S.M.M. v. R.S.M.

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REL: 10/21/2011 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 R e p o r t e r o f D e c i s i o n s , 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, 2011-2012 2100646 S.M.M. v. R.S.M. Appeal from Etowah J u v e n i l e Court (JU-11-28.01) MOORE, Judge. S.M.M. ("the m o t h e r " ) a p p e a l s Etowah J u v e n i l e C o u r t from a judgment o f ("the j u v e n i l e c o u r t " ) p a r e n t a l r i g h t s t o J.R.M. ("the c h i l d " ) . the terminating her We r e v e r s e . 2100646 Background On J a n u a r y 27, juvenile the court child. 2011, R.S.M. ("the to terminate the The father f a t h e r " ) p e t i t i o n e d the mother's p a r e n t a l sought to terminate the p a r e n t a l r i g h t s b e c a u s e , he a l l e g e d , t h e m o t h e r had provide for reasonable the material portion of s u b s t a n t i a l contact The the needs the with conducted a hearing the se, d e n i e d the On M a r c h 23, and mother's failed to to pay that hearing. M a r c h 28, judgment t e r m i n a t i n g mother t i m e l y f i l e d her to a maintain 2011, a l l e g a t i o n s of the j u v e n i l e court on t h e f a t h e r ' s p e t i t i o n t o t e r m i n a t e r i g h t s ; ore its child, to child. mother's p a r e n t a l On the c h i l d ' s support, mother, a p p e a r i n g pro father's petition. of rights t e n u s e v i d e n c e was 2011, the the n o t i c e of received j u v e n i l e court mother's p a r e n t a l the at entered rights. The termination of appeal. Analysis The purpose parental of the r i g h t s i s to statute protect authorizing children f r o m harm emanating f r o m an a d v e r s e p a r e n t a l r e l a t i o n s h i p . See g e n e r a l l y Ex A.S., A [Ms. 1100238, May j u v e n i l e court may 13, 2011] terminate 2 So. parental 3d parte (Ala. 2011). r i g h t s i n order to 2100646 p r o t e c t a c h i l d f r o m harm, b u t t h e l a w demands t h a t a j u v e n i l e c o u r t use l e s s d r a s t i c measures than t e r m i n a t i o n rights i f those measures would a d e q u a t e l y p r o t e c t f r o m harm. 1990). of p a r e n t a l See Ex p a r t e Beasley, the child 564 So. 2d 950, 954 ( A l a . Hence, b e f o r e e n t e r i n g a j u d g m e n t t e r m i n a t i n g parental r i g h t s , a j u v e n i l e c o u r t must c o n s i d e r a l l a l t e r n a t i v e s , and, i f t h e e v i d e n c e shows t h a t a v i a b l e a l t e r n a t i v e t o t e r m i n a t i o n of p a r e n t a l r i g h t s e x i s t s , the j u v e n i l e court cannot parental rights. Id. In this case, the p r i m a r i l y that the j u v e n i l e court erroneously parental existed We mother argues terminated her r i g h t s when a l e s s d r a s t i c and v i a b l e a l t e r n a t i v e that would adequately p r o t e c t the c h i l d from harm. 1 agree. The as terminate f a c t s relevant to the d i s p o s i t i o n of the appeal are follows. parties The i n 2002. c h i l d was b o r n o f t h e m a r r i a g e b e t w e e n t h e The parties divorced i n 2009, with the f a t h e r r e c e i v i n g sole p h y s i c a l custody of the c h i l d subject t o the right o f t h e mother to v i s i t with the c h i l d under the s u p e r v i s i o n o f t h e f a t h e r and a t h i s d i s c r e t i o n . A t t h e t i m e The mother a l s o argues t h a t t h e j u v e n i l e c o u r t d i d not have s u f f i c i e n t g r o u n d s t o t e r m i n a t e h e r p a r e n t a l r i g h t s . In l i g h t o f o u r d i s p o s i t i o n , we n e e d n o t a d d r e s s t h a t a r g u m e n t . 