IN RE SMITH MINORS
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STATE OF MICHIGAN
COURT OF APPEALS
__________________________________________
In the Matter of JASHA LOVE SMITH, JASIAH
JATHAN SMITH, and EXZAVION JAHSON
SMITH, Minors.
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES,
UNPUBLISHED
May 9, 1997
Petitioner-Appellee,
v
No. 195789
Kalamazoo Probate Court
LC No. 00-012474-NA
PATRICIA ANN SMITH,
Respondent-Appellant,
and
WILLIE AMOS WEST,
Respondent.
Before: Corrigan, C.J., and Young and Michael J. Talbot,* JJ.
MEMORANDUM.
Respondent-appellant appeals as of right from the May 17, 1996 order of the probate court
terminating her parental rights to the minor children under MCL 712A.19b(3)(c)(i), (c)(ii) and (g); MSA
27.3178(598.19b)(3)(c)(i), (c)(ii) and (g). We affirm.
The probate court made sufficient findings of fact and conclusions of law pertaining to the basis
for terminating respondent-appellant’s parental rights. MCR 5.974(G), see also In re Cotton, 208
Mich App 180, 183; 526 NW2d 601 (1994); People v Armstrong, 175 Mich App 181, 184; 437
NW2d 343 (1989). We are not persuaded that further fact findings are necessary to determine if the
probate court clearly erred in finding at least one statutory ground for termination or to review the
* Circuit judge, sitting on the Court of Appeals by assignment.
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probate court’s ultimate decision to order termination. See In re Jackson, 199 Mich App 22, 25; 501
NW2d 182 (1993); MCL 712A.19b(5); MSA 27.3178(598.19b)(5). At best, the probate court’s
decision is unclear with regard to whether it applied the standards for MCL 712A.19b(3)(c)(ii); MSA
27.3178(598.19b)(3)(c)(ii) in finding the statutory grounds for termination. However, any error was
harmless because §§ (3)(c)(i) and (3)(g) provide independent grounds for termination. See In re
Powers, 208 Mich App 582, 590-591; 528 NW2d 799 (1995); In re Toler, 193 Mich App 474,
478; 484 NW2d 672 (1992). Respondent-appellant has not established any basis for vacating the
termination order or obtaining other relief.
Affirmed.
/s/ Maura D. Corrigan
/s/ Robert P. Young, Jr.
/s/ Michael J. Talbot
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