STATE OF LOUISIANA IN THE INTEREST OF S.K.

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STATE OF LOUISIANA IN THE INTEREST OFS.K. NO. 15-CM-457 FIFTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEAL STATE OF LOUISIANA ON APPEAL FROM THE TWENTY-NINTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF ST. CHARLES, STATE OF LOUISIANA NO. 13,614, DIVISION "E" HONORABLE TIMOTHY S. MARCEL, JUDGE PRESIDING OF j\[)!)r~/\L FIFTH ClT<.C U rr COUI~T JULY 29,2015 FILED ROBERT M. MURPHY JUDGE JUL 29 2.0ji) {J l .t:1J(1~~k:AC- -V;.z;"'I'_oV Cheryl Quirk CLEr~:f< L~IJldriCLI Panel composed of Judges Robert M. Murphy, Stephen J. Windhorst, and Hans J. Liljeberg JESSICA COALTER ATTORNEY AT LAW 1450 Poydras Street, Suite 1600 New Orleans, Louisiana 70112 COUNSEL FOR PLAINTIFFI APPELLEE JUANITA MARINO ATTORNEY AT LAW Post Office Box 129 Norco, Louisiana 70079 COUNSEL FOR MINOR/APPELLEE ARTHUR O. SCHOTT, III ATTORNEY AT LAW 4706 Canal Street New Orleans, Louisiana 70119 COUNSEL FOR PARENTIAPPELLANT CHRISTINA LEWIS ATTORNEY AT LAW 13309 River Road Luling, Louisiana 70070 COUNSEL FOR PARENTI APPELLEE APPEAL DISMISSED; CASE REMANDED Appellant, AJ., appeals a judgment oftennination of parental rights and Department of Children and Family Services ("DCFS"), filed a motion to dismiss A.J.'s appeal, contending that the appeal is untimely pursuant to La. Ch.C. art. 332. For the reasons that follow, we dismiss the appeal as untimely and remand the matter to the trial court for further proceedings. PROCEDURAL HISTORY On May 15, 2015, the trial court held a trial on the merits, wherein it terminated all parental rights of AJ. and S.K, relative to the child S.K., and certified S.K. for adoption. The trial court signed a judgment to that effect on May 20, 2015, which the Clerk of Court mailed to all parties on that same day. -2­ On June 12,2015, A.J. filed a motion for a suspensive appeal of the May 20, 2015 judgment terminating his parental rights. Later that same day, A.J. filed an amended motion for a suspensive appeal of the May 20,2015 judgment. On June 26, 2015, the trial court signed an order granting AJ. 's motion for a suspensive appeal of the May 20, 2015 judgment. DCFS's motion to dismiss the appeal now follows. DISCUSSION In State ex reI. c.e.. 00-2703 (La. 1/17/01),777 So.2d 470, the Louisiana Supreme Court considered the timeliness of an appeal from a judgment terminating the parental rights of the appellant. The Court provided as follows: Courts shall avoid delays in resolving the status of the parent and in achieving permanency for the child. La. Ch. Code art. 1032. All phases of termination ofparental rights proceedings are thus to be given priority. State in the interest a/S.M, 98-0922 (La. 10/20/98), 719 So.2d 445,453 (La. 1998). Consistent with the statutory scheme of expediency, the Louisiana Children's Code provides that appeals shall be taken within fifteen days from the signing ofthe judgment, or from the mailing of notice ofjudgment when required. La. Ch. Code art 332. Id. at 471. La. Ch.C. art. 332(A) provides, in pertinent part, that "appeals shall be taken within fifteen days from the mailing of notice ofjudgment." Because more than fifteen days had elapsed from the date of the mailing of the notice of signing ofjudgment and the date of the filing of the appellant's motion for appeal, the Court concluded that the appellant's appeal was untimely pursuant to La. Ch.C. art. 332. State ex reI. c.P., 777 So.2d at 471-72. In the instant case, the May 20, 2015 judgment terminating AJ.'s parental rights was mailed by the Clerk of Court on that same date, May 20, 2015. Therefore, under La. Ch.C. art. 332, A.J. was required to file his motion for a suspensive appeal of that judgment within fifteen days from May 20,2015, or by June 4,2015. Because our review of the record shows that A.J. did not file his -3­ motion for appeal until June. 12, 2015, we find that A.J.'s appeal is untimely pursuant to La. Ch.C. art. 332. Accordingly, we dismiss this appeal, as this Court is without appellate jurisdiction to hear the appeal. CONCLUSION For the foregoing reasons, we hereby dismiss this appeal as untimely and remand the matter to the trial court for further proceedings. Costs of this appeal are assessed against appellant, AJ. APPEAL DISMISSED; CASE REMANDED -4­ SUSAN M. CHEHARDY CHERYL Q. LANDRIEU CHIEF JUDGE CLERK OF COURT FREDERICKA H. WICKER JUDE G. GRAVOIS MARC E. JOHNSON ROBERT A. CHAISSON ROBERT M. MURPHY STEPHEN J. WINDHORST HANS J. LIUEBERG JUDGES MARY E. LEGNON CHIEF DEPUTY CLERK SUSAN BUCHHOLZ FIRST DEPUTY CLERK FIFTH CIRCUIT MELISSA C. LEDET 101 DERBIGNY STREET (70053) DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL STAFF POST OFFICE BOX 489 GRETNA, LOUISIANA 70054 (504) 376-1400 (504) 376-1498 FAX www.fifthcircuit.org NOTICE OF JUDGMENT AND CERTIFICATE OF DELIVERY I CERTIFY THAT A COpy OF THE OPINION IN THE BELOW-NUMBERED MATTER HAS BEEN DELIVERED IN ACCORDANCE WITH Uniform Rules - Court of Appeal, Rule 2-20 THIS DAY JULY 29, 2015 TO THE TRIAL JUDGE, COUNSEL OF RECORD AND ALL PARTIES NOT REPRESENTED BY COUNSEL, AS LISTED BELOW: CLERK OF COURT 15-CM-457 E-NOTIFIED NO ATTORNEYS WERE ENOTIFIED MAILED CHRISTINA N. LEWIS ATTORNEY AT LA W 13309 RIVER ROAD LULING, LA 70070 ARTHUR O. SCHOTT, III ATTORNEY AT LA W 4706 CANAL STREET NEW ORLEANS, LA 70119 JUANITA R. MARINO ATTORNEY AT LAW POST OFFICE BOX 129 NORCO, LA 70079 JESSICA COALTER ATTORNEY AT LAW STATE OF LOUISIANA, DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY SERVICES 1450 POYDRAS STREET SUITE 1600 NEW ORLEANS, LA 70112

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