Burst v. SCHMOLKE

62 So. 3d 829, 2010 La.App. 4 Cir. 1036, 2011 La. App. LEXIS 421, 2011 WL 1798090
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 6, 2011
Docket2010-CA-1036
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 62 So. 3d 829 (Burst v. SCHMOLKE) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Burst v. SCHMOLKE, 62 So. 3d 829, 2010 La.App. 4 Cir. 1036, 2011 La. App. LEXIS 421, 2011 WL 1798090 (La. Ct. App. 2011).

Opinions

JAMES F. McKAY III Judge.

hBy way of background, this matter has its origins in a tragic family event, the death of a young mother on September 5, 2005. At the time of the accident L.S., the minor child of Tara Burst Schmolke and Darren Schmolke, was seventeen months old. After Tara’s death, Darren and Yo-lande Burst and Bernard E. Burst, Jr., Tara’s parents (L.S.’s grandparents), shared in the daily responsibilities of caring for L.S. In fact, they lived together for a substantial period of time. As time went on the relationship between the Bursts and Darren Schmolke deteriorated. On April 30, 2008, the Bursts filed a petition for grandparent visitation pursuant to La. R.S. 9:344. A consent judgment was entered into on July 8, 2008, which granted the maternal grandparents visitation rights. Over time the trial court, due to various changes in circumstances, modified the consent judgment. Ultimately, after tumultuous and prolonged legal battles between the parties and changes in Darren Schmolke’s family situation, the matter came to a head on August 4, 2010, when Darren Schmolke, his new wife, Amber, and L.S. moved to Mooresville, the County of Oredell, State of North Carolina, therein establishing a residency. We |¡>note here that notwithstanding numerous modifications by the trial court, the July 2008 consent judgment has remained in full force and effect throughout this entire litigation.

Pertinent to this appeal, on February 11, 2010, Darren Schmolke filed a petition for declaratory judgment in the Orleans Parish Civil District Court, requesting that the trial court declare that it lacks jurisdiction to adjudicate his rights and the Bursts’ rights with regard to visitations with L.S. Darren Schmolke was clearly seeking a determination by the trial court as to which state, Louisiana or North Carolina, had exclusive jurisdiction over the matter. Germane to this issue is the fact that the trial court had modified the consent judgment on September 18, 2009, to accommodate the Schmolke’s move to North Carolina, a significant change in circumstances. Again it became necessary for the Bursts’ family visitations with L.S. to be modified. However, the Bursts continued to have the right to reasonable visitation rights with L.S. during this transitional period.

After carefully reviewing the record in this matter, it is this Court’s position that despite both parties’ efforts to relitigate the entire juridical history of this case each and every time they come to court, this Court will only address the pertinent and instant issues, as established in the record before us. All other matters are surplusage and not material to the appeal before this Court. For this purpose {ad hoc), we must admonish both parties that the best interest of a small child is at the base of this entire litigation not the individual parties personal needs. One wrong [832]*832does not justify another, injuria non exu-sat injuria.

| ¡¡The Bursts raise numerous assignments of error. As many are repetitive and related, we summarily address some of them, fully consider others, and preter-mit the rest.

In assignment of error IV the Bursts assert that the Consent Judgment provided that Orleans Parish shall retain jurisdiction over this matter should the Schmolke’s move to another state. The record does not reflect that there is a ruling on this issue, therefore the matter is not properly before this court. This assignment of error is without merit.

In assignment of error VI, the Bursts essentially assert that the trial court erred when it failed to communicate with the North Carolina Court. Regarding communication between the courts, La. R.S. 13:1810, states in pertinent parts: (A) A court of this state may communicate with a court in another state concerning a proceeding arising under this Act. (Emphasis added). We And no motion, rule or petition to recognize a judgment of a foreign jurisdiction in the record before this Court. Any communication between the courts is purely discretionary. This assignment of error lacks any reasonable foundation or merit.

In assignment of error VIII the Bursts assert that the trial court erred in excluding pleadings from a prior matter in a foreign jurisdiction, North Carolina. We find no motion, rule or petition to recognize a judgment of a foreign jurisdiction in the record before this Court. This assignment lacks merit.

The Bursts assert in assignment of error IX that the trial court erred in determining that the September 2009 judgment supersedes the July 2008 consent | judgment. As previously stated the consent judgment has continually been modified by the trial court at the behest of all parties. This assignment is superfluous, redundant and lacks merit.

We will first consider the issue of the Bursts’ rule for contempt against Darren Schmolke for his alleged violation of a court determined visitation date scheduled for February 12, 2010, in North Carolina. Secondly, we will address Darren Schmolke’s petition for declaratory judgment which was filed on February 11, 2010.

RULE FOR CONTEMPT

The Bursts assert in assignment of error VIII that the trial court erred in failing to hold Darren Schmolke in contempt of court for denying them a scheduled visitation.

Pursuant to a prior modification of the July 2008 consent judgment and in recognition of the Sehmolkes’ move to North Carolina in August of 2010, the trial court modified the visitation schedule. We again reiterate that although the relevant consent judgment has been modified numerous times throughout this litigation, the substance of the judgment has not been significantly altered. The Bursts continued to have the right to reasonable visitation rights with L.S. during this transitional period, although the details and current situation are not within the privity of this Court as we are a court of record.

The impetus for the Bursts’ rule for contempt is that on October 21, 2009, the Bursts advised Darren Schmolke that they planned to visit L.S. during the | ^weekend of February 12, 2010, which was just one of many pre-determined visitation dates that the Bursts chose to exercise over a six month period. On January, 22, 2010, Mr. Schmolke emailed the Bursts advising them that this was not a convenient time for the requested visitation date because of [833]*833various factors: his daughter was coming to North Carolina for a visit; his wife, Amber, had that weekend off of work; L.S. was off of school; and finally, he wished to take a short vacation with family to celebrate his birthday and bond as a family. Darren Schmolke offered the Bursts the following weekend as a makeup visitation. The alternate date proved to be unacceptable to the Bursts. Nevertheless, the record indicates that they were given a make-up visitation date.

The Bursts filed a rule for contempt against Darren Schmolke on February 12, 2010, one day after Darren Schmolke had filed his petition for declaratory judgment with the trial court. On March 28, 2010, the trial court heard the Bursts’ rule for contempt and Darren Schmolke’s petition for declaratory judgment. After hearing all of the allegations and arguments from both sides, the trial court found that Darren Schmolke’s actions did not rise to the level of contemptuous behavior and ordered make-up visitation for the Bursts.

Contempt of court is defined in La. Code Civ. Pro. art.

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62 So. 3d 829, 2010 La.App. 4 Cir. 1036, 2011 La. App. LEXIS 421, 2011 WL 1798090, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/burst-v-schmolke-lactapp-2011.