Florida Mom Released From Jail After Circumcision Dispute

Heather Hironimus spent more than a week in jail.

ByABC News
May 24, 2015, 2:13 PM

— -- A Florida mother is out of jail after spending more than a week behind bars during an ongoing dispute over circumcising her son.

Heather Hironimus, 31, posted bond and was released Saturday night, authorities said.

Hironimus had been taken into custody May 14 after she went missing for several months with her 4-year-old son, allegedly to avoid a court order to circumcise him, according to court records. She was taken to jail on charges including interference with custody, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's office.

On Friday, she signed paperwork to allow the procedure, attorney Ira Marcus, who represents the boy's father, Dennis Nebus, told ABC News.

Doing so released Horonimus from the civil pick-up order, but not interference with child custody -- a criminal charge -- so she remained in jail until Saturday night.

In May 2014, Hironimus lost a legal battle to Nebus when a Palm Beach County judge ruled that the boy should be circumcised, according to the Orlando Sun Sentinel.

In March 2015, the judge ordered Hironimus to bring the boy in to schedule the circumcision procedure, according to the newspaper. But Hironimus never showed up in court -- prompting a warrant for her arrest, the newspaper reported, also noting that she avoided being arrested because she was living in a domestic violence shelter.

Hironimus filed a federal suit against both Nebus and the judge last month, claiming that her son did not have a medical need to be circumcised. At the boy's age, Hironimus' federal suit says, there could be negative psychological effects resulting from circumcision. She expressed that he did not want to be circumcised and was afraid of the procedure.

Nebus' attorney Ira Marcus told ABC News today: "We assume the family law court will resolve the issues ... dealing with my client and the child."

Hironimus's lawyer did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment today.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.