Gonzalez v. Texas Department of Human Resources

581 S.W.2d 522
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 3, 1979
Docket1428
StatusPublished
Cited by23 cases

This text of 581 S.W.2d 522 (Gonzalez v. Texas Department of Human Resources) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gonzalez v. Texas Department of Human Resources, 581 S.W.2d 522 (Tex. Ct. App. 1979).

Opinion

OPINION

NYE, Chief Justice.

Suit was brought by the Cameron County Child Welfare Unit of the Texas Department of Human Resources (State) to terminate the parent-child relationship between Appellant Guadalupe H. Gonzalez, the natural mother, Tomas Gonzalez and Leonzo de Leon, the living natural fathers, 1 and seven of nine children: John Heath (born February 23, 1963), Martha Heath (born April 3, 1965), Albert Heath (born December 16, 1966), Tomas Gonzalez, Jr. (born January 24, 1970), Robert de Leon (born June 3, 1972), Zulema de Leon (born May 5, 1973), and Maria de Leon (born June 4, 1974).

The State based its suit on Section 15.-02(1)(D) and (2) of the Texas Family Code Ann. (Supp.1979) which provides that:

“A petition requesting termination of the parent-child relationship with respect to a parent who is not the petitioner may be granted if the court finds that:
(1) the parent has: * * * * * *
(D) knowingly placed or knowingly allowed the child to remain in conditions or surroundings which endanger the physical or emotional well-being of the child; . ******
and .
(2) termination is in the best interest of the child.”

Appellant answered by filing a general denial, numerous special exceptions and the following two “affirmative defenses”: 1) that there were available less drastic alternatives to termination and that the State *525 had failed to adequately provide her and her children the welfare, protective and supportive services which would assist her in maintaining and strengthening her family life; and 2) that although she lacked a formal education, had limited financial and economic resources, and was suffering from physical and emotional problems, she had never willfully denied her children the care they needed nor had she intentionally endangered their well-being.

In response to numerous special issues, the jury found: 1) that Appellant had knowingly placed each child in conditions or surroundings which endangered his/her physical well-being; 2) that Appellant had knowingly allowed each child to remain in conditions or surroundings which endangered his/her physical well-being; 3) that termination of the parent-child relationship is in the best interest of each child; 4) that the appointment of the State as managing conservator would be in the best interest of each child.

After the jury verdict, the parties, with the consent of the trial court, entered into an agreement whereby the State agreed not to seek termination of the parent-child relationship between Appellant and the two oldest minor children, John Heath, age 16, and Martha Heath, age 15. Based upon this agreement and the answers to the special issues, the trial court entered a judgment which terminated the parent-child relationship of Appellant and both living natural fathers as to the five youngest children, Albert Heath, Tomas Gonzalez, Jr., Robert de Leon, Zulema de Leon, and Maria de Leon. The court appointed the State as managing conservator of these children. The children have remained in foster homes during the course of this appeal.

Appellant brings forward nine points of error for our consideration. We consider Appellant’s complaints concerning the trial court’s action in overruling her special exceptions to the pleadings and in refusing to submit to the jury her tendered special instruction, before we address her legal and factual sufficiency points of error attacking the jury’s finding and her other constitutional complaints.

In point of error number two, Appellant complaints that the district court abused its discretion in overruling special exceptions to the State’s original petition because such petition did not allege facts in support of the grounds for termination of the parent-child relationship, thereby depriving her of fair notice of what the State expected to prove and what she had to defend. In point of error number three, Appellant, in a related argument, complains that the application to this case of Section 11.08 of the Texas Family Code resulted in an unconstitutional denial of Appellant’s procedural due process of law. These contentions are without merit.

Section 11.08 requires, among other things, that a petition which seeks termination of the parent-child relationship must include “a statement describing what action the court is requested to make concerning the child and the statutory grounds on which the request is made.” Tex.Fam.Code Ann. § 11.08(b)(9) (1972). Section 11.14(a) provides that the rules of civil eases generally shall be applicable. Tex.Fam.Code Ann. § 11.14(a) (1972). Rule 45, T.R.C.P., provides, in relevant part, as follows:

“Pleadings in the district and county courts shall .
(b) Consist of a statement in plain and concise language of the plaintiff’s cause of action or the defendant’s ground of defense. That an allegation be evidentia-ry or be of legal conclusion shall not be ground for objection when fair notice to the opponent is given by the allegations as a whole.” (Emphasis added).

This rule is consistent with the due process notice requirements outlined by the Supreme Court in In Re Gault, 387 U.S. 1, 33, 87 S.Ct. 1428, 18 L.Ed.2d 527 (1967).

Here the State filed an original petition in which the State sought to be appointed the managing conservator of Appellant’s children. Later the State filed a pleading captioned “Original Petition for Temporary and Permanent Managing Conservatorship and to Terminate the Parent-Child Relationship.” In support of each petition, the *526 State alleged the statutory grounds contained in Section 15.02(1)(D) and (2) of the Texas Family Code as the basis for termination of the parent-child relationship. In addition, the State alleged that:

“ . . . temporary and permanent court orders for the care and protection of the children are necessary for the reasons set forth in the affidavit attached

The affidavit by Remberto G. Arteaga, Supervisor for the Cameron County Child Welfare Unit stated, in relevant párt:

“The children, if required to return to their natural mother, GUADALUPE GONZALEZ, would suffer immediate and irreparable injury for which there is no adequate remedy at law and that their mother is an alcoholic, unemployed and would be unable to provide (1) decent, safe and sanitary housing, (2) adequate parental care and supervision, (3) proper nutritional meals for the children. Therefore, for the safety and welfare of the children, the children should not be permitted to return to their mother, and, in my opinion it would be in the best interest of the children if they were allowed to remain in their present foster homes pending a hearing . . . ”

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581 S.W.2d 522, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gonzalez-v-texas-department-of-human-resources-texapp-1979.