IN RE DEONTAY TAYLOR MINOR

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STATE OF MICHIGAN COURT OF APPEALS In the Matter of DEONTAY TAYLOR, Minor. FAMILY INDEPENDENCE AGENCY, UNPUBLISHED September 3, 1999 Petitioner-Appellee, v No. 217167 Berrien Circuit Court Family Division LC No. 97-000058 NA TYRONE TAYLOR, Respondent-Appellant. Before: Markman P.J., and Saad and P. D. Houk*, JJ. MEMORANDUM. Respondent appeals as of right from the family court order terminating his parental rights to the minor child under MCL 712A.19b(3)(g), (h), (j) and (l); MSA 27.3178(598.19b)(3)(g), (h), (j) and (l). We affirm. This case is being decided without oral argument pursuant to MCR 7.214(E). Only one statutory ground is required to terminate parental rights. In re McIntyre, 192 Mich App 47, 50; 480 NW2d 293 (1991). Even if the family court erred in terminating respondent’s parental rights under § 19b(3)(h), the family court did not clearly err in finding that the remaining statutory grounds for termination, §§ 19b(3)(g), (j) and (l), were established by clear and convincing evidence. MCR 5.974(I); In re Miller, 433 Mich 331, 337; 445 NW2d 161 (1989). Respondent also argues that the family court’s failure to specifically find that termination of his parental rights was in the best interests of the child requires reversal. We disagree. We do not read MCL 712A.19b(5); MSA 27.3178(598.19b)(5) or MCR 5.974(F)(3) and (G) as requiring that the trial court make a specific finding that termination of parental rights is in the child’s best interests. Under the statutory scheme, once a basis for termination was established, the burden was on respondent to come forward with evidence that termination was clearly not in the child’s best interests. MCL * Circuit judge, sitting on the Court of Appeals by assignment. -1­ 712A.19b(5); MSA 27.3178(598.19b)(5); In re Hall-Smith, 222 Mich App 470, 472-73; 564 NW2d 156 (1997). Because respondent failed to present any evidence that termination was clearly not in the best interests of the child, the family court, upon finding that there were statutory grounds for termination, properly terminated his parental rights. Id. Affirmed. /s/ Stephen J. Markman /s/ Henry William Saad /s/ Peter D. Houk -2­

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