86 results for 'cat:"Evidence" AND cat:"Family Law" AND cat:"Guardianship"'.
J. Brown finds the circuit court properly terminated the parents' parental rights to their minor children. The department exercised a hold on the children, filing a petition for dependency-neglect after the incoherent and lethargic father was taken to the hospital for suspected drug use. The mother admitted to being on drugs, though she refused testing, also refusing to allow the department to investigate the state of the home. She admitted to being five months pregnant, though she refused treatment. Affirmed.
Court: Arkansas Court Of Appeals, Judge: Brown , Filed On: May 1, 2024, Case #: CV-24-5, Categories: evidence, family Law, guardianship
J. Hixson finds the circuit court properly terminated the parents' rights to their children based on sufficient evidence. The department was granted a petition for emergency custody and dependency-neglect after the mother tested positive for multiple drugs when giving birth. It then found each parent to be in partial and minimal compliance with the original case plan for reunification. Though certain evidence shows the parents were bonded with the children, the bond is not sufficient to prevent termination. Affirmed.
Court: Arkansas Court Of Appeals, Judge: Hixson , Filed On: April 24, 2024, Case #: CV-23-785, Categories: evidence, family Law, guardianship
J. Harrison finds the circuit court properly entered the divorce decree and custody and support order, finding the ex-wife to be in contempt. The court correctly denied the mother's request to relocate, finding it in the child's best interest to remain where his support system is located. There is ample evidence the mother's failure to control her emotions caused the child's anxiety during visitation exchanges. At one exchange, the mother was crying so loudly she could not hear the visitation supervisor speaking. The child's counselor also testified that certain of the mother's actions could be considered intentional sabotage and that it is damaging for the child to be purposefully kept from his father. Affirmed.
Court: Arkansas Court Of Appeals, Judge: Harrison , Filed On: April 24, 2024, Case #: CV-23-240, Categories: evidence, family Law, guardianship
J. Murphy finds the circuit court properly denied the stepfather's petition to adopt his 13-year-old stepdaughter. The stepfather sought adoption after the child's biological father petitioned to establish paternity and visitation. Though the healthy, academically achieving daughter considers her stepfather her father, having no interest in visitations with her biological father, the record demonstrates the mother hindered the biological father/daughter relationship by not telling him about her for the first two years of her life. The mother also told the daughter she was conceived by rape. The biological father has regularly paid child support, also carrying insurance on the daughter. Adoption is in derogation of the natural parent's rights and the biological father has contested the adoption. Affirmed.
Court: Arkansas Court Of Appeals, Judge: Murphy , Filed On: April 24, 2024, Case #: CV-23-311, Categories: evidence, family Law, guardianship
J. Welch finds the district court properly granted the mother's complaint for modification of child custody and her request to remove the child from Nebraska to Wyoming. Testimony at trial, including from a mental health substance abuse counselor and the child's preschool teacher and daycare director, shows a material change in circumstances related to the father's escalated drinking following the entry of the divorce decree. The short distance of the move and the court’s award of parenting time provides a reasonable visitation schedule for fostering a meaningful relationship between the father and child. Affirmed.
Court: Nebraska Court Of Appeals, Judge: Welch , Filed On: April 16, 2024, Case #: A-23-571, Categories: evidence, family Law, guardianship
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J. Murphy finds the county court improperly declined the mother's request to modify custody. Since the entry of the order, the father was arrested for domestic battery, was under investigation for child abuse and had slapped the child in the face when he would have been six years old or younger. The court improperly found no material change had occurred warranting modification. Reversed.
Court: Arkansas Court Of Appeals, Judge: Murphy , Filed On: March 27, 2024, Case #: CV-23-259, Categories: evidence, family Law, guardianship
J. Smith finds that the trial court properly ruled to appoint a father as the managing conservator of the child he shares with his former wife. While specific elements of the trial court’s decision to place the child in their father's care was unsupported by certain factors, the overall evidence suggests that it is in the child’s best interest to be with their father. Affirmed.