1 3 2100646 of the divorce, t h e m o t h e r was rehabilitation program, v i s i t a t i o n with so the c h i l d . she contacted the father v i s i t a t i o n with the c h i l d , or three occasions. The did an i n p a t i e n t not drug- exercise The m o t h e r l a t e r was June 2009 t h r o u g h J u l y 2010. mother attending much jailed from During her i n c a r c e r a t i o n , the several t i m e s p e r week seeking t o w h i c h t h e f a t h e r a g r e e d on two father also allowed t h e mother to v i s i t w i t h t h e c h i l d a t a h a l f w a y h o u s e upon h e r r e l e a s e f r o m jail. 2 The m o t h e r a l s o v i s i t e d t i m e s a f t e r she h a d l e f t or five t h e h a l f w a y h o u s e i n December 2010 and a f t e r t h e f a t h e r h a d f i l e d parental the rights. visits, The father with the c h i l d four h i s p e t i t i o n to terminate complained that, the mother had a l l o w e d the c h i l d during her one o f t o walk around w i t h o u t s h o e s on a g r a v e l p l a y g r o u n d and h a d a l l o w e d t h e c h i l d t o s i t on t h e b a n k o f a " d i t c h [ w h i l e ] water." However, throwing rocks i n the t h e f a t h e r p r e s e n t e d no e v i d e n c e i n d i c a t i n g T h e f a t h e r a c k n o w l e d g e d t h a t he t o o k t h e c h i l d t o t h e h a l f w a y h o u s e "a few t i m e s " t o v i s i t w i t h t h e m o t h e r , b u t , i n h i s t e s t i m o n y , he i d e n t i f i e d o n l y one v i s i t a t t h e h a l f w a y h o u s e . Thus, f r o m t h e c o n t e x t o f t h e f a t h e r ' s t e s t i m o n y , we conclude that the f a t h e r d i d not s p e c i f i c a l l y i d e n t i f y a l l the v i s i t s t h a t had o c c u r r e d between t h e mother and t h e c h i l d since the p a r t i e s ' divorce. 2 4 2100646 t h a t t h e mother's s u p e r v i s e d v i s i t s had endangered t h e c h i l d p h y s i c a l l y or emotionally. The the f a t h e r t e s t i f i e d t h a t he t h o u g h t i t w o u l d be b e s t f o r child i f t h e mother's p a r e n t a l t h a t he a n d t h e c h i l d the child's paternal r i g h t s were t e r m i n a t e d so c o u l d move t o F l o r i d a t o be n e a r e r t o relatives. 3 The f a t h e r also testified t h a t he w a n t e d t o e n d h i s a s s o c i a t i o n w i t h t h e m o t h e r b e c a u s e , he s t a t e d , s h e h a d f a l s e l y a c c u s e d h i m o f d o m e s t i c v i o l e n c e i n t h e p a s t a n d " [ i ] t ' s an o n g o i n g a r g u m e n t . " The f a t h e r f u r t h e r complained complied with the that t h e mother had n o t f u l l y c h i l d - s u p p o r t p r o v i s i o n s o f t h e d i v o r c e judgment. also stated problem that the c h i l d was aware and h e r c r i m i n a l problems 4 The f a t h e r o f t h e mother's -- i n f a c t , drug one o f h e r c r i m i n a l charges r e l a t e d t o the t h e f t o f the c h i l d ' s i d e n t i t y -- a n d t h a t he d i d n o t want t h e c h i l d t o be i n v o l v e d w i t h t h e The f a t h e r t e s t i f i e d t h a t , u n t i l t h e t e r m i n a t i o n h e a r i n g , he h a d b e e n unaware t h a t he c o u l d move t o F l o r i d a w i t h t h e c h i l d w i t h o u t h a v i n g t h e mother's p a r e n t a l r i g h t s terminated. 3 A l t h o u g h t h e f a t h e r t e s t i f i e d t h a t t h e mother had n o t p a i d c h i l d s u p p o r t d u r i n g h e r i n c a r c e r a t i o n , he a c k n o w l e d g e d t h a t s h e h a d begun p a y i n g c h i l d s u p p o r t i n J a n u a r y 2 0 1 1 , i m m e d i a t e l y upon h e r r e l e a s e f r o m t h e h a l f w a y h o u s e . The f a t h e r a l s o a d m i t t e d t h a t t h e mother had p r o v i d e d t h e c h i l d a v i d e o game f o r C h r i s t m a s a n d t h a t s h e h a d p r o v i d e d t h e c h i l d w i t h s m a l l g i f t s from time t o time. 4 5 2100646 mother. Finally, t h e f a t h e r c o m p l a i n e d t h a t t h e mother had provided the c h i l d s e v e r a l books on w r e s t l i n g , a t o p i c t h e c h i l d e n j o y e d , b u t t h a t t h e c h i l d h a d f o u n d two p o r n o g r a p h i c p i c t u r e s i n those books. When asked how termination r i g h t s would b e n e f i t the c h i l d , o f t h e mother's the father