Arthur Lane Skinner v. Raymond C. Bevans

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REL: 12/21/2012 Notice: T h i s o p i n i o n i s s u b j e c t t o formal r e v i s i o n b e f o r e p u b l i c a t i o n i n t h e advance s h e e t s o f Southern R e p o r t e r . R e a d e r s a r e r e q u e s t e d t o n o t i f y t h e Reporter of Decisions, Alabama A p p e l l a t e C o u r t s , 300 D e x t e r A v e n u e , M o n t g o m e r y , A l a b a m a 3 6 1 0 4 - 3 7 4 1 ((334) 2 2 9 - 0 6 4 9 ) , o f a n y t y p o g r a p h i c a l o r o t h e r e r r o r s , i n o r d e r t h a t c o r r e c t i o n s may b e made b e f o r e t h e o p i n i o n i s p r i n t e d i n Southern R e p o r t e r . ALABAMA COURT OF CIVIL APPEALS OCTOBER TERM, 2012-2013 2110319 M.B. v. J e f f e r s o n County Department o f Human Resources Appeal from J e f f e r s o n J u v e n i l e Court (JU-06-52788.01) PER CURIAM. M.B. ("the m o t h e r " ) became c h i l d " ) when s h e was 12 y e a r s pregnant with o l d and l i v i n g R.B. ("the i n Puerto Rico. The m o t h e r r e l o c a t e d t o t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s , where t h e c h i l d was born i n May 2006. I n J u n e 2 0 0 6 , t h e m o t h e r moved w i t h t h e 2110319 child t o A l a b a m a , where s h e began residing with her s i s t e r . The m o t h e r t e s t i f i e d t h a t h e r s i s t e r d i d n o t a l l o w t h e m o t h e r to attend for school the c h i l d r e g u l a r l y a n d t h a t h e r s i s t e r made h e r c a r e and t h e s i s t e r ' s children. s i s t e r had a v e r b a l a l t e r c a t i o n , The m o t h e r a n d h e r a f t e r which her s i s t e r kicked t h e m o t h e r o u t o f h e r home. The Jefferson ("DHR") became August County involved 2 0 0 6 , when DHR with to the c h i l d . Juvenile C o u r t , based that t h e mother In January the c h i l d complete order the Jefferson of the parties, legal and t o DHR, a n d o r d e r e d t h e m o t h e r course and t o comply with made b y DHR. B e c a u s e t h e m o t h e r was h e r s e l f a minor, the j u v e n i l e court n o t e d t h a t s h e was b e i n g placed efforts a pick-up was d e p e n d e n t , a w a r d e d a parenting-skills reunification Resources and t h e c h i l d i n 2007, on t h e s t i p u l a t i o n p h y s i c a l custody o f the c h i l d to o f Human sought and r e c e i v e d relating determined Department i n a f o s t e r - c a r e placement with the c h i l d . O v e r t h e n e x t two y e a r s , t h e m o t h e r a n d t h e c h i l d in s i xdifferent mother disrupted. overseeing foster-care Caren t h e mother's resided placements, a l l o f which the Hampton, case, 2 t h e DHR testified that social worker she had n o t 2110319 received any i n f o r m a t i o n properly caring indicating f o r the c h i l d that during t h e m o t h e r was n o t that time. Hampton f u r t h e r t e s t i f i e d t h a t , t h r o u g h o u t t h a t p e r i o d , " [ t ] h e r e was no m a j o r c o n c e r n a b o u t [ t h e The after m o t h e r was moved t o a g r o u p home i n November 2 008, she d i s r u p t e d sneaking placed The child's] safety." a boy i n t o her previous t h e home. i n a separate foster-care At that time, placement the c h i l d by was f o s t e r - c a r e placement from t h e mother. mother c o n s i s t e n t l y v i s i t e d w i t h t h e c h i l d d e s p i t e their separation. During her l a s t birth t o h e r i n f a n t d a u g h t e r , K.B. foster-care high f o s t e r - c a r