IN RE MACARTHUR MINORS
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STATE OF MICHIGAN
COURT OF APPEALS
In the Matter of CHAYANNE NICOLE
MACARTHUR and CHRISTOPHER ROY
MACARTHUR, Minors.
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES,
UNPUBLISHED
April 24, 2008
Petitioner-Appellee,
v
No. 281032
St. Clair Circuit Court
Family Division
LC No. 06-000248-NA
ANGELIQUE HANKINSON,
Respondent-Appellant,
and
CLIFFORD MACARTHUR,
Respondent.
Before: Bandstra, P.J., and Fitzgerald and Markey, JJ.
MEMORANDUM.
Respondent Hankinson appeals as of right from a circuit court order terminating her
parental rights to the minor children pursuant to MCL 712A.19b(3)(c)(i), (g), and (j). We affirm.
This appeal is being decided without oral argument pursuant to MCR 7.214(E).
Respondent first argues that the trial court erred in finding clear and convincing evidence
to terminate her parental rights under §§ 19b(3)(g) and (j). Because only one statutory ground
for termination need be proven by clear and convincing evidence, In re Archer, 277 Mich App
71, 73; 744 NW2d 1 (2007); In re Powers, 244 Mich App 111, 118; 624 NW2d 472 (2000), and
because respondent does not address the merits of the trial court’s determination that termination
was also appropriate under § 19b(3)(c)(i), appellate relief is not warranted with respect to the
issue whether a statutory ground for termination was sufficiently established. People v Kent, 194
Mich App 206, 210; 486 NW2d 110 (1992) (an issue is deemed abandoned where it is not
addressed on appeal); Roberts & Son Contracting, Inc v North Oakland Dev Corp, 163 Mich
App 109, 113; 413 NW2d 744 (1987) (failure to address a necessary issue precludes appellate
relief).
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Further, the trial court’s findings regarding the children’s best interests are not clearly
erroneous. MCL 712A.19b(5); In re Trejo, 462 Mich 341, 356-357; 612 NW2d 407 (2000). The
evidence showed that the children were subjected to unstable living conditions and were often
left in the care of others. Even assuming that they had developed some bond with their parents
through regular visitation, the evidence showed that they did not do well in their parents’ care.
They were not supervised properly and were exposed to domestic violence between the parents
as well as inappropriate sexual activity between others. Both children were abnormally
aggressive. The older child had other problems as well, which necessitated counseling, and only
subsided after visitation had terminated. In fact, she expressed a desire to “forget about” her
parents. Thus, the evidence did not clearly show that termination of respondent’s parental rights
was not in the children’s best interests. In re Trejo, supra at 354.
Affirmed.
/s/ Richard A. Bandstra
/s/ E. Thomas Fitzgerald
/s/ Jane E. Markey
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