In re E.T.

927 N.W.2d 111
CourtSouth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedApril 17, 2019
Docket#28548-r-MES
StatusPublished

This text of 927 N.W.2d 111 (In re E.T.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering South Dakota 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 E.T., 927 N.W.2d 111 (S.D. 2019).

Opinion

[¶6.] At the outset of what was to have been the final dispositional hearing on November 27, 2017, before any argument or evidence was presented, the Tribe orally moved to transfer the abuse and neglect *113case to tribal court. Child's counsel resisted the motion, arguing the transfer request came at an advanced stage of the case and was contrary to Child's best interests.

[¶7.] The circuit court suspended the final dispositional hearing and held a transfer hearing on January 4, 2018. To support the objection to the Tribe's transfer request, Child's counsel attempted to present expert medical testimony from Child's pediatrician, Dr. David Whitney. The Tribe claimed it had insufficient notice of the substance of Dr. Whitney's expert opinions and requested an offer of proof. Child's counsel obliged and offered the following:

Dr. Whitney is going to testify about the bond that develops between an infant and their caregiver and what happens when that bond is broken to a child physically, mentally, and emotionally.
And that testimony is going to be used to establish good cause because at this point in time, the tribe waited until the day of the final dispositional hearing, which was well [over] a year after [Child] came into care. ...
The BIA guidelines specifically also state that the [c]ourt can consider exceptional circumstances. And this is an exceptional circumstance because we have a baby that was placed at birth with the people that have been her primary caregiver. They are the only family she knows. This is not a case where we have a four year old that's taken temporarily from their parents or grandparents and then is going to be returned home or we can explain to them what's happening.
This is an infant who only knows [Foster Parents] and knows them as Mom and Dad. We can't explain to [Child] what's going to happen to her and she will face long-term and short-term physical and emotional effects and that's what Dr. Whitney is going to testify to.

[¶8.] In response, the Tribe objected to the entirety of Dr. Whitney's proposed testimony,2 arguing bonding between Child and the foster parents was not an appropriate factor to consider when determining a motion to transfer. The circuit court sustained the Tribe's objection and excluded Dr. Whitney's expert opinions. The court noted that bonding "in and of itself" did not constitute good cause to deny transfer, but it also recognized that the best interests of the child is a relevant factor to consider. The court, nevertheless, determined Dr. Whitney's testimony would be irrelevant, reasoning the testimony could be useful only to establish an accepted and unremarkable general proposition that a delay in seeking transfer can impact a child's best interests. The circuit court received no other testimony or exhibits. It took the motion to transfer under advisement to determine if good cause existed to deny the motion, given the Child's argument that the proceeding was at an advanced stage.

[¶9.] After receiving post-hearing briefing from Child's counsel, the circuit court entered findings of fact and conclusions of law on February 21, 2018. The court ultimately determined the proceeding was not at an advanced stage because no argument or evidence was presented at the final dispositional hearing before the Tribe made its motion to transfer.

[¶10.] On February 22, 2018, one day after the circuit court's findings and conclusions *114were entered, but before a final order was entered, J.H. (Father) objected to the transfer through his counsel. The circuit court entered a final order on March 1, 2018, granting the Tribe's motion to transfer. On March 20, 2018, the court entered an order denying Father's objection to the transfer because it was not in proper form3 and because it was untimely. Child's counsel filed a petition for permission to take an intermediate appeal, challenging the circuit court's order transferring jurisdiction to tribal court. We granted the petition and stayed the circuit court's transfer order.

Analysis

[¶11.] Under the ICWA, state courts and tribal courts share concurrent jurisdiction over abuse and neglect cases involving Indian children who are not domiciled on reservations or wards of a tribal court. Miss. Band of Choctaw Indians v. Holyfield , 490 U.S. 30, 36, 109 S.Ct. 1597, 1602, 104 L.Ed.2d 29 (1989) (citing 25 U.S.C. § 1911(b) ). However, this shared jurisdiction is presumptively tribal. Id. As such, state courts must transfer, upon motion, foster-care-placement and termination-of-parental-rights proceedings to tribal court jurisdiction unless 1) either parent objects; 2) the tribal court declines jurisdiction; or 3) good cause to the contrary exists. Id.

[¶12.] If a party objects to the transfer on the grounds that good cause to the contrary exists, all parties must be given the "opportunity to provide the court with views regarding whether good cause to deny transfer exists." 25 C.F.R. § 23.118. The admissibility of evidence regarding good cause is generally governed by the rules of evidence. We note, however, that the rules of evidence may be relaxed when considering the disposition of juvenile matters, which includes the transfer of jurisdiction to a tribal court. See SDCL 26-7A-56. "Questions of the relevance of proffered testimony are committed to the discretion of the trial court and this court will not reverse its ruling absent an abuse of discretion." State v. Olson , 408 N.W.2d 748, 752 (S.D. 1987). "An abuse of discretion 'is a fundamental error of judgment, a choice outside the range of permissible choices[.]' " In re A.O. , 2017 S.D. 30, ¶ 8, 896 N.W.2d 652, 654 (quoting MacKaben v. MacKaben

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Related

Batterton v. Francis
432 U.S. 416 (Supreme Court, 1977)
Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians v. Holyfield