e placement, placement school, program with ("SAFY"). i n an from independent-living Alternatives f o r Families She was p l a c e d gave leaving her l a s t i n May 2011 upon h e r g r a d u a t i o n t h e m o t h e r was p l a c e d the Safe After t h e mother and Youth i n h e r own a p a r t m e n t , a n d K.B. was placed with her. The weekend According mother had been visitation with t o Hampton, Hampton t e s t i f i e d t h a t having consistent, the c h i l d those visits until 3 September 2011. initially she h a d n o t r e c e i v e d unsupervised went well; any i n f o r m a t i o n 2110319 t h a t t h e m o t h e r was p u t t i n g t h e c h i l d during the unsupervised v i s i t a t i o n s . t h e DHR s o c i a l i n any type o f danger In fact, C a r e n Hampton, worker a s s i g n e d t o t h e mother and t h e c h i l d , t e s t i f i e d on c r o s s - e x a m i n a t i o n a s f o l l o w s : "Q: Okay. From t h e t i m e t h a t [ t h e m o t h e r ] was g i v e n unsupervised v i s i t s u n t i l t h e date p r i o r to the S e p t e m b e r [ 2 0 1 1 ] c o u r t d a t e , have y o u g o t a n y c a l l s s t a t i n g t h a t [ t h e m o t h e r ] was p u t t i n g h e r c h i l d i n any t y p e o f d a n g e r ? "A: No. "Q: So t h e v i s i t s point? w[ere] going well up u n t i l that mother had "A: Y e s . " However, unsupervised Hampton in September weekend testified 2011, visitation that DHR the with the c h i l d h a d made a her suspended. determination i n S e p t e m b e r 2011 t o s u s p e n d t h e m o t h e r ' s u n s u p e r v i s e d visitation w i t h t h e c h i l d a n d t o remove K.B. f r o m t h e m o t h e r ' s home b a s e d primarily on t h e p h o t o g r a p h o f t h e c h i l d known c o l l o q u i a l l y as " f l i p p i n g on t h e m o t h e r ' s F a c e b o o k p a g e , the b i r d , " making a gesture, t h a t had appeared w h i c h , a c c o r d i n g t o Hampton, DHR h a d c h a r a c t e r i z e d a s p o o r p a r e n t i n g . I t was u n d i s p u t e d t h a t t h a t p h o t o g r a p h h a d b e e n p l a c e d on t h e m o t h e r ' s F a c e b o o k page b y T., a f r i e n d o f t h e mother's, and t h a t t h e mother d i d 4 2110319 not have the means o r A r o u n d t h a t same t i m e , knowledge to remove the photograph. the c h i l d r e p o r t e d t h a t the mother had weapons i n h e r a p a r t m e n t ; t h e m o t h e r d e n i e s h a v i n g had weapons i n h e r a p a r t m e n t , b u t she d i d s a y t h a t t h e c h i l d had a conversation p u r c h a s e a gun. relationships i n f l u e n c e on The trial, i n which a s k e d how o l d she had The m o t h e r t e s t i f i e d t h a t she had with p e r s o n s who, i n her t o be to s i n c e ended opinion, were a bad her. m o t h e r was and she overheard she was attending V i r g i n i a College scheduled to start a job at the time at a fast-food r e s t a u r a n t t h e day f o l l o w i n g t h e t r i a l ; she t e s t i f i e d t h a t w o u l d e a r n $7.25 p e r h o u r a t t h a t j o b . a ward o f the school and s t a t e she t h a t she received p a i d $50 not t e s t i f y c o n c e r n i n g She f r o m SAFY. t h a t she She working, to t o go rent. without s a i d t h a t SAFY w o u l d p r o v i d e s a v e d $900. she quarter o f t h a t money as stamps i n s t e a d . she w a n t e d t o s a v e money t o buy already as payment o f o t h e r e x p e n s e s , b u t received food She The $150 She did she did assistance f o r food mother s a i d w o u l d