In re Brown

853 N.W.2d 459, 305 Mich. App. 623, 2014 WL 2694180, 2014 Mich. App. LEXIS 1101
CourtMichigan Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 12, 2014
DocketDocket No. 318357
StatusPublished
Cited by111 cases

This text of 853 N.W.2d 459 (In re Brown) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan 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 Brown, 853 N.W.2d 459, 305 Mich. App. 623, 2014 WL 2694180, 2014 Mich. App. LEXIS 1101 (Mich. Ct. App. 2014).

Opinion

PER CURIAM.

Respondent appeals as of right the order terminating her parental rights to her minor children— MB, AM, and AK — pursuant to MCL 712A.19b(3)(b)(ii) (failure to prevent abuse), (b)(iii) (nonparent caused abuse and reasonable likelihood of repeated abuse by nonparent if placed in parent’s home), (g) (failure to provide proper care or custody), and (j) (reasonable likelihood that the minor child would be harmed if returned to the parent’s home).1 Although the trial court clearly erred by not admitting the videorecorded forensic inter[625]*625views of the children, under the circumstances of this case, the error does not require reversal. Accordingly, we affirm.

I. BASIC FACTS

The Department of Human Services filed a petition alleging that respondent failed to protect the minor children from sexual abuse by repeatedly sending them to stay at the apartment of James Lester, whom the children called “Uncle Lenny,” even after the children told respondent that they were being abused. The petition sought termination at original disposition.

Under MCR 3.972(C), the “tender years” exception to the rule against admitting hearsay, petitioner moved to admit into evidence statements that each of the three children made to Child Protective Services (CPS) workers and to Sandra Brown, MB’s paternal grandmother. Petitioner also sought to admit statements the children made to forensic interviewers from the Kids-TALK Children’s Advocacy Center.2 The trial court conducted a two-day hearing to determine whether the statements were admissible under MCR 3.972(C)(2)(a) and received the testimony of a number of witnesses.

Jenette Lippiello, a Kids-TALK forensic interviewer, was qualified as an expert in forensic interviewing. AM told Lippiello that she was taken from her mother’s care because Lester touched her “coo-coo,” indicating her genital area, when she was spending the night at his home with her brothers. AM said she had been sleeping [626]*626at the time, but knew something had happened because “she remembered it, and because ... it felt like something crawling on her.” AM also told Lippiello that she knew it had happened because respondent told her. AM told Lippiello that respondent found out about the touching because her mother’s friend saw it on the news. Respondent did not make AM visit Lester after that. AM did not report seeing any abuse directed at either of her brothers.

Lippiello also interviewed MB. MB told Lippiello that every time he and his brother would go to Lester’s, Lester would “bother” their “privates.” Lippiello asked MB what he meant by the word “bother,” and MB answered that Lester “would put his mouth on [MB’s] private, and [put] his mouth on [AK’s] private.” MB stated that the abuse started when he was seven years old. When Lippiello asked MB to tell her about the last time Lester abused him and AK, MB said that they were spending the night at Lester’s when Lester put his mouth on MB’s private and sucked it. MB then saw Lester go over to AK, place his private in AK’s mouth, and make AK suck it. MB indicated that he told his mother after the first instance of abuse and she told him they would not have to go back. However, they did go back after Lester asked respondent if he could see the boys. MB said respondent “made them” return to Lester’s apartment.

On the second day of the hearing, respondent objected to the forensic interviewers’ testimony regarding the content of children’s statements, arguing that “the Court actually seeing [the videorecorded Kids-TALK interview] would be . . . the best evidence rather than having someone interpret them.” The fathers and Lester joined in the request. Petitioner offered to produce the videorecorded interview under seal, to be [627]*627reviewed only by the trial court,3 and further requested that it be kept secured. The trial court overruled the objection and declined to admit or view the actual interview, but left open the opportunity to revisit the issue at trial.

Loren Shiener, whom the court recognized as an expert in forensic interviewing, testified that she interviewed AK at Kids-TALK. Although AK had a hard time focusing on the interview, he told Shiener that Lester touched his “private part” inside his pants. AK said that the touching occurred while he was sleeping and that he tried to pull his pajama bottoms up when he woke. MB, seeing this occur, said to Lester, “Get off my brother like that.” AK said he told his mother about the incident, but he could not remember how respondent reacted to his disclosure.

Brown, MB’s paternal grandmother, testified that in January 2013, she was driving MB to her house when MB told her, “Uncle Lenny has been touching us.” Brown stopped the car and asked MB to repeat what he said. MB told her that Lester touched his privates and put MB’s private in Lester’s mouth and also put Lester’s private in AK’s mouth. MB told Brown it happened every time they went to Lester’s apartment. MB told his mother about the abuse and she reassured him that they would never have to go back there again. Later, however, Lester asked respondent if the boys could come over and respondent allowed Lester to pick them up. MB reported that the abuse continued.

Brown opined that MB was telling the truth. Although she had caught him telling lies before, she stated that when he was lying he could not look her in the face and would stutter. But when he disclosed the abuse to her, MB [628]*628looked at her face and was very consistent. The next day Brown told respondent that she needed to discuss respondent’s “sons being molested.” According to Brown, respondent said, “What? You called Child Protective Services on me?” and hung up.

Tricia Shano, the CPS worker who authored the petition in this case, testified that she interviewed MB at his school on January 29, 2013. As Shano introduced herself and began the interview, MB stated that he knew she was there to talk about what Lester did to him. MB told her that, during a visit to Lester’s apartment the weekend before the interview, MB and AK were sleeping on the floor. At one point during the night, Lester put his mouth on MB’s privates. MB then watched as Lester went over to AK and placed his private in AK’s mouth. MB told Lester to stop, but Lester hit him with an extension cord. MB told Shano he did not tell respondent about the abuse because he was afraid, but Shano could not recall the reason he gave for being afraid.

Shano interviewed MB at his school again, on February 11, 2013, after the children made statements indicating that respondent may have been aware of the abuse. MB told her that the first time they went to Lester’s apartment, Lester “bothered” AK’s privates. MB also said that he told his mother about the abuse and she said, “Okay, you won’t have to go back anymore.”

Shano also interviewed AM on February 11, 2013. AM said that Lester touched her “middle,” indicating her vaginal area. AM told respondent what had happened, and respondent did not make AM go back to Lester’s, but she continued to let her brothers go. Shano concluded that AM, who was five years old at the time of the interview, was telling the truth.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
853 N.W.2d 459, 305 Mich. App. 623, 2014 WL 2694180, 2014 Mich. App. LEXIS 1101, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-brown-michctapp-2014.