Carrasco v. State

19 P.3d 635, 199 Ariz. 494, 342 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 18, 2001 Ariz. App. LEXIS 50
CourtCourt of Appeals of Arizona
DecidedMarch 8, 2001
DocketNo. 2 CA-CV 00-0191
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 19 P.3d 635 (Carrasco v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Arizona primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Carrasco v. State, 19 P.3d 635, 199 Ariz. 494, 342 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 18, 2001 Ariz. App. LEXIS 50 (Ark. Ct. App. 2001).

Opinion

OPINION

HOWARD, Presiding Judge.

¶ 1 The trial court awarded summary judgment in favor of appellees State of Arizona and Child Protective Services (CPS) in a wrongful death action brought by appellant Theresa Carrasco, personal representative of decedent Sky Andres Carrasco. Theresa argues the trial court erred in finding that because Sky’s mother, a statutory beneficiary under A.R.S. § 12-612(A), survived him, Theresa was not authorized to recover on behalf of Sky’s estate. Because we agree with the trial court that the estate is not an authorized beneficiary, we affirm.

BACKGROUND

¶2 In reviewing the grant of summary judgment, we view the facts and reasonable inferences therefrom in the light most favorable to the party against whom summary judgment was entered. Link v. Pima County, 193 Ariz. 336, ¶ 12, 972 P.2d 669, ¶ 12 (App.1998). And we independently determine whether there are any genuine issues of material fact and whether the court properly applied the law. Toy v. Katz, 192 Ariz. 73, 85, 961 P.2d 1021, 1033 (App.1997).

¶ 3 On June 1, 1997, three-month-old Sky Carrasco was pronounced dead of unknown causes. His mother, Nancy, was charged with intentional child abuse under circumstances likely to produce death or serious physical injury and first-degree murder. Nancy pled guilty to the lesser charge of criminally negligent child abuse under circumstances likely to produce death or serious physical injury based on her failure to obtain prompt medical care for Sky. Theresa Carrasco, Sky’s grandmother, was appointed personal representative of Sky’s estate. She sued CPS on behalf of the estate and individually for Sky’s wrongful death, alleging CPS had received a number of complaints from persons concerned about Sky’s safety, but had taken no action to remove Sky from Nancy’s home. Theresa did not seek any damages on behalf of Nancy.

[496]*496¶4 CPS moved for summary judgment relying on Bowslaugh v. Bowslaugh, 126 Ariz. 517, 617 P.2d 25 (1979), for the proposition that the estate could not recover other damages because Nancy, a named statutory wrongful death beneficiary, had survived Sky. Theresa responded by claiming that Nancy was not a surviving beneficiary because her criminal responsibility for Sky’s death severed her parental rights, and the slayer statute, A.R.S. § 14-2803, required that the court treat Nancy as though she had predeceased Sky for purposes of the wrongful death action. Theresa also claimed that changes in legal doctrines had eroded the authoritative weight of Bowslaugh.

¶ 5 The trial court concluded that Nancy remained a surviving parent and an eligible wrongful death beneficiary. And, the trial court, assuming that the slayer statute applied, concluded Theresa had failed to come forward with sufficient facts indicating that Nancy had feloniously and intentionally killed Sky, which the slayer statute requires for disqualification. The trial court, therefore, granted summary judgment in favor of CPS and this appeal followed.

DISCUSSION

¶ 6 Section 12-612(A)1 designates the only proper beneficiaries of a wrongful death action:

An action for wrongful death shall be brought by and in the name of the surviving husband or wife or personal representative of the deceased person for and on behalf of the surviving husband or wife, children or parents, or if none of these survive, on behalf of the decedent’s estate.

(Emphasis added.) Our supreme court has interpreted the phrase “if none of these survive” to mean that “ ‘[t]he estate ... is a beneficiary only if none of those named beneficiaries survivefs].”’ Bowslaugh, 126 Ariz. at 518, 617 P.2d at 26, quoting Solomon v. Harman, 107 Ariz. 426, 430, 489 P.2d 236, 240 (1971). See also Knauss v. DND Neffson Co., 192 Ariz. 192, 199-200, 963 P.2d 271, 278-79 (App.1997). Here, it is undisputed that Sky’s parent, Nancy, survived him and is the person designated by § 12-612(A) as entitled to receive wrongful death damages.2 Sky estate, therefore, is not entitled to recover its damages. Bowslaugh.

¶ 7 Theresa argues, however, that Nancy’s parental rights were severed by implication because she was responsible for Sky’s death. She has cited no authority for this proposition and we are aware of none. We therefore reject this argument. Brown v. U.S. Fidelity & Guar. Co., 194 Ariz. 85, ¶ 50, 977 P.2d 807, ¶50 (App.1998) (arguments not supported by authority rejected). See also Ariz.R .Civ.App.P. 13(a)(6), 17B A.R.S.

¶8 Theresa also argues subsections A, D, and E of the slayer statute, § 14-2803, disqualify, Nancy and, therefore, allow Theresa to sue on behalf of the estate. The statute provides in pertinent part:

A. A person who feloniously and intentionally kills the decedent forfeits all benefits under this chapter with respect to the decedent’s estate, including an intestate share, an elective share, an omitted spouse’s or child’s share, a homestead allowance, exempt property and a family allowance....
D. Provisions of a governing instrument are given effect as if the killer disclaimed all provisions revoked by this section or, in the case of a revoked nomination in a fiduciary or representative capacity, as if the killer predeceased the decedent.
E. A wrongful acquisition of property or interest by a killer not covered by this section shall be treated in accordance with the principle that a killer cannot profit from that person’s wrong.

¶ 9 Subsection A applies only to “benefits under this chapter,” which is chapter two of [497]*497the probate code governing wills and intestate succession. See also In re Estates of Spear, 173 Ariz. 565, 568, 845 P.2d 491, 494 (App.1992). That chapter does not provide for wrongful death actions. Thus, wrongful death actions are not affected by subsection A. Similarly, subsection D only applies to provisions in a “governing instrument,” which is defined as “a governing instrument executed by the decedent.” § 14-2803(K)(2). No governing instrument is involved in this case and, therefore, subsection D does not apply.

¶ 10 Subsection E, however, is not limited by its terms to a “wrongful acquisition” under the probate code, and we will assume, without deciding, that it could apply to a wrongful death action.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
19 P.3d 635, 199 Ariz. 494, 342 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 18, 2001 Ariz. App. LEXIS 50, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/carrasco-v-state-arizctapp-2001.