have t o pay 5 t h a t , when she some money t o SAFY and but that an a u t o m o b i l e and t h a t she also explained she explained that $345 p e r a d m i t t h a t she c o u l d n o t l i v e i n d e p e n d e n t l y of had began that 2110319 SAFY w o u l d p u t t h e money i n an a c c o u n t so t h a t she money when she left DHR filed the the decision r i g h t s was child had mother program. a petition r i g h t s to the c h i l d to to terminate termination b a s e d upon t h e considered that the b e h a v i o r s i n a separate explained t h a t DHR Hampton had had parental m o t h e r and behavior noted that the of the DHR had disrupted her r e s u l t e d i n the c h i l d ' s being f o s t e r - c a r e placement. g a t h e r e d the r e s o u r c e s her upon t h e parental t o Hampton, mother's o f t h e m o t h e r t h a t had f o s t e r - c a r e p l a c e m e n t s and placed the o f time the and period. According of length been i n f o s t e r c a r e during the mother's i n November 2010. seek w o u l d have concluded that the Hampton f u r t h e r mother " h a [ d ] not o r t o o l s t o r e d e f i n e h e r s e l f and c h a n g e behaviors." After entered a a trial in judgment mother's p a r e n t a l November 2011, on December 6, r i g h t s to the 2011, child. t i m e l y p o s t j u d g m e n t m o t i o n , w h i c h was the juvenile terminating The denied. She a then t i m e l y court. "A j u v e n i l e court i s required to two-pronged t e s t i n d e t e r m i n i n g whether to the mother f i l e d a p p e a l e d the judgment t e r m i n a t i n g her p a r e n t a l r i g h t s t o 6 court apply a terminate this 2110319 p a r e n t a l r i g h t s : ( 1 ) c l e a r and c o n v i n c i n g evidence must s u p p o r t a f i n d i n g t h a t t h e c h i l d i s d e p e n d e n t ; and ( 2 ) t h e c o u r t must p r o p e r l y c o n s i d e r a n d r e j e c t a l l viable alternatives to a termination of parental r i g h t s . Ex p a r t e B e a s l e y , 564 So. 2d 950, 954 ( A l a . 1990) ." B.M. v. S t a t e , 895 So. 2 d 319, 331 ( A l a . C i v . App. 2 0 0 4 ) . A j u v e n i l e c o u r t ' s j u d g m e n t t e r m i n a t i n g p a r e n t a l r i g h t s must be supported Dep't by c l e a r and c o n v i n c i n g evidence. o f Human R e s . , 534 So. 2 d 304, 305 1988). " C l e a r and c o n v i n c i n g evidence" Bowman v. S t a t e (Ala. C i v . i s "'[e]vidence App. that, when w e i g h e d a g a i n s t e v i d e n c e i n o p p o s i t i o n , w i l l p r o d u c e i n the mind o f t h e t r i e r essential of fact a firm element o f t h e c l a i m and a h i g h p r o b a b i l i t y the c o r r e c t n e s s o f t h e c o n c l u s i o n . ' " 2d 171, c o n v i c t i o n as t o e a c h 179 ( A l a . C i v . App. 2002) as t o L.M. v. D.D.F., 840 So. ( q u o t i n g A l a . Code 1975, § 6-11-20(b)(4)). The termination of parental Code 1975, § 12-15-319. rights i s governed by A l a . That s t a t u t e reads, i n part: "(a) I f t h e j u v e n i l e c o u r t f i n d s f r o m c l e a r a n d convincing evidence, competent, m a t e r i a l , and relevant i n nature, that the parents of a c h i l d are unable or unwilling to discharge their r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s t o and f o r t h e c h i l d , o r t h a t t h e c o n d u c t o r c o n d i t i o n o f t h e p a r e n t s r e n d e r s them unable t o p r o p e r l y care f o r t h e c h i l d and t h a t t h e c o n d u c t o r c o n d i t i o n i s u n l i k e l y t o change i n t h e f