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Court upholds jury award in international custody battle

ANNAPOLIS (AP) — Maryland's highest court has upheld a $3 million dollar jury award in favor of an Anne Arundel County man whose two sons were illegally taken out of the country by his ex-wife and mother-in-law.

The Court of Appeals upheld Michael Shannon's right to seek civil damages and denied claims by Nermeen Khalifa Shannon and her mother, Afaf Khalifa, that the award was excessive.

The court opinion says the women knowingly deprived Shannon of the love and comfort of his two children.

The boys were taken to Egypt nearly seven years ago, when one was 4 and the other was less than a year old. They are believed to be living in Cairo.

That's fine, but are the kids going to be returned to him? Will he at least get visits?

IF he gets any money that's great, but it can't replace his sons.