In Re Custody of Harris

857 N.E.2d 1235, 168 Ohio App. 3d 1, 2006 Ohio 3649
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedJuly 14, 2006
DocketNos. 2005-CA-42 and 2005-CA-43.
StatusPublished
Cited by31 cases

This text of 857 N.E.2d 1235 (In Re Custody of Harris) 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 Custody of Harris, 857 N.E.2d 1235, 168 Ohio App. 3d 1, 2006 Ohio 3649 (Ohio Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

Brogan, Judge.

{¶ 1} This case involves an appeal and cross-appeal from juvenile court orders regarding custody and child support for Lena, Keshee, and Kesalon Harris. The natural mother, Shanee Stevens, is the appellant, and presents the following assignments of error:

{¶ 2} “I. The trial court erred in ordering insufficient child support to Appellant because it credited Appellee with improper tax deductions from his tax return in computing his income.

{¶ 3} “II. The trial court erred by ordering insufficient child support by failing to base Appellee’s income in part on his taxable corporate income.

{¶ 4} “III. The trial court erred by ordering insufficient child support by failing to base Appellee’s income on money actually earned rather than money actually reported on his tax returns.

{¶ 5} “IV. The trial court erred in failing to consider special needs of Keshee Harris in determining the proper level of child support.”

{¶ 6} The natural father, Kesalon Harris Sr., is the cross-appellant, and raises the following assignments of error:

{¶ 7} “I. The trial court erred in awarding sole custody of the minor children to Plaintiff Shanee Stevens.

{¶ 8} “II. The trial court erred in the calculation of Mr. Harris’ income.”

{¶ 9} After considering the assignments of error and applicable law, we find that appellant’s first, second, and third assignments of error should be sustained, and that the fourth assignment of error should be overruled. Further, appellee’s cross-assignments of error lack merit and should be overruled. Accordingly, the judgment of the trial court is reversed in part and affirmed in part, and the cause is remanded for further proceedings.

*4 I

{¶ 10} Due to the circumstances of this case, we will consider the cross-assignment of error relating to custody first. We have mentioned before the “recurring and regrettable tragedy” in our society when children are used as “pawns in a war between divorced and embittered parents.” Bell v. Bell (June 5, 1998), Clark App. No. 97-CA-105, 1998 WL 288945, *1. Although the parties in the present case have never been married, their children are nonetheless being traumatized by their parents’ inability to cooperate. In Bell, we stressed:

{¶ 11} “ ‘Truly, such a war has no victors and the ultimate casualties are the children, who stand to suffer deeply and permanently unless their parents can learn to control their hostility and anger towards each other. We have previously emphasized, and stress once again, that children have certain rights, including “the right to love each parent, without feeling guilt, pressure, or rejection; the right not to choose sides; the right to have a positive and constructive on-going relationship with each parent; and most important * * * the right to not participate in the painful games parents play to hurt each other or to be put in the middle of their battles.” ’ ” Id., quoting Thomas v. Freeland (Oct. 10, 1997), Greene App. No. 97-CA-06, 1997 WL 624331, quoting Ohio OLE Institute, Vol. No. 96-06, 1996 Family Law Update Reference Manual, Children and Divorce: A Guide for Parents.

{¶ 12} Before addressing the details, we should point out that Mr. Harris is the primary individual choosing to participate in painful games. As will be apparent, Harris inappropriately involved his children in custody matters.

{¶ 13} In the first cross-assignment of error, Harris claims that the trial court abused its discretion in awarding sole custody to Stevens. The factors allegedly supporting this contention are Stevens’s lack of proper child care for the children, improper discipline methods, significant mental and/or emotional problems, mood swings, lack of honesty, and endangerment of the children by driving without a license and taking the children around a convicted criminal who was in jail for threatening both Mr. Harris and Ms. Stevens. In addition, Harris contends that Stevens purposely kept the children from seeing him. These claims are unsupported by the record, or rely on distortions of fact, or were rejected by the magistrate and trial court as non-issues.

{¶ 14} In reviewing custody decisions, we have noted:

{¶ 15} “Trial court judgments on allocation of parental rights and responsibilities cannot be reversed absent an abuse of discretion. * * * Abuse of discretion means more than just an error of law or of judgment. Instead, ‘it implies that the court’s attitude is unreasonable, arbitrary or unconscionable.’ Blakemore v. Blakemore (1983), 5 Ohio St.3d 217, 219, 5 OBR 481, 450 N.E.2d 1140.

*5 {¶ 16} “Furthermore, where competent, credible evidence supports a custody award, there is no abuse of discretion.” Chirico v. Chirico, Montgomery App. No. 19722, 2003-Ohio-3238, 2003 WL 21419242, at ¶ 9-10.

{¶ 17} The magistrate’s custody decision in the present case was filed on October 29, 2004, and included specific findings on the factors in R.C. 3109.04(F)(1)(a) through (j). Among other things, the magistrate found that Mr. Harris had attempted to influence the children, that the daughters had both expressed a preference for Stevens to be the primary custodial parent, and that Stevens’s parenting skills were good, with the exception of her conduct in taking the children to visit an ex-boyfriend who was in jail and then lying in court about it. The magistrate also noted that the parents had minimal ability to cooperate, that their relationship was damaged, and that perceptible animosity existed.

{¶ 18} Additionally, the magistrate found that Harris had not made timely support payments and had chosen to have little contact with the children over the past six months. The magistrate further observed that while the guardian ad litem report of February 23, 2004, had recommended shared parenting, Harris had reduced his involvement in his children’s lives since the report. Finally, the magistrate remarked that Stevens had been the primary caretaker throughout the parties’ relationship. Accordingly, the magistrate felt that Stevens should have custody of the children and that Harris should receive standard visitation rights, in the hope that Harris would begin spending more time with the children.

{¶ 19} After Harris filed objections to the magistrate’s decision, the trial court sustained one objection, but found it was not determinative. The objection in question related to the finding that Harris had attempted to influence the children. The trial court overruled the rest of the objections, and agreed that Stevens should be the custodial parent.

{¶ 20} We agree with the trial court that Stevens should receive custody. However, we disagree with the trial court’s finding that Harris did not attempt to influence the children. This part of the court’s decision does not appear to be based on sound reasoning. Specifically, the record indicates that Harris punished his daughters by refusing to see them after they testified that they wanted their mother to be the custodial parent. In fact, conduct such as Harris’s is the reason we have stressed that children should not be used as pawns by parents.

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Bluebook (online)
857 N.E.2d 1235, 168 Ohio App. 3d 1, 2006 Ohio 3649, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-custody-of-harris-ohioctapp-2006.