In Re Cicely L.

28 Cal. App. 4th 1697, 34 Cal. Rptr. 2d 345
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedOctober 7, 1994
DocketDocket Nos. E012830, E013643
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 28 Cal. App. 4th 1697 (In Re Cicely L.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Cicely L., 28 Cal. App. 4th 1697, 34 Cal. Rptr. 2d 345 (Cal. Ct. App. 1994).

Opinion

28 Cal.App.4th 1697 (1994)
34 Cal. Rptr.2d 345

In re CICELY L. et al., Persons Coming Under the Juvenile Court Law.
RIVERSIDE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SOCIAL SERVICES, Petitioner and Respondent,
v.
KENNETH L. et al., Objectors and Appellants.

Docket Nos. E012830, E013643.

Court of Appeals of California, Fourth District, Division Two.

October 7, 1994.

*1698 COUNSEL

Thomas L. Hardy and Steven D. Schatz, under appointments by the Court of Appeal, for Objectors and Appellants.

*1699 William C. Katzenstein, County Counsel, and Lucy Furuta, Deputy County Counsel, for Petitioner and Respondent.

Patrick J. Sampson, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Minors.

[Opinion certified for partial publication.[1]]

OPINION

DABNEY, Acting P.J.

Lisa P. (Lisa) and Kenneth L. (Kenneth) each appeal from an order terminating their parental rights to Cicely L. (Cicely). Kenneth alone appeals from a subsequent order similarly terminating their parental rights to Cicely's older brother, David L. (David).

Kenneth contends that reasonable reunification services were not provided to him because he was not allowed any visitation with David and Cicely as long as he was incarcerated in state prison. Kenneth also challenges the juvenile court's findings that he had not had regular visitation and contact with David and Cicely such that they would benefit from continuing the relationship with him, and that David and Cicely were likely to be adopted, as not supported by substantial evidence. Lisa challenges the same findings on the same grounds, but solely with respect to Cicely. Finally, Lisa contends that the juvenile court erred in refusing to consider evidence of Cicely's visitation and contact with Lisa's parents — Cicely's grandparents — and in excluding such evidence as irrelevant.

We hold that the juvenile court's orders finding that reasonable reunification services had been provided and terminating reunification services were appealable; because Kenneth failed to appeal from those orders, they have become final and are not subject to question in this appeal. As to the other issues raised, we find no error, and hence we affirm.

I.

PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

On June 25, 1990, a dependency petition was filed regarding Lisa's three children. David[2] and Cicely[3] were Lisa's children by Kenneth, who was then in prison. Nicholas P. (Nicholas) was Lisa's son by a different father. The *1700 petition alleged failure to protect (Welf. & Inst. Code, § 300, subd. (b));[4] failure to provide for support (§ 300, subd. (g)); and, as to David and Cicely, a substantial risk of sexual abuse (§ 300, subd. (d)).

On June 26, 1990, at the detention hearing, the juvenile court made the requisite findings to justify further detention (§ 319). It ordered supervised visitation with Lisa, and visitation with Kenneth pursuant to a "standard jail visitation order."

On August 17, 1990, at a combined jurisdictional and disposition hearing, the juvenile court found the allegations of the petition true and adjudged the children dependents of the court. It found that return of the children to the custody of their parents would create a substantial risk of detriment. Accordingly, it placed them in the custody of the Riverside County Department of Public Social Services (DPSS). The juvenile court accepted a modified version of DPSS's proposed reunification plan, and ordered DPSS to provide reunification services (§ 361.5, subd. (a)), specifically including reunification services for an incarcerated parent (§ 361.5, subd. (e)). DPSS, however, determined that Kenneth was imprisoned too far away for visitation. Thus, as long as Kenneth was incarcerated, he was allowed no visitation with either David or Cicely.

On March 14, 1991, at a six-month review hearing, the court again found that return of the children to the custody of their parents would create a substantial risk of detriment, and therefore continued them in the custody of DPSS. It found that the reunification plan was reasonable, continued it, and ordered DPSS to provide additional reunification services.

On February 5, 1992, at a long-delayed 12-month review hearing as to David and Cicely only, the court found yet again that their return to their parents would create a substantial risk of detriment. The court also found again that reasonable reunification services had been offered, and it therefore ordered reunification services terminated. It adopted a permanent plan of long-term foster care for both David and Cicely. Finally, it approved two weekends per month of supervised visitation with Lisa, and also with Lisa's mother and father, Maxine P. (Maxine) and Robert P. (Robert).

On April 21, 1992, Robert and Maxine were made guardians of Nicholas, and his dependency was terminated.

In July 1992, Kenneth was released from prison. On July 6, 1992, at a foster care review hearing, the court ordered that the permanent plan would *1701 continue to be long-term foster care. It continued to allow Lisa supervised visitation, and it allowed Kenneth supervised visitation.

On December 14, 1992, at another foster care review hearing, the juvenile court set a selection and implementation hearing pursuant to section 366.26, as to Cicely only. As to David, it ordered that the permanent plan would continue to be long-term foster care. It ordered a psychological evaluation of both David and Cicely.

On May 12, 1993, at Cicely's section 366.26 hearing, the juvenile court found that she was likely to be adopted, and that termination of parental rights would not be detrimental to her for any of the four specified statutory reasons (§ 366.26, subd. (c)(1)(A)-(D)). Thus, it terminated Kenneth and Lisa's parental rights to Cicely. Kenneth and Lisa each filed a timely notice of appeal from this order.

Meanwhile, on May 1, 1993, David had been placed with a foster mother interested in adopting him. On June 14, 1993, at a postpermanency planning review hearing, the juvenile court ordered visitation between David and his parents terminated and set a selection and implementation hearing pursuant to section 366.26, as to David only.

On November 17, 1993, at David's section 366.26 hearing, the juvenile court found that David was likely to be adopted, and that termination of parental rights would not be detrimental to him for any of the four specified statutory reasons (§ 366.26, subd. (c)(1)(A)-(D)). Thus, it terminated Kenneth and Lisa's parental rights to David. Kenneth filed a timely notice of appeal from this order. We have consolidated the three appeals.

II.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND[*]

.... .... .... .... .... .... .... .

III.

THE STATUTORY SCHEME

A brief overview of the relevant statutes is necessary background to our opinion.

Once the juvenile court finds a child to be within its jurisdiction (§ 300), it must conduct a dispositional hearing (§ 358) at which, among other things, *1702 it may remove the child from his or her parents' custody (§ 361.5, subd. (b)). If it does so, it must order, subject to limited exceptions (§ 361.5, subds. (b), (c), (d), (e)(1)), that reunification services be provided (§ 361.5, subd. (a)). (See generally, Cynthia D. v. Superior Court (1993) 5 Cal.4th 242, 248 [19 Cal. Rptr.2d 698, 851 P.2d 1307].)

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
28 Cal. App. 4th 1697, 34 Cal. Rptr. 2d 345, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-cicely-l-calctapp-1994.