In Matter of J.C., 07ca834 (7-23-2007)

2007 Ohio 3783
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedJuly 23, 2007
DocketCase No. 07CA834.
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 2007 Ohio 3783 (In Matter of J.C., 07ca834 (7-23-2007)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Matter of J.C., 07ca834 (7-23-2007), 2007 Ohio 3783 (Ohio Ct. App. 2007).

Opinion

DECISION AND JUDGMENT ENTRY {¶ 1} This is an appeal from an Adams County Common Pleas Court, Juvenile Division, judgment that awarded Adams County Children Services (ACCS) permanent custody of M.C., born April 25, 2000, J.C., Jr., born July 23, 2003, and N.C., born February 6, 2005.

{¶ 2} Appellant John Conley, the children's natural father, raises the following assignment of error:

"THE TRIAL COURT ERRED TO THE PREJUDICE OF APPELLANT JOHN CONLEY, SR., IN AWARDING *Page 2 PERMANENT CUSTODY OF APPELLANT'S THREE MINOR CHILDREN TO ADAMS COUNTY CHILDREN SERVICES."

{¶ 3} ACCS became involved in the mother's and the father's lives due to their repeated drug abuse. On February 5, 2004, ACCS filed complaints and alleged M.C. and J.C. to be dependent children. On April 23, 2004, ACCS filed an ex parte motion and requesting temporary custody of the children because the mother was incarcerated at the Adams County Jail and the father was incarcerated at the Brown County Jail. The trial court granted ACCS temporary custody of M.C. and J.C. and the parents subsequently admitted the dependency allegation.

{¶ 4} On May 9, 2005, ACCS filed a complaint and alleged N.C. to be a neglected and dependent child. On that same date, the trial court granted ACCS temporary custody of the child. On August 15, 2005, the court adjudicated the child dependent and neglected.

{¶ 5} On February 2, 2006, the mother requested a six month continuance so that she could complete the Stepping Stones program and then enter a transitional program and "intensive out patient classes at The Counseling Center here in Portsmouth." She stated she would attend GED classes at Shawnee State and find employment. She also registered for public housing and was placed on the waiting list for a three bedroom apartment. The trial court continued the matter until August 15, 2006.

{¶ 6} On July 6, 2006, ACCS requested permanent custody of the three children. ACCS asserted that the agency had been working with the parents for several years (M.C. and J.C. have *Page 3 been in its custody since April 26, 2004, while N.C. has been in its custody since June 15, 2005) and that neither parent had taken the steps necessary to enable the children to return home.

{¶ 7} On December 12, 2006, the mother filed a motion to continue the January 4, 2007 permanent custody hearing because she was enrolled in an intensive drug rehabilitation program at the Franklin Pre-release Center in Columbus. She also stated that she was enrolled in parenting and family skills training programs and that if she successfully completed the program, she would be released in March. If, however, she missed a certain number of treatment dates, she would be ejected from the program and would serve her original two-year mandatory sentence. Thus, she contended that if she attended the permanent custody hearing she would be terminated from the program.

{¶ 8} On January 4, 2007, a "circumstances of permanent surrender" was filed indicating that the mother would like to terminate her parental rights. Also, the guardian ad litem filed a report and recommended that the court award ACCS permanent custody. He stated that he interviewed an ACCS caseworker and the children's parents. He did not, however, speak with the children "as it is apparent that the children are too young to make any rational decisions regarding their own custody." The guardian ad litem stated "it seems that the natural parents of these children have expressed no genuine desire to be parents of these children. [They] have had ample opportunity to visit with the children but have failed to do so. [The father] has declined *Page 4 to exercise any visitation with the children, by his own admission, and has failed to comply with the case plan by failing several drug tests. He is currently incarcerated in the Adams County Jail on felony charges. [The mother] is currently serving a sentence in state prison and has not complied with the case plan on several levels. To place the children in the hands of these parents would be jeopardizing the lives and health of the already fragile children."

{¶ 9} On January 4, 2007, the trial court held a hearing to consider the permanent custody motion. Because the mother was incarcerated and did not wish to attend the permanent custody hearing for fear of termination from the drug rehabilitation program, the court heard the mother's testimony via telephone. She stated that she did not want to voluntarily surrender the children and claimed that she would be released in March if she successfully completed the drug rehabilitation program.

{¶ 10} ACCS caseworker Kristi Maynard testified that since the children were removed from the parents' custody, neither parent successfully completed the case plan goals of remaining drug-free and providing a stable home. She stated that in the nearly three years that ACCS had temporary custody of the two older children and the year and one-half that it had custody of the younger child, it had not been able to place the children in the parents' care. She explained that the mother was in-and-out of the Stepping Stones program and was unable to remain completely drug-free. Furthermore, as of the permanent custody hearing date both *Page 5 parents remained incarcerated.

{¶ 11} On January 30, 2007, the trial court awarded ACCS permanent custody. The court found that: (1) the parents have had ACCS's assistance since October of 2003; (2) ACCS had temporary custody of M.C. and J.C. for approximately thirty-two months and of N.C. for approximately eighteen months; (3) the mother had not visited with the children since July of 2006, when she was incarcerated; (4) the father had not visited with the children since August of 2006; (5) a relative placement is not available; and (6) the children's need for a legally secure placement could not be achieved without a grant of permanent custody. The court additionally found that the children could not be placed with either parent within a reasonable period of time. The court also determined that the parents have continuously and repeatedly failed to remedy the problems that led to the children's removal: (1) they had a continued pattern of drug abuse; (2) neither parent completed parenting skills training; (3) the parents display chronic chemical dependency which created an inability to provide an adequate home for the children; and (4) both parents have been repeatedly incarcerated which prevented them from providing necessary care for the children. The court found that the parents' actions displayed an unwillingness to provide basic necessities for their children. Consequently, the court determined that a permanent custody award will serve the children's best interests. This appeal followed.

{¶ 12} In his sole assignment of error, appellant asserts that *Page 6 the trial court erred by awarding ACCS permanent custody of the children because permanent custody is not in the children's best interests, that "reunification was still a viable alternative," and that the court should have placed the children with the maternal grandmother. We disagree with appellant.

"A
APPELLATE STANDARD OF REVIEW
{¶ 13}

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Bluebook (online)
2007 Ohio 3783, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-matter-of-jc-07ca834-7-23-2007-ohioctapp-2007.