Court: Texas Courts of Appeals, Judge: Smith, Filed On: February 29, 2024, Case #: 03-22-00090-CV, Categories: evidence, family Law, guardianship
J. Abramson finds the county court properly terminated the mother's parental rights to her child. The department filed a petition for emergency custody after treating physicians reported the mother's explanation for the child's broken femur and skull fracture was not plausible. The department also notes the mother suffers from delayed processing, and the putative father is bipolar and schizophrenic. After removal, the mother did not complete parenting or domestic-violence classes, and a caseworker testified she did not have the capacity to care for the child. Affirmed.
Court: Arkansas Court Of Appeals, Judge: Abramson , Filed On: February 28, 2024, Case #: CV-23-643, Categories: evidence, family Law, guardianship
J. Moore finds the county court properly modified the divorce decree. Though the parties had originally agreed to a joint custody arrangement, the father sought modification alleging several changes in circumstance, including the mother's increased income and her allegedly ignoring certain joint custody obligations. The mother was given final medical and dental decision-making when the parties could not agree after reasonable discussion. After giving appropriate consideration to all testimony, the lower court properly found the father did not meet his burden to prove a change in circumstance warranting modification of custody. Affirmed.
Court: Nebraska Court Of Appeals, Judge: Moore , Filed On: February 27, 2024, Case #: A-23-366, Categories: evidence, family Law, guardianship
J. Brown finds the county court properly terminated the father's parental rights to his three children. The department exercised an emergency hold on the children after an investigation into allegations of the mother's performing sex acts as a prostitute in front of them while living in a motel. The investigation also involved questions of the death of one of the children. The children tested positive for meth and cocaine, and neither parent showed any evidence of stability. Affirmed.
Court: Arkansas Court Of Appeals, Judge: Brown , Filed On: February 14, 2024, Case #: CV-23-584, Categories: evidence, family Law, guardianship
J. Arterburn finds the juvenile court properly removed the 13-year-old child from her grandmother's care. The child's therapist testified she exhibited trauma and avoidance issues. The child was properly allowed to testify as to the parties' combative relationship outside the grandmother's presence, with the therapist explaining the presence would likely cause the child emotional distress or fear, probably impacting the testimony. Affirmed.
Court: Nebraska Court Of Appeals, Judge: Arterburn , Filed On: February 13, 2024, Case #: A-23-388, Categories: evidence, family Law, guardianship
J. Klappenbach finds the circuit court properly terminated both parents' rights to their infant daughter. The child was taken into custody after being found underweight, while the parents have admitted to drug use and the home was unfit, cluttered with garbage, and infested with roaches and mice. Affirmed.
Court: Arkansas Court Of Appeals, Judge: Klappenbach , Filed On: February 7, 2024, Case #: CV-23-534, Categories: evidence, family Law, guardianship
J. Neeley finds the county court properly terminated the parents' rights to their children. Protective services received reports of unsafe conditions at the family's camper, including lack of food, lack of running water, lack of power to the refrigerator, possible drug use and domestic violence. An investigator confirmed all of this, along with the children's severe hygiene and medical issues, after a home visit. Affirmed.
Court: Texas Courts of Appeals, Judge: Neeley , Filed On: February 7, 2024, Case #: 12-23-00258-CV, Categories: evidence, family Law, guardianship
J. Hixson finds the county court properly terminated the father's parental rights to his minor son. After the child was removed from the mother, the putative father was identified as the same individual previously found in a hotel room with the mother and child during an investigation that yielded boxes of stolen property, meth and drug paraphernalia, all found to be accessible to the child. The child was also treated for burn injuries, the father's explanation for which was inconsistent with the injuries themselves. Ample evidence supports termination and the best interest finding. Affirmed.