parental responded: "Q: W e l l , i t ' s l a c k o f s u p p o r t . The f r a u d u l e n t c h a r g e s . The r e s t l e s s n i g h t s I g e t . I hear noises, I g e t up, I c h e c k . I mean, t h a t ' s n o r m a l . But when, you know -¬ "A: B u 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 w o u l d n ' t s t o p t h a t , would i t ? You a l r e a d y have f u l l c o n t r o l , I g u e s s i s what I'm s a y i n g . "A: I u n d e r s t a n d . But a t l e a s t i f the r i g h t s are t a k e n , t h e n t h e -- h e r , h e r s e l f , t h e way s h e i s , w i t h t h e l y i n g , t h e s t e a l i n g , t h e d r u g s , t h e company t h a t she keeps, t h e l a c k o f a s t e a d y house, t h e l a c k o f s u p p o r t , t h e l a c k o f m e d i c a l s u p p o r t f o r my s o n , i t ' s l i k e he i s j u s t s o m e t h i n g f o r h e r t o h o l d on to. And i t ' s n o t r i g h t . " The mother testified that time o f the t e r m i n a t i o n hearing. s h e was 31 y e a r s She c o n t i n u e d the f a t h e r had committed domestic v i o l e n c e she denied She admitted, o l d at the to insist against that her, and t h a t s h e h a d f a l s e l y a c c u s e d h i m on a n y o c c a s i o n . h o w e v e r , t h a t , i n 2008, when t h e E t o w a h C o u n t y D e p a r t m e n t o f Human R e s o u r c e s ("DHR") was i n v o l v e d w i t h t h e f a m i l y , s h e h a d f a l s e l y c l a i m e d t o have c a n c e r a n d h a d f a l s e l y 6 2100646 claimed t o have a b r o k e n arm; t h a t time, she had m o t h e r a d m i t t e d t h a t she she testified, she had not had convicted of t h e f t i n v o l v i n g her dispute involving the seeking the child had that and she that had and that the was sleep-related received issues. psychological t o t h e m o t h e r , she against from mother assessment she treatment and to t r e a t depression that was j a i l e d i n F e b r u a r y 2009 ordered to drug r e h a b i l i t a t i o n "W.A.D.E. Freedom House." dismissed The been conditions; psychological medication had of 5 s h o r t l y t h e r e a f t e r , was attempting was had she f o r m e r roommate. f i n d i n g s i n her been p r e s c r i b e d According and, she but, been c o n v i c t e d i n d i c a t i n g t h a t she s u f f e r s f r o m m e n t a l - h e a l t h testified at attention. used drugs i n the p a s t , m o t h e r a l s o a d m i t t e d t h a t she theft not was that, u s e d d r u g s s i n c e e a r l y 2009. identity did mother t e s t i f i e d been d e p r e s s e d and The The the The program mother t e s t i f i e d on July 15, that 2009, at she for t o t e l e p h o n e t h e c h i l d d u r i n g h e r work h o u r s , w h i c h the rules. The mother t e s t i f i e d t h a t the father A c c o r d i n g t o S a n d r a B u m g a r d n e r , a DHR c a s e w o r k e r who had w o r k e d w i t h the f a m i l y i n 2008, the mother had s u b m i t t e d t o a psychological assessment and was determined to have "a p e r s o n a l i t y d i s o r d e r w i t h s c h i z o i d and a v o i d a n c e . " 5 7 2100646 p i c k e d h e r up i n J a c k s o n v i l l e on t h a t day and d r o v e h e r t o h i s h o u s e , where he had l a w - e n f o r c e m e n t o f f i c e r s w a i t i n g t o a r r e s t her f o r i d e n t i t y t h e f t . According t o t h e m o t h e r , she i n j a i l f r o m J u l y 2009 u n t i l June 14, when she began the d r u g - r e h a b i l i t a t i o n p r o g r a m a t "Rainbow o f Hope," w h i c h , she testified, The she s u c c e s s f u l l y c o m p l e t e d on J a n u a r y 9, 2011. mother t e s t i f i e d t h a t , s i n c e her Hope program, Substance she been class Abuse" had and termination hearing, The 2010, remained she was mother d e n i e d c o m p l e t i o n of the Rainbow of teaching that, "Christians at the Against time of the s t i l l a t t e n d i n g 12-step meetings. placed any pornographic p h o t o g r a p h s i n t h e w r e s