Hinkle v. Hinkle

223 S.W.3d 773, 2007 Tex. App. LEXIS 4175, 2007 WL 1532724
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 29, 2007
Docket05-06-00146-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by66 cases

This text of 223 S.W.3d 773 (Hinkle v. Hinkle) 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
Hinkle v. Hinkle, 223 S.W.3d 773, 2007 Tex. App. LEXIS 4175, 2007 WL 1532724 (Tex. Ct. App. 2007).

Opinion

OPINION

Opinion by

Justice LANG.

Following a jury trial, appellant Shannon L. Hinkle appeals from a reformed final decree of divorce appointing appellee Craig S. Hinkle as joint managing conservator of the parties’ only child, a minor. In three issues, appellant asserts the trial court’s appointment of appellee as joint managing conservator was improper under § 153.004 of the Texas Family Code because no reasonable juror “could have disregarded the uncontroverted evidence of family violence for a finding of no family violence.” For the reasons below, we resolve appellant’s issues against her and affirm the trial court’s judgment.

*776 I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

Appellant and appellee were married on January 4, 1997, and separated on October 31, 2003. The events of the separation are acrimonious and are one of the bases of appellant’s allegations of family violence. Appellant testified appellee “pulled a gun” and pointed it at her during a physical altercation on October 31, 2003, at the parties’ residence. Although appellee testified his memory of that incident is “hazy,” he stated he acted only defensively and did not “pull a gun” or aim a gun at appellant. Immediately following the alleged assault, appellant left the parties’ infant child in the care of appellee at the parties’ residence while she went to “confront” appellee’s alleged girlfriend, who lived five to ten minutes from the residence. Appellant returned, alone, to the parties’ residence approximately thirty minutes later. Appellant left the residence later that evening with the parties’ child and stayed with family. Neither party contacted police regarding the incident.

Appellant filed for divorce on December 8, 2003. 1 On December 13, 2003, appellant and appellee entered into a visitation agreement under which appellee’s visitation with their child was to be supervised by family members of appellee.

Appellee filed an answer on December 15, 2003. In his answer, appellee denied he “has a pattern of child neglect or family violence within two years preceding the filing of this case or during the pendency of this case.” In addition, appellee alleged in part that “[appellant] has committed family violence toward [appellee] causing injury to [appellee’s] person within two years preceding the filing of this cause or during the pendency of this cause.”

On June 23, 2004, appellee filed a “first amended counterclaim and request for a hearing for temporary orders.” In addition to restating the claims in his answer, appellee alleged in relevant part that “[appellant] should be required to complete anger management counseling.” Further, appellee contended the maternal grandfather of the parties’ child had “repeatedly displayed anger in the presence of the child” and should be denied access to the child until completing anger management counseling.

An amended petition for divorce was filed by appellant on July 13, 2004. Appellant argued in relevant part that “[appel-lee] has a history or pattern of committing family violence during the two-year period preceding the date of filing of this suit.” Further, the amended petition included “causes of action for assault” based on the October 31, 2003 incident.

Following a July 19, 2004 hearing, the trial judge signed “temporary orders” on April 19, 2005, appointing appellant temporary managing conservator of the parties’ child and appointing appellee temporary possessory conservator. A jury trial was held July 25 through 27, 2005. Both parties testified with respect to the October 31, 2003 incident. The jury was charged in relevant part:

A parent may not be allowed access to a child if the parent has a history or pattern of committing family violence during the two years preceding the date of the filing of the suit or during the pendency of the suit unless awarding access to the child would not endanger the child’s physical health or emotional welfare and would be in the child’s best interest.
“Family violence” means an act by a member of a family against another *777 member of the family that is intended to result in physical harm.

The first question submitted to the jury was, “Has there been a history or pattern of committing family violence during the two years preceding the date of the filing of the suit or during the pendency of the suit?” The jury answered, “No.”

In the final decree of divorce signed by the trial judge on November 22, 2005, the parties were appointed joint managing conservators. The decree stated, in part, “It has been represented to the court that there has been no pattern of child neglect or family violence by any party to this case within two years preceding the filing of this case or during the pendency of this case.”

On December 21, 2005, appellant filed a “motion for new trial and motion for modification of judgment.” Appellant contended, “This case specifically has a showing of violence and pulling two guns by the [ap-pellee] and trying to murder the [appellant] and child.” Therefore, appellant argued “the jury verdict has no reasonable evidence or basis.” In addition, appellant asserted the judgment did not meet the statement in the ruling set out by the court and should, therefore, be amended to comply with the court’s ruling.

Appellee filed a response to appellant’s motion on January 13, 2006. Appellee contended in relevant part:

Section 158.004 requires a “history or pattern” of a list of specific events. [Appellant] alleges matters unsupported by testimony and unsupported by a trial transcript. The jury had an opportunity to hear and see everything the [appellant] thought supported her allegations, but the jury found no history or pattern of family violence. [Appellant] failed to prove a history or pattern of family violence.

After a January 17, 2006 hearing on appellant’s motion, a reformed final decree of divorce was signed by the trial judge on February 2, 2006. 2 The reformed final decree contained revisions respecting several rights and duties of the parties not relevant to this appeal. Further, the portion of the original decree respecting “family violence” was amended to read, “The jury found that there has been no pattern of child neglect or family violence by any party to this case within two years preceding the filing of this case or during the pendency of this case.” On February 3, 2006, appellant filed this appeal.

II. LEGAL AND FACTUAL SUFFICIENCY

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
223 S.W.3d 773, 2007 Tex. App. LEXIS 4175, 2007 WL 1532724, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hinkle-v-hinkle-texapp-2007.