents. Have the letter notarized and submit it to the clerk to see what happens. Even if this doesn't prove useful to begin, this document could be useful for the second idea. Realizing your oldest brother and sister don't have quite the same situation, and while I wouldn't rule out trying the same tactic noted above, the clerk may reject the request more easily because the relation line is more distant (being raised by mother's cousin instead of being raised by your mother's mother). So a second approach would be for all four of the children (you and the other three) to marshall your resources and to make a singular request (petition) of a empathic judge. It's hard to imagine that a judge would deny the request of four children who already know who the natural parents are and who have permission from their adoptive parents, two of which are natural grandparents. According to a search done on Google, adoption in Maricopa County is fundamentally all handled through the Superior Court, the Clerk of which is Michael K. Jeanes. Their email address is www.superiorcourt.maricopa.gov. They may have a list of attorneys qualified to practice before the Superior Court on this type of matter. They also have a "Confidential Intermediary" program wherein if you call 602-542-9586 they can provide you with information of who is qualified to possibly act on your behalf. Obviously, anytime you get "anybody legal" involved in anything the cost is going to go up. I would make sure the addresses on the birth certificates you already have are NOT those of your natural parents first, confirm who (what official) said you can't have the original birth certificates second and thirdly, I would try the notarized letter(s) last and see how far you get with the clerk before going the legal route. I hope some of this helps. If you need some lookups just leave a posting. Good luck. Glen F. Pritchett, USGENWEB volunteer P.S. By the way Diane WINTERS is making great progess with her research effort; she's down to trying to find two persons. She's been successful in finding two natural grandparents (one of which is deceased - STROH), her natural father (deceased - STROH aka DILKA) and her natural mother (living) and we're still looking for two other natural grandparents (WILLIAMS). I believe she's still waiting on the birth certificate however. The nice thing about all this is, when the "log jam" starts to break it becomes much easier to find additional resources who can help solve the puzzle. Often the slightest clue provides the "key" to begin opening the door. By the way, Diane has received help from a number of volunteers in several states, not just myself.