In re Adoption of C.E.S.

2020 Ohio 6902
Ohio Court of Appeals·Decided December 28, 2020·No. CA2020-07-069 CA2020-07-070 CA2020-07-071·Published·Cited by 13 cases

Opinion

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS

TWELFTH APPELLATE DISTRICT OF OHIO BUTLER COUNTY

:

IN RE:

: CASE NOS. CA2020-07-069 THE ADOPTION OF C.E.S., JR., CA2020-07-070 et al. : CA2020-07-071

: OPINION

12/28/2020

:

:

APPEAL FROM BUTLER COUNTY COURT OF COMMON PLEAS PROBATE DIVISION

Case Nos. PA19-02-0021; PA19-02-0022; PA19-02-0023; PA20-06-0052

The Lampe Law Office, LLC, Vicki L. Richmond, Thomas S. Sapinsley, 9277 Centre Point Drive, Suite 100, West Chester, Ohio 45069, for appellants

Cook Howard Law, Ltd., Melynda W. Cook Howard, 1501 First Avenue, Middletown, Ohio 45044, for appellee

S. POWELL, J.

{¶ 1} Appellants, J.S. ("Stepmother 1"), the stepmother of C.E.S., Jr., and K.W.

("Stepmother 2"), the stepmother of E.A.W. (collectively, "Stepmothers"), appeal the decision of the Butler County Court of Common Pleas, Probate Division, finding appellee, S.W. ("Mother"), the biological mother of C.E.S., Jr. and E.A.W., must give her consent

CA2020-07-070

CA2020-07-071

before either child could be adopted. For the reasons outlined below, the judgment appealed from in Case No. CA2020-08-070 is dismissed as moot and the judgments appealed from in Case Nos. CA2020-08-069 and CA2020-08-071 are affirmed.

The Parties

{¶ 2} This appeal involves two children, C.E.S., Jr. ("Child 1") in Case No. CA2020-

07-069 and E.A.W. ("Child 2") in Case No. CA2020-07-071. The younger child, Child 1, was born issue of Mother's marriage to C.E.S., Sr. ("Father 1") on January 19, 2009. Mother and Father 1 were divorced on December 9, 2010. Stepmother 1 then married Father 1 on July 20, 2013. The older child, Child 2, was born issue of Mother's marriage to E.W. ("Father 2") on February 22, 2005. Mother and Father 2 were divorced on August 19, 2008. Stepmother 2 then married Father 2 on May 24, 2009.

{¶ 3} This appeal had originally involved a third child, B.A.W. ("Child 3") in Case No. CA2020-08-070. Child 3 was born issue of Mother's marriage to Father 2 on March 20, 2002. However, as confirmed by the probate court's final order of adoption attached to Stepmothers' brief, Child 3 has since reached the age of majority and been subject to an adult adoption by Stepmother 2 on August 6, 2020. Under these circumstances, and for purposes of judicial economy, we take judicial notice of the probate court's final order of adoption and dismiss the appeal in Case No. CA2020-08-070 as moot. See State ex rel. Ormond v. Solon, 8th Dist. Cuyahoga No. 92272, 2009-Ohio-1097, ¶ 15 ("we may take judicial notice of findings and judgments as rendered in other Ohio cases"); see also Napier v. Ickes, 5th Dist. Licking No. 2018 CA 00081, 2019-Ohio-2700, ¶ 88 ("[a] court may take judicial notice of mootness"); and Pewitt v. Lorain Correctional Inst., 64 Ohio St.3d 470, 472 (1992) ("an event that causes a case to be moot may be proved by extrinsic evidence outside the record").

CA2020-07-070

CA2020-07-071

Facts and Procedural History

{¶ 4} On September 19, 2017, the Butler County Department of Job and Family Services ("BCDJFS") filed a complaint with the Butler County Court of Common Pleas, Juvenile Division, alleging that both Child 1 and Child 2 were abused and dependent children.1 After receiving BCDJFS' complaint, the juvenile court issued an emergency ex parte order placing the children in the emergency temporary custody of their respective fathers, Father 1 and Father 2. The emergency ex parte order also granted Mother supervised visitation time with the children. Two days later, on September 21, 2017, the juvenile court held a shelter care hearing. Following this hearing, the juvenile court issued an order granting temporary custody of Child 1 and Child 2 to Father 1 and Father 2, respectively. It is undisputed that Mother had custody of both children prior to the juvenile court issuing its emergency ex parte and temporary custody orders.

{¶ 5} On November 16, 2017, the juvenile court held an adjudication hearing.

Because Mother was in the hospital receiving treatment for her mental health disorders, Mother did not attend this hearing. Following this hearing, the juvenile court issued a decision adjudicating both Child 1 and Child 2 as abused and dependent children. As part of this decision, the juvenile court determined that Mother was the perpetrator of the abuse. The juvenile court also found that it was in Child 1's and Child 2's best interest to suspend Mother's supervised visitation time with the children until Mother had completed a psychiatric and psychological evaluation. It is undisputed that Mother never attended any supervised visits with the children after they were removed from Mother's care.

1. We note that BCDJFS filed two separate complaints under two separate case numbers, one for Child 1 and one for Child 2. For ease of discussion, we will treat BCDJFS' two complaints as if only one complaint had been filed under one case number that covered both children. The same is true as it relates to the entries and orders issued by the various courts discussed throughout the remainder of this opinion.

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CA2020-07-071

{¶ 6} On January 10, 2018, the juvenile court held a disposition hearing. Just like the adjudication hearing, Mother did not attend this hearing because she was in the hospital receiving treatment for her mental health disorders. Following this hearing, the juvenile court issued a dispositional decision granting legal custody of Child 1 to Father 1, and Child 2 to Father 2. The juvenile court's dispositional decision also contained a no contact order that stated, in pertinent part, the following:

 Mother's contact with the child[ren] shall remain suspended until such time that Mother files a motion with the court.

 In order to resume visitation, Mother shall be required to provide evidence that her mental health issues have been successfully addressed such that resuming contact would be in the child[ren]'s best interest.

{¶ 7} Beginning on January 8, 2018, Mother was subject to a civil commitment order issued by the probate court. The civil commitment order was issued by the probate court pursuant to the authority granted to it under R.C. Chapter 5122, a statutory scheme that permits a probate court to find a person like Mother a "mentally ill person" subject to hospitalization by order of the court. Mother was released from the probate court's civil commitment order on September 18, 2018. During Mother's time under the probate court's civil commitment order, Mother was diagnosed with, and received treatment for, psychogenic nonepileptic seizures, posttraumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder, and bipolar disorder. This was in addition to the treatment Mother received for the residual effects of the stroke Mother suffered in 2013.

{¶ 8} On February 28, 2019, approximately four months after Mother was released from the probate court's civil commitment order, Stepmother 1 filed a petition with the

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CA2020-07-071

probate court requesting permission to adopt Child 1.2 That same day, Stepmother 2 filed a petition with the probate court requesting permission to adopt Child 2.3 After receiving notice of Stepmothers' adoption petitions, Mother filed an objection to both Stepmother 1's and Stepmother 2's petitions noting that she did not consent to either child being adopted. Mother also filed motions with the juvenile court requesting the juvenile court implement a shared parenting plan and/or grant her legal custody of Child 1 and Child 2. These motions were in addition to Mother's motion requesting the juvenile court grant her visitation time with the children. Mother filed these motions with the juvenile court on April 25, 2019.

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