Court: Arkansas Court Of Appeals, Judge: Hixson , Filed On: January 31, 2024, Case #: CV-23-578, Categories: evidence, family Law, guardianship
J. Johnson finds the county court properly terminated the mother's parental rights to her two children. An affidavit filed by the department of protective services says it received a report of neglectful supervision, that the mother and children were homeless, and the mother had abused marijuana, meth and other drugs. The mother's behavior was also described as “erratic, unstable, emotional, tearful, and depressed.” Affirmed.
Court: Texas Courts of Appeals, Judge: Johnson , Filed On: January 25, 2024, Case #: 09-23-00303-CV, Categories: evidence, family Law, guardianship
J. Barrett finds the circuit court properly terminated the mother's parental rights to her three children. All evidence, including verified incidents of domestic violence and child abuse involving severe burns, as well as drug use, supports termination. Though the mother says the children's placement with their grandmother would make termination unnecessary, her arguments as to this alternative placement were not raised at trial. The court properly found adoption to be the best permanency goal. Affirmed.
Court: Arkansas Court Of Appeals, Judge: Barrett , Filed On: January 24, 2024, Case #: CV-23-503, Categories: evidence, family Law, guardianship
J. Bishop finds the juvenile court properly terminated the father's parental right to his two children. He has substantially and continuously neglected and refused to give the children necessary parental care and protection, or make reasonable efforts to preserve and reunify the family. He has also failed to correct conditions involving his living circumstance, employment and drug issues. Affirmed.
Court: Nebraska Court Of Appeals, Judge: Bishop , Filed On: January 23, 2024, Case #: A-23-467, Categories: evidence, family Law, guardianship
J. Abramson finds the circuit court properly terminated the mother's parental rights to her minor child. The department of health and human services filed a petition for dependency-neglect and emergency custody after the child reported her parents were using drugs. Though the mother refused testing, the father and child tested positive for meth, and residue of the drug was found in the home. The mother, who was unemployed and did not maintain adequate housing, failed to complete drug-and-alcohol assessments, counseling or parenting classes. Furthermore, counsel has filed a no-merit brief and his request to withdraw is granted. Affirmed.
Court: Arkansas Court Of Appeals, Judge: Abramson , Filed On: January 17, 2024, Case #: CV-23-338, Categories: evidence, family Law, guardianship
J. Virden finds the circuit court properly terminated the parent's parental rights to their infant children. Following removal of the children, the mother was incarcerated, and both parents failed to undergo treatment, tested positive for drugs, and failed to complete anger management or parenting classes. Both had violated a no-contact order and were charged with public intoxication, as well as disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Furthermore, both parents attended only two of nine child visitations, leaving early each time. Affirmed.
Court: Arkansas Court Of Appeals, Judge: Virden, Filed On: January 17, 2024, Case #: CV-23-382, Categories: evidence, family Law, guardianship
J. Gladwin finds the circuit court properly terminated the mother's parental rights to her child. The child was taken into custody after testing positive for meth and THC at birth. Though the mother was partially compliant with the reunification plan, her failure of certain drug tests resulted in the termination of reunification efforts. The mother cannot show the court improperly denied her request for a continuance. Furthermore, counsel has filed a no-merit brief and his motion to withdraw is granted. Affirmed.
Court: Arkansas Court Of Appeals, Judge: Gladwin , Filed On: January 17, 2024, Case #: CV-23-355, Categories: evidence, family Law, guardianship
J. Virden finds the circuit court properly terminated the mother's parental rights to her five children. The department filed a petition for emergency custody and dependency-neglect based on inadequate supervision, food, clothing, shelter and/or medical or mental healthcare, failure to protect a child from serious physical injury, and maltreatment. One child drowned while being cared for by a 13-year-old developmentally delayed child. The mother's boyfriend was also found to have abused the children. Affirmed.
Court: Arkansas Court Of Appeals, Judge: Virden , Filed On: January 17, 2024, Case #: CV-23-507, Categories: evidence, family Law, guardianship
J. Bishop finds the trial court properly modified the custody order granting the parents joint physical custody of their son, with equal parenting time. The mother's claims of harmful conduct by the father were unfounded, while the child admitted to lying about being abused and record evidence shows the child's behavior improved after equal parenting time was awarded. Affirmed.