t l i n g b o o k s t h a t she had given child. yard She sale that she had to the t e s t i f i e d t h a t she had p u r c h a s e d t h o s e b o o k s a t a she had k n o w l e d g e t h a t t h e p h o t o g r a p h s were i n t h e b o o k s . The mother a c k n o w l e d g e d t h a t she had n o t p a i d c h i l d s u p p o r t t o t h e father until as a gift J a n u a r y 2011 f o r the and child f a t h e r ; the mother t e s t i f i e d money providing Parkinson's provided the disease. child that t h a t , at t h a t time, to the care and as The a video a t h a t she live-in mother game and 8 she aide testified a shirt had had to had no paid $500 earned that a that man with she at Christmas had in 2100646 2010 but t h a t , u n t i l t h a t time, she h a d been u n a b l e t o p r o v i d e s u p p o r t o r more s u b s t a n t i a l g i f t s had been i n j a i l The mother or i n drug testified f o r t h e c h i l d b e c a u s e she rehabilitation. that she a n d t h e c h i l d t a l k e d on t h e t e l e p h o n e two o r t h r e e explained, typically t i m e s a week, b u t , she she a t t e m p t e d t o t a l k t o t h e c h i l d more f r e q u e n t l y . According t o t h e m o t h e r , t h e f a t h e r s o m e t i m e s accommodated h e r requests, and sometimes r e f u s e d the child. The m o t h e r also her requests, testified with the father that to v i s i t had m e n t i o n e d t o h e r t h a t he w a n t e d t o move t o F l o r i d a . t o t h e mother, she had responded: " I ' l l you c a n move t o F l o r i d a as l o n g child]." The m o t h e r testified p e t i t i o n seeking t o terminate they discussed The of no Beasley, s i g n a paper t h a t says as you j u s t l e t me s e e [ t h e that the father h e r p a r e n t a l r i g h t s t h e same d a y b u r d e n i s on t h e c u s t o d i a l p a r e n t s e e k i n g viable supra. filed his h i s d e s i r e t o move t o F l o r i d a . the parental that According r i g h t s of the noncustodial alternative to termination parent termination t o prove exists. See In t h i s case, the f a t h e r f a i l e d t o prove t h a t m a i n t e n a n c e o f t h e s t a t u s quo w o u l d n o t a d e q u a t e l y p r o t e c t t h e child from t h e h a r m f u l conduct o f t h e mother. 9 2100646 I n Ex p a r t e A.S., supra, a c h i l d ' s maternal grandmother p e t i t i o n e d a j u v e n i l e court to terminate the p a r e n t a l rights o f A.S., So. 3d a t . the mother, t o t h a t c h i l d . The j u v e n i l e c o u r t i n t h a t case granted t h a t p e t i t i o n so t h a t t h e grandmother c o u l d adopt the c h i l d ; t h e mother a p p e a l e d . at . without court This an court affirmed opinion, and for certiorari the j u v e n i l e t h e mother review. court's petitioned I d . at Id. judgment, our supreme . A l t h o u g h r e c o g n i z i n g t h a t t h e c h i l d was d e p e n d e n t b e c a u s e the mother was hearing, incarcerated So. 3d a t a t the time , t h e supreme of the court termination reversed j u v e n i l e c o u r t ' s t e r m i n a t i o n of the mother's p a r e n t a l Id. at . alternative The to supreme court termination concluded existed, that a i . e . , that rights. viable "[t]he grandmother's m a i n t a i n i n g c u s t o d y o f t h e c h i l d and h a v i n g ability supervise to determine and the mother's towards r e h a b i l i t a t i o n . " The supreme court the mother i s making I d . at of the progress . stated: "When d e t e r m i n i n g whether to terminate i n d i v i d u a l ' s p a r e n t a l r i g h t s , 'the p r i m a r y f o c u s 10 the visitation with the c h i l d i s a v i a b l e a l t e r n a t i v e to t e r m i n a t i o n mother's p a r e n t a l r i g h t s w h i l e the an of 2100646 a c o u r t ... i s t o p r o t e c t t h e w e l f a r e o f c h i l d r e n and a t t h e same t i m e t o p r o t e c t t h e r i g h t s o f t h e i r parents.' Ex p a r t e B e a s l e y , 564 So. 2d 950, 