o r e s e e a b l e f u t u r e , i t may t e r m i n a t e t h e p a r e n t a l 7 2110319 r i g h t s of the p a r e n t s . I n d e t e r m i n i n g whether or not the p a r e n t s are unable or u n w i l l i n g t o discharge t h e i r r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s t o and f o r t h e c h i l d and t o terminate the p a r e n t a l r i g h t s , the j u v e n i l e c o u r t s h a l l c o n s i d e r the f o l l o w i n g f a c t o r s i n c l u d i n g , but not l i m i t e d t o , the f o l l o w i n g : " "(7) T h a t r e a s o n a b l e e f f o r t s by the D e p a r t m e n t o f Human R e s o u r c e s o r l i c e n s e d public or p r i v a t e c h i l d care agencies l e a d i n g toward the r e h a b i l i t a t i o n of the p a r e n t s have f a i l e d . " "(12) L a c k o f e f f o r t by t h e p a r e n t t o a d j u s t h i s o r h e r c i r c u m s t a n c e s t o meet t h e needs o f t h e c h i l d i n accordance with agreements reached, i n c l u d i n g agreements r e a c h e d w i t h l o c a l d e p a r t m e n t s o f human resources or licensed child-placing a g e n c i e s , i n an a d m i n i s t r a t i v e r e v i e w o r a j u d i c i a l review." On appeal, the mother c o n t a i n c l e a r and convincing court's decision to child. She parental argues the record does evidence to support the terminate n o t e s t h a t she that her was still r i g h t s were t e r m i n a t e d , and parental she juvenile rights a minor at the contends not to the time her that the e v i d e n c e i n d i c a t e d t h a t , i n f a c t , her conduct or c o n d i t i o n was likely was to enrolled change i n t h e in college and foreseeable had future because stopped a s s o c i a t i n g with 8 she people 2110319 who were a presented at the t r i a l termination this bad i n f l u e n c e . We agree that the evidence does n o t s u p p o r t t h e c o n c l u s i o n that o f t h e m o t h e r ' s p a r e n t a l r i g h t s was w a r r a n t e d a t time. "This c o u r t has c o n s i s t e n t l y h e l d t h a t t h e existence of evidence of current conditions or conduct relating t o a parent's i n a b i l i t y or u n w i l l i n g n e s s t o care f o r h i s or her c h i l d r e n i s i m p l i c i t i n the requirement that termination of p a r e n t a l r i g h t s be b a s e d on c l e a r a n d c o n v i n c i n g evidence." D.O. v. C a l h o u n C n t y . Dep't o f Human Res., (Ala. in C i v . App. 2003) . that case had taken circumstances, termination t r i a l , We d e t e r m i n e d i n D.O. t h a t t h e m o t h e r the necessary counseling, Res., t o improve h e r such t h a t , a t t h e time of t h e circumstances. s e e a l s o K.M. v . S h e l b y C n t y . 628 So. 2d 812 (Ala. termination of parental showed t h a t minor mother, behavioral steps t e r m i n a t i o n o f h e r p a r e n t a l r i g h t s was n o t w a r r a n t e d b a s e d on h e r c u r r e n t a t 443-44; 444 i n c l u d i n g s e e k i n g employment a n d c o n t i n u i n g t o pursue alcohol-abuse 2d 859 So. 2d 439, D.O., 859 So. Dep't o f Human C i v . App. 1993) ( h o l d i n g rights was p r e m a t u r e who h a d p r e v i o u s l y when that evidence suffered from p r o b l e m s a n d who h a d p r e v i o u s l y r u n away f r o m 11 9 2110319 f o s t e r - c a r e p l a c e m e n t s , h a d begun s t a b i l i z i n g so as t o become a g o o d p a r e n t by t i m e o f trial). A l t h o u g h t h e m o t h e r c o n c e d e d t h a t she h a d e x e r c i s e d poor j u d g