In re A.P.

2022 Ohio 4295
Ohio Court of Appeals·Decided December 1, 2022·No. 22AP-62·Published·Cited by 4 cases

Opinion

[Cite as In re A.P., 2022-Ohio-4295.]

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO

TENTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

[In re A.P., :

F.S.G., Mother, : No. 22AP-62 (C.P.C. No. 21JU-7139) Appellant.] : (REGULAR CALENDAR) :

D E C I S I O N

Rendered on December 1, 2022

On brief: Victoria Ullmann, for appellant. Argued: Victoria Ullmann.

On brief: Serena M. Coppula and Robert J. McClaren, for appellee Franklin County Children's Services. Argued: Robert J. McClaren.

APPEAL from the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, Division of Domestic Relations, Juvenile Branch

SADLER, J. {¶ 1} Appellant, F.S.G., the mother of A.P., appeals from a decision and judgment entry of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, Division of Domestic Relations, Juvenile Branch, overruling appellant's objection to a magistrate's decision granting Temporary Custody and Commitment ("TCC") of A.P. to Franklin County Children's Services ("FCCS") pursuant to R.C. 2151.353(A)(2)(a). For the following reasons, we affirm. I. FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY {¶ 2} A.P. was born in September 2019 to appellant and father D.P.; appellant and D.P. are not married. On July 21, 2021, FCCS filed a complaint alleging A.P. is a neglected No. 22AP-62 2

child under R.C. 2151.03(A)(2) and a dependent child under R.C. 2151.04(C) and (D).1 According to the complaint, FCCS had been working with the family since August 2018 due to situations with A.P.'s older siblings and, as a result of FCCS's ongoing interactions and observations of the family, FCCS received a Temporary Order of Protective Supervision ("TOPS") for A.P. on November 17, 2020. After that time, the complaint alleged that appellant continued to have issues with: allowing FCCS and the guardian ad litem ("GAL") into her home unannounced to evaluate whether safety and sanitary issues had been resolved; attending parenting classes; taking her children to health check-ups and permitting immunizations; completing scheduled drug screens; and permitting D.P. to be around her and the children after he had been charged with aggravated menacing, was placed on community control after a guilty plea, and a no-contact order was put in place. {¶ 3} The complaint stated that, as a result, FCCS filed a shelter care motion requesting a Temporary Order of Custody ("TOC") for A.P. on March 17, 2021, which the trial court granted a few days later. A.P. was placed in foster care at that time. According to the complaint, following the March 2021 TOC, appellant reported that she had a job, completed a parenting class, completed four drug screens, attended four out of five visits with A.P., and lived with her brother. However, she tested positive for marijuana and alcohol in two of the drug screens she completed. The complaint additionally stated that appellant pleaded guilty to criminal mischief and is on two years community control. Overall, although appellant was "progressing in her case plan," according to the complaint appellant was "not able to provide * * * basic needs for [A.P.]." (July 21, 2021 Compl. at 3 and Dec. 13, 2021 Amendments.) Therefore, FCCS sought continued temporary custody of A.P. to allow the parents to engage with services in order to assist them in reunification with A.P. in the future. {¶ 4} FCCS received a new TOC for A.P. on July 22, 2021. According to the magistrate's order, sufficient information demonstrated the continued placement of A.P. in appellant's home is contrary to the welfare and best interests of the child, and that reasonable efforts had been made to prevent A.P.'s removal from home. Pursuant to the

1 The July 21, 2021 complaint indicates it is the "third refiling" and relates to case number 21JU-7139, which is the current case appealed. The record indicates and the parties explain that previous complaints, which were filed under other case numbers (20JU-8325, 21JU-1228, and 21JU-4384), had been dismissed by operation of law. No. 22AP-62 3

order, appellant and D.P. were permitted supervised visits with A.P., and appellant was ordered to: complete and follow the recommendations of a mental health assessment, an alcohol/drug assessment, a domestic violence assessment, and parenting classes; complete random drug screens; participate with the FCCS caseworker; and attend visits. A day later, the magistrate filed findings of fact and conclusions of law regarding the reasonable efforts made by FCCS to prevent the continued removal of A.P. or to return A.P. to her home pursuant to R.C. 2151.419. {¶ 5} On July 29, 2021, appellant filed, through counsel, a motion to set aside the magistrate's decision. In it, appellant objected to "the shelter care motion and orders as well as the TC granted at the March 31 hearings" and the "continual requirements to drug test." (July 29, 2021 Mot. to Set Aside at 1.) Specific to the drug testing order, appellant asserted that, she "has been ordered to go through unnecessary drug testing throughout this case. She does not use drugs, except as allowed by current medicinal cannabis law." (July 29, 2021 Mot. to Set Aside at 1.) "For this and other reasons, [FCCS] is continually failing in this case to use reasonable efforts to prevent continued removal." (July 29, 2021 Mot. to Set Aside at 1.) {¶ 6} In her memorandum in support of the motion to set aside, appellant argued against federal government policies generally, asserted FCCS must, if necessary, provide financial assistance in order to meet FCCS' requirement of using reasonable efforts to keep families together, and took issue with FCCS (allegedly) telling appellant to fix their housing issue without assisting them in doing so. Appellant also argued, "[n]othing bad happened as a result of [the] inadvertent violation of the [stay-away] order." (Memo. in Support of Mot. to Set Aside at 5.) {¶ 7} Specific to drug testing, appellant asserted that, in general, FCCS and the courts over-rely on drug testing, which she argued is a highly invasive and offensive search which must be done in accordance with the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution. Citing to State ex rel. Ohio AFL-CIO v. Ohio Bur. Of Workers' Comp., 97 Ohio St.3d 504, 2002- Ohio-6717 and R.C. 2151.3514, appellant contended a "reasonable suspicion" standard applies to drug testing ordered by the juvenile court in custody cases. (Memo. in Support of Mot. to Set Aside at 6.) Appellant further contended that R.C. 2151.3514 required drug testing be "done based upon specific language in the complaint and adjudication. There No. 22AP-62 4

has to be proof of actual addiction, not casual use or medical use." (Memo. in Support of Mot. to Set Aside at 7.) Particular to the facts of this case, appellant argued, There is no allegation in past complaints alleging drug usage at all. It strangely appeared in the case plan, but that is not compliant with statutory requirements. The new lengthy complaint in this case states there were positive tests but fails to properly indicate that mother is an approved medical user. Mother has a cannabis card due to a severe stomach issue. She is allowed to use cannabis medicinally in accordance with current law. She has made the agency aware of this and provided a copy of the card. She is using it now as needed since the children are removed. This is not a basis upon which the agency can now fabricate reasonable suspicion to constantly drug test. (Memo. in Support of Mot. to Set Aside at 7.) Appellant did not provide evidence of the purported cannabis card or medical condition to the trial court in support of the motion. {¶ 8} On September 8, 2021, the magistrate held an adjudication hearing where, according to the parties on appeal, the magistrate orally found A.P. to be a dependent child and granted TCC of A.P. to FCCS.

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