Court: Nebraska Court Of Appeals, Judge: Bishop , Filed On: January 16, 2024, Case #: A-23-111, Categories: evidence, family Law, guardianship
J. Welch finds the county court, sitting as juvenile court, properly terminated the father's parental rights to his two sons. After the children were removed from the mother's home and placed in state custody, the father, who had been incarcerated, moved to intervene. He then failed to adequately make progress on his case plan goals and recommendations to provide permanency. The record also shows he did not have a beneficial relationship with the children at the time of the termination hearing. Affirmed.
Court: Nebraska Court Of Appeals, Judge: Welch , Filed On: January 16, 2024, Case #: A-23-410, Categories: evidence, family Law, guardianship
J. Klappenbach finds the circuit court properly terminated the parents' rights to their daughter based on sufficient evidence. The mom had posted a video on Facebook Live showing herself driving and smoking marijuana with her sister, with the child improperly in the car seat. The mother also said the child was high. A child abuse hotline report had also been made alleging drug use, heavy drinking and domestic violence around the child. Furthermore, the father had not been taking his bipolar disorder medication upon the removal. Affirmed.
Court: Arkansas Court Of Appeals, Judge: Klappenbach, Filed On: January 10, 2024, Case #: CV-23-479, Categories: evidence, family Law, guardianship
J. Arterburn finds the juvenile court properly entered an order for the removal of the daughter, who tested positive for meth and codeine immediately after her birth. After the daughter was returned to her mother following a year in foster care, the mother sought childcare with the previous foster parents. The mother's contact with the foster parents gradually decreased until the foster parents were the primary caregivers by the time the child was 6 years old. The mother's failure to maintain contact negatively impacted the child's mental health, and the court properly found her to be at risk of harm due to the mother's faults and habits. Affirmed.
Court: Nebraska Court Of Appeals, Judge: Arterburn , Filed On: January 9, 2024, Case #: A-23-460, Categories: evidence, family Law, guardianship
J. Pirtle finds the lower court properly terminated the mother's parental rights to her three children. The children were removed after the mother was accused of abuse by her husband's child. Two of her children, including one diagnosed with brittle bone disease, expressed fear of their mother, indicating that they did not want to see her. Another child indicated that he was terrified of his mother and that his brother got physically ill when she was spoken-of. Affirmed.
Court: Nebraska Court Of Appeals, Judge: Pirtle , Filed On: January 9, 2024, Case #: A-23-531, Categories: evidence, family Law, guardianship
J. Mitchell finds the county court properly terminated the mother's parental rights to her two children. After removal, the mother did not correct her issues with substance abuse and neglect, or the lack of a safe and stable home. The children had been in foster care for six months before termination, and there had been significant erosion in the relationships due to the prolonged absence. Affirmed.
Court: Oklahoma Courts Of Appeal, Judge: Mitchell , Filed On: January 4, 2024, Case #: 120893, Categories: evidence, family Law, guardianship
J. Horton finds the trial court properly denied the mother's petition to modify the joint managing conservatorship provisions in a divorce decree, which controls possessory rights to her son. Evidence presented shows both parents take active roles in parenting, have a good relationship with the child, and provide him with a safe and stable home. Affirmed.
Court: Texas Courts of Appeals, Judge: Horton , Filed On: December 21, 2023, Case #: 09-21-00396-CV, Categories: evidence, family Law, guardianship
J. Hoyle finds the county court properly terminated a father's parental rights to the child based on sufficient evidence. Investigators received a call from the mother saying that the child was injured in an altercation between her and the father when she was at his house to pick up the child. The investigator observed no injuries, though several investigators testified to regular occurrences of violence between the mother, father, and other family members, including legitimate threats involving weapons. Affirmed.
Court: Texas Courts of Appeals, Judge: Hoyle , Filed On: December 20, 2023, Case #: 12-23-00206-CV, Categories: evidence, family Law, guardianship