m e n t i n r e s p e c t t o t h e p h o t o g r a p h , t h a t i n d i s c r e t i o n does not amount t o p a r e n t a l justify suspension of her c h i l d , see K.D. 3d 893 parental o r harm rights. See 2012), much l e s s would with termination S a n t o s k y v. K r a m e r , 455 that the her 745, U.S. of 764 418, 427 (1979)) clear-and-convincing-evidence standard intended to prevent courts on that unsupervised v i s i t a t i o n ( q u o t i n g A d d i n g t o n v. T e x a s , 441 U.S. (holding based neglect, v. J e f f e r s o n C n t y . Dep't o f Human R e s . , 88 So. ( A l a . C i v . App. (1982) abuse, "'a few isolated from t e r m i n a t i n g instances parental is rights of unusual conduct [or] ... i d i o s y n c r a t i c b e h a v i o r ' " ) . Without that i n t e r r u p t i o n , i t appears have b e e n p r o g r e s s i n g that the reunification, legislature. f a m i l y would the goal established See § 1 2 - 1 5 - 1 0 1 ( b ) ( 3 ) , A l a . Code B a s e d on o u r r e v i e w o f t h e r e c o r d , e v i d e n c e does n o t s u p p o r t t h e j u v e n i l e the mother's by we DHR toward and 1975. conclude that court's our finding the that " c o n d u c t o r c o n d i t i o n [ i s ] s u c h as t o r e n d e r [ t h e m o t h e r ] u n a b l e t o p r o p e r l y c a r e f o r t h e c h i l d and s u c h c o n d u c t 10 2110319 o r c o n d i t i o n i s u n l i k e l y t o change i n t h e f o r e s e e a b l e As Hampton admitted, termination disruption DHR made o f the mother's of her past current circumstances. poor behavior the d e c i s i o n parental foster-care rights to future." seek based placements, on h e r n o t on h e r The r e c o r d r e f l e c t s t h a t , d e s p i t e some i n h e r f o s t e r - c a r e p l a c e m e n t s , t h e mother i n t h e present case, improve her circumstances. like t h e mother i n D.O., Although has t a k e n some steps evidence the judgment the o v e r a l l tendency of the evidence r e f l e c t s mother independent has progressed and has gained to i n the r e c o r d i n d i c a t e s t h a t t h e mother has e x e r c i s e d poor at times, the skills that for living. Therefore, we c o n c l u d e t h a t t h e e v i d e n c e i n d i c a t e s t h a t the mother c o u l d , i n t h e f o r e s e e a b l e f u t u r e , become a s u i t a b l e parent. school, Her g r a d u a t i o n attend V i r g i n i a College, from high her decision to and h e r t a k i n g a f u l l - t i m e job at a f a s t - f o o d r e s t a u r a n t show t h a t t h e m o t h e r h a s made e f f o r t s t o become more relationships success self-sufficient. she h a d d e t e r m i n e d i s also circumstances Her indicative t o be decision detrimental of her desire f o r the b e n e f i t 11 of the c h i l d . to to her t o improve Based end her on t h e 2110319 evidence i n the record before this court regarding m o t h e r ' s c u r r e n t c o n d i t i o n s , we c a n n o t a g r e e t h a t of the mother's p a r e n t a l Accordingly, we reverse rights i s warranted t h e judgment the termination at this time. of the j u v e n i l e court terminating t h e p a r e n t a l r i g h t s o f t h e m o t h e r , a n d we remand the for further cause proceedings consistent with this opinion. REVERSED AND REMANDED. Pittman, B r y a n , a n d Moore, J J . , c o n c u r . Thompson, P . J . , c o n c u r s i n t h e r e s u l t , w i t h o u t Thomas, J . , d i s s e n t s , w i t h o u t 12 writing. writing.

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