In re B/K Children

2020 Ohio 1095
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 25, 2020
DocketC-190681
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 2020 Ohio 1095 (In re B/K Children) 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 re B/K Children, 2020 Ohio 1095 (Ohio Ct. App. 2020).

Opinion

[Cite as In re B/K Children, 2020-Ohio-1095.] IN THE COURT OF APPEALS FIRST APPELLATE DISTRICT OF OHIO HAMILTON COUNTY, OHIO

IN RE: B/K CHILDREN. : APPEAL NO. C-190681 TRIAL NO. F16-1937X

: O P I N I O N.

Appeal From: Hamilton County Juvenile Court

Judgment Appealed From Is: Affirmed

Date of Judgment Entry on Appeal: March 25, 2020

Christopher P. Kapsal, for Appellant Mother,

Joseph T. Deters, Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney, and Jonathan Halvonik, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, for Appellee Hamilton County Department of Job and Family Services,

ProKids, Inc., and Paul Hunt, Attorney for Guardian ad Litem Morgan Zak. OHIO FIRST DISTRICT COURT OF APPEALS

W INKLER , Judge.

{¶1} Mother appeals the juvenile court’s judgment granting the Hamilton

County Department of Job and Family Services’s (“HCJFS”) motion for permanent

custody of her two young children, P.B. and L.K. This case is on appeal for the second

time. We previously reversed the juvenile court’s April 2019 judgment adopting the

magistrate’s decision granting the motion for permanent custody. In re: B/K Children,

1st Dist. Hamilton No. C-190269, 2019-Ohio-5503. We set it aside because the record

did not reflect that the juvenile court had considered all the statutory best-interest

factors when resolving HCJFS’s motion. On remand, the juvenile court issued a new

decision, journalized on November 15, 2019, also adopting the magistrate’s decision

granting permanent custody to HCJFS, but reflecting that the court had considered all

the statutory best-interest factors in arriving at that determination.

{¶2} Mother now appeals from the November 2019 judgment, raising two

assignments of error. First, she argues the juvenile court failed to specifically overrule

her objections to the magistrate’s decision, as required by Juv.R. 40. Second, she

contends the decision to grant permanent custody to the agency and terminate her

parental rights was not supported by clear and convincing evidence and was against the

weight of the evidence.

{¶3} We conclude that the juvenile court’s judgment complies with the

requirements of Juv.R. 40. Further, we conclude that the evidence supports the juvenile

court’s decision to grant the agency’s motion for permanent custody. Notwithstanding

progress made by mother in remedying some of the conditions that led to the children’s

removal, the evidence shows she repeatedly failed to remedy the safety risk posed by

domestic violence and will not be able to protect the children within a reasonable time or

2 OHIO FIRST DISTRICT COURT OF APPEALS

ever. The evidence also shows that a grant of permanent custody best serves the needs

of the children. Because the errors assigned are not demonstrated in the record, we

affirm.

Background Facts and Procedure

{¶4} This case began in August 2016, when four-month-old P.B. lived with

mother, then 16 years old, in the home of maternal grandmother. Mother and maternal

grandmother engaged in an altercation to which the police responded. Maternal

grandmother refused to allow mother back in the home due to her “out of control

behaviors,” leaving mother and P.B. homeless. P.B.’s father, P.E., had previously

abandoned him. The agency was granted emergency and interim custody and then

temporary custody after P.B. was adjudicated dependent.

{¶5} Mother, who was subsequently diagnosed with depressive bipolar

disorder, made progress with her case-plan goals, which included learning to control her

anger and receiving mental-health treatment. The agency remained concerned about

mother’s ability to protect P.B., because she had been in a mutually violent, romantic

relationship with a man named D.K. In the spring of 2017, the agency supported

remanding custody of P.B. to mother with orders of protective supervision. The agency

was supportive of reunification in part because maternal grandmother had allowed

mother back into her home and D.K. was incarcerated. Further, both mother and

maternal grandmother agreed to a safety plan to protect the child from domestic

violence once D.K. was released from prison. Mother regained custody of P.B. in April

2017 with the requested orders of protective supervision.

{¶6} Despite mother’s contrary representations to the agency, she did not end

her romantic relationship with D.K., who was released from incarceration before mother

gave to birth to D.K.’s child L.K. in August 2017. Mother and D.K. argued in the hospital

3 OHIO FIRST DISTRICT COURT OF APPEALS

room shortly after L.K.’s birth and mother called 911. Mother did not report the incident

to the agency’s ongoing caseworker, but hospital staff did. When the caseworker

questioned mother about the incident, mother initially denied that it had occurred.

Mother did eventually accurately report the incident to her caseworker, and also told the

caseworker about a subsequent incident when D.K. had kicked his way into her home

and broke items.

{¶7} In late September 2017, while the caseworker and the children’s Court

Appointed Special Advocate (“CASA”) were at mother’s home for a visit, D.K. appeared

at the front door, upset at mother because he could not locate his car. Mother acted

surprised to see him and told her caseworker and the CASA that she had had no contact

with D.K. for weeks. Mother later admitted to her caseworker that D.K. had spent the

previous night in the home. The caseworker told mother not to have contact with D.K.,

and mother agreed. The caseworker also warned D.K. that the children would be

removed if he had violent contact with mother.

{¶8} On October 1, 2017, D.K. broke into the home of mother and the

maternal grandmother and assaulted mother. The children were removed from the

home and adjudicated dependent and abused. The adjudication was due in part to

stipulations from mother that D.K. had punched her several times in the presence of the

children, she and D.K. had a history of domestic violence, and she maintained a

relationship with D.K. despite his past threats to harm her.

{¶9} In November 2017, per agreement of mother, the court placed the

children in the temporary custody of the agency with a goal of reunification with mother.

Mother completed an updated diagnostic assessment in January 2018. Her case plan

involved individual therapy, case-management services, medication, and regular

visitation, including attending the medical appointments for the children, and following

4 OHIO FIRST DISTRICT COURT OF APPEALS

through on the safety plan to protect the children from domestic violence. D.K.’s case-

plan goals were to complete a diagnostic assessment and follow recommendations,

complete parenting education, and complete a domestic-violence assessment, none of

which he participated in.

{¶10} In April 2018, D.K. once again attacked mother in her home. Mother

called the police but gave a false identity and never contacted HCJFS. The agency

caseworker noticed a police report involving mother’s address and asked mother about

the incident. Mother initially denied knowing anything about the assault and claimed

the police had written down the wrong address. Mother later revealed to the caseworker

that D.K. had assaulted her at her home, but claimed she did not know how he had

learned her address. Mother assisted with his prosecution, which led to his

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Bluebook (online)
2020 Ohio 1095, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-bk-children-ohioctapp-2020.