952 (Ala. 1990). T h e r e f o r e , 'a c o u r t s h o u l d t e r m i n a t e p a r e n t a l r i g h t s o n l y i n t h e most e g r e g i o u s o f circumstances.' I d . " "'"[T]he t e r m i n a t i o n of p a r e n t a l r i g h t s i s a d r a s t i c m e a s u r e , a n d we know o f no means b y w h i c h t h o s e r i g h t s , once t e r m i n a t e d , c a n be r e i n s t a t e d . The e v i d e n c e i n [this] c a s e [ ] 'does n o t r i s e t o t h e l e v e l o f b e i n g so c l e a r a n d c o n v i n c i n g as t o s u p p o r t termination of the parental r i g h t s of the m o t h e r , s u c h a c t i o n b e i n g t h e l a s t a n d most extreme disposition permitted by statute.'"'" Ex p a r t e A.S., So. 3d a t (quoting D.O. v. C a l h o u n C n t y . Dep't o f Human R e s . , 859 So. 2d 439, 445 ( A l a . C i v . App. 2 0 0 3 ) , q u o t i n g i n t u r n V.M. v . S t a t e Dep't o f Human R e s . , 710 So. 2d 915, 921 ( A l a . C i v . App. 1 9 9 8 ) ) . We f i n d s e v e r a l p a r a l l e l s b e t w e e n t h i s c a s e a n d Ex p a r t e A.S., supra, b u t we note that the existence of a v i a b l e a l t e r n a t i v e t o t e r m i n a t i o n i s more s t r o n g l y e s t a b l i s h e d b y t h e f a c t s o f t h i s c a s e t h a n i t was i n Ex p a r t e A.S. The m o t h e r i n t h i s c a s e was no l o n g e r i n j a i l a t t h e t i m e o f t h e t e r m i n a t i o n h e a r i n g , and she had d e m o n s t r a t e d s i g n i f i c a n t p r o g r e s s rehabilitating herself. toward She h a d been i n v o l v e d i n p a r e n t i n g 11 2100646 the c h i l d before maintain while being frequent she was i n c a r c e r a t e d , and the past, in by continued c o m m u n i c a t i o n and v i s i t a t i o n w i t h t h e jail and during her A l t h o u g h t h e m o t h e r a d m i t t e d t h a t she in she had the time of the drug had to child rehabilitation. used i l l e g a l termination hearing drugs she had s u c c e s s f u l l y c o m p l e t e d a d r u g - r e h a b i l i t a t i o n p r o g r a m , had b e e n r e l e a s e d f r o m a h a l f w a y h o u s e , was program, and was teaching s u b s t a n c e abuse. mother was No using a class to help e v i d e n c e was illegal p a r t i c i p a t i n g i n a 12-step drugs others deal o f f e r e d to suggest that or that she was likely with the to relapse. Although the from evidence i n d i c a t e s t h a t the mental-health conditions, no evidence mother s u f f e r s was offered s u g g e s t t h a t she p o s e d a p h y s i c a l t h r e a t t o t h e c h i l d o r the mother's address her treatment mental-health and medication conditions. were A d d i t i o n a l l y , she been a w a r d e d o n l y s u p e r v i s e d v i s i t a t i o n with father the has sole custody of child, d i s c r e t i o n over the mother's v i s i t a t i o n . the evidence offered by the mother insufficient and the he child. has to that to has The complete Thus, i n a d d i t i o n t o i n d i c a t i n g her improved s t a b i l i t y and h e r i m p r o v e d e m o t i o n a l h e a l t h , t h e f a t h e r i s i n 12 2100646 a p o s i t i o n t o ensure the c h i l d ' s s a f e t y during visitations. mother M a i n t e n a n c e o f t h e s t a t u s quo a n d a l l o w i n g t h e continued adequately protects supervised visitation the welfare on alternative exists. the foregoing, to termination We t h e r e f o r e with of the c h i l d for a b e n e f i c i a l r e l a t i o n s h i p with both Based the mother's while child allowing parents. a viable o f the mother's p a r e n t a l rights reverse we the conclude that the j u v e n i l e court's judgment, and we remand t h e c a u s e f o r t h e e n t r y o f a j u d g m e n t c o n s i s t e n t with this opinion. REVERSED AND REMANDED. Pittman a n d Thomas, J J . , c o n c u r . Thompson, without P . J . , and B r y a n , writings. 13 J . , concur i n the result,

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