Mercy James is the name of the second child Madonna wants to adopt from Malawi. James was four years old as of March 2009, when Madonna traveled to Malawi to attend a hearing to get final approval for the adoption. Madonna previously adopted her son David Banda from the same country.http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AF_MALAWI_MADONNA_ADOPTION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2009-04-03-07-37-34 After a Malawian judge initially denied Madonna's request to adopt James in May of 2009, a month later, two appeals court judges granted Madonna permission to adopt the little girl. The official ruling is expected to be announced June 14th.http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2009/06/09/2009-06-09_malawi_court_to_allow_madonna_to_adopt_mercy.html

On June 12, 2009, a Malawi higher court granted Madonna permission to adopt 3-year-old Mercy James. The Boston Herald reports that her lawyer, Alan Chinula, claimed to have called the singer at home in New York early Friday morning. The next step is getting James a passport, that could take several days.http://www.bostonherald.com/track/celebrity/view.bg?articleid=1178550

1. Birth date: August 1, 1958
2. Birth place: Bay City, Michigan
3. Full name: Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone
4. Ex-spouses: Sean Penn and Guy Ritchie
5. Previously romantically linked to Jesus Luz
6. Children: David Banda, Lourdes Ciccone Leon

The adoption process started as early as 2006. The Sun originally broke the story that Madonna and then husband Guy Ritchie were seeking to adopt James. After a year of legal battles to bring James back home with her, Madonna gave up her bid for the child. Madonna revisited the court in 2008 after she divorced Ritchie.The Sun: Madge and Guy will adopt girl (August 13, 2008)

The court rejected Madonna's petition on April 3, 2009. "Malawi adoption regulations require that prospective parents live in the southern African nation for at least 18 months" Madonna's lawyer, Alan Chinula, is waiting to hear from Madonna as to what steps she wants to take next.AP: Malawi court rejects Madonna adoption request (April 3, 2009)

The Malawi Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC) had publicly protested the potential adopting because "Malawian law prohibits non-nationals from adopting a local child unless they have been resident in the country for 18 months."Radar: Madonna Called a Child Trafficker (April 2, 2009)

Madonn's lawyer revealed in June of 2009, that two appeals court judges granted Madonna permission to adopt. The official ruling is expected to be anounced June 14th.Daily News: Malawi court to allow pop star Madonna to adopt (June 9, 2009)

In early May of 2009, Mercy's alleged father, James Kambewa, told an interviewer that he did not want Madonna to adopt his daughter, saying that he would like to raise her as a Malawian. Although the man has never met his daughter, he wears a necklace emblazoned with her name.The Huffington Post: African Girl's Father Doesn't Want Madonna To Adopt Her A Malawian judge put James' adoption on hold indefinitely in early May of 2009, stating, "The courts should make inter-country adoptions an option of last resort."Hollyscoop: Malawi Court Delays Madonna's Adoption Case (May 5, 2009)