In Haiti, Americans' attorney says they had papers

Laura Silsby, the head of New Life Children's Refuge and another member of the group, Charisa Coulter, leave a court hearing February 4, 2010 after being charged with child abduction and criminal association in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Five women and five men are part of a church organization that attempted to cross into the Dominican Republic with 33 Haitian children. (John Moore, Getty Images)

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — The new attorney for 10 Americans charged with child kidnapping in Haiti says the group had authorization to take the children.

Aviol Fluerant tells reporters that parents gave their kids to the Baptists in good faith.

He adds that the group had papers authorizing the children to be taken across the Dominican border. It was not immediately clear Monday who may have given authorization.

The group's original lawyer was fired over the weekend after he allegedly tried to bribe the missionaries' way out of jail.

The Americans have been charged with child kidnapping and criminal association for trying to take 33 children out of earthquake-ravaged Haiti.

They say they were on a humanitarian mission to rescue orphans.

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