In re D.S.

833 P.2d 1090, 253 Mont. 484, 49 State Rptr. 552, 1992 Mont. LEXIS 167
CourtMontana Supreme Court
DecidedJune 25, 1992
DocketNo. 91-264
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 833 P.2d 1090 (In re D.S.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Montana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re D.S., 833 P.2d 1090, 253 Mont. 484, 49 State Rptr. 552, 1992 Mont. LEXIS 167 (Mo. 1992).

Opinions

JUSTICE WEBER

delivered the Opinion of the Court.

The Montana Fifth Judicial District Court, Beaverhead County, terminated the parental rights of James K. Streckert and Ida E. Streckert (Streckerts), the natural parents of D.S., H.S., R.S., R.S., J.S., R.S., and K.S. Streckerts appeal. We affirm.

The issues raised on appeal are restated as follows:

1. Did the District Court deny the Streckerts due process by taking judicial notice of collateral proceedings and incorporating findings from the temporary custody proceeding into its order terminating the Streckerts’ parental rights?

2. Did the State meet the statutory criteria for terminating Streckerts’ parental rights under § 41-3-609, MCA?

In October 1989, the Department of Family Services (DFS) received complaints of educational neglect from school officials due to the Streckert children’s excessive absences. In November 1989, the DFS received reports of possible sexual abuse, and petitioned the court for temporary investigative authority. The Streckerts were unrepresented at this hearing in December 1989, wherein the District Court appointed guardians ad litem, for the children and granted the DFS temporary investigative authority. On March 22, 1990, the [486]*486court heard the State’s petition for temporary custody of the Streckert children, and granted DFS temporary custody. The court ordered D.S. removed to foster care with the other children remaining in the Streckert home. The Streckerts were not represented at this hearing. In April 1990, the court approved the treatment plan proposed by the DFS. The Streckerts refused to sign the plan. Further, evidence from the final hearing reveals that the Streckerts failed to comply with the plan.

After working with the Streckerts for over ten months, the State of Montana, through the DFS had petitioned the court to terminate the parental rights of appellants James and Ida Streckert on February 13, 1991. The court conducted a hearing on this petition March 15, 20 and 21,1991. Court appointed counsel represented the Streckerts during the termination hearing.

The facts set forth in this opinion are summaries of the testimony presented in the course of the final termination hearing, wherein the Streckerts were represented by counsel. Dr. Richard Thomas, a licensed professional counselor testified that the oldest boy, D.S., was sexually abusing his younger siblings, and that the Streckerts were aware of this abuse yet did not accept the seriousness of D.S.’s sexual activities. Marjorie Montrose, the primary social worker, presented testimony that the Streckerts did not appreciate the impact this sexual abuse had on the younger children and failed to intervene. Further, both Thomas and Montrose testified that the Streckerts did not effectively participate in the treatment of D.S. or the other children. They missed scheduled meetings and when present they did not constructively use the counseling sessions. Streckerts used these sessions to air grievances with the DFS rather than address their problems.

Deputy Sheriff William Briggs testified D.S. was stealing bicycles, and then dismantling, reassembling and repainting the bikes in the shop behind the Streckert house. The Streckerts refused to acknowledge or address the thievery by D.S. In addition, Deputy Briggs caught R.S., shoplifting. He testified that Mr. Streckert “giggled” when he learned of the thievery of R.S, one of his younger children.

Neighbors, law enforcement, and social workers all testified that the Streckerts’ house was filthy. Women from the local church attempted to work with Mrs. Streckert to improve her housekeeping skills, and a neighbor testified that she laundered the Streckerts’ clothes for a month. Despite this encouragement, Mrs. Streckert made no attempt to keep the house habitable. Mrs. Streckert worked [487]*487neither out of the home nor in the home; rather, she spent her days watching television. Mr. Streckert’s former employer testified that Mr. Streckert was a “first rate” mechanic. Nonetheless, Mr. Streckert chose not to work and depended on the church to pay his rent.

Montrose testified that although the Streckerts made no improvement in their home as required by the plan, in her opinion the habitability of the home was not as important as the negative emotional and psychological influence that the Streckerts had on their children.

Uncontradicted testimony demonstrated the inability of the Streckerts to learn parenting skills. R.S.’s teacher testified that she kept food at school to feed R.S. The Streckerts’neighbor testified that she fed the Streckert children daily. The children’s clothes as well as the children themselves were filthy. The foster parents of the five younger children testified that when they were placed into foster care, the children were unaccustomed to bathing, that they had an eighth of an inch of “greasy, scaly, cruddy stuff on their hair” which took over a week of bathing to wash out. The younger boys were hungry when they arrived. The children were unaccustomed to eating with utensils and did not know how to brush their teeth. In addition, the physician examining the children after they were placed with foster parents testified that R.S. needed dental care, suffered from a severe ear infection which blocked his hearing, and had untreated speech problems. A neighbor testified that the Streckerts treated their children with animal medication.

Social workers Montrose and Riley testified that despite the DFS’s efforts, Streckerts refused to comply with the treatment plan. This testimony was confirmed by Dr. Thomas who testified that in his opinion the treatment plan was appropriate, and that the Streckerts failed to comply. Thomas testified that the Streckerts’ behavior was both inappropriate and manipulative. Further, he concluded that any continued treatment would be detrimental to the children. Finally, he testified that it was in the best interest of the children to permanently separate them from their parents.

Social workers Montrose and Riley testified that even if the Streckerts engaged in long term treatment, it was unlikely that they would successfully complete the treatment plan. They further testified that any further delay in permanent placement would be detrimental to the children. Accordingly, they recommended immediate termination of parental rights. The Streckerts denied all evidence presented by [488]*488the State; however, the court specifically found their continued denial was not credible.

On April 1, 1991, the District Court terminated the Streckerts’ parental rights. In its findings, the District Court took judicial notice of the two collateral proceedings and incorporated the findings from the temporary custody proceeding into its termination order. The Streckerts appeal from this order terminating their parental rights.

I

Did the District Court deny the Streckerts due process by taking judicial notice of collateral proceedings and incorporating findings from the temporary custody proceeding into its order terminating the Streckerts’ parental rights?

This Court has previously determined that due process requirements are satisfied when the State appoints counsel prior to termination hearings. Matter of M.F. J.F. & R.W. (1982), 201 Mont. 277, 286, 653 P.2d 1205, 1209-1210.

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Related

In Re AM
2001 MT 60 (Montana Supreme Court, 2001)
Matter of DS
833 P.2d 1090 (Montana Supreme Court, 1992)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
833 P.2d 1090, 253 Mont. 484, 49 State Rptr. 552, 1992 Mont. LEXIS 167, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-ds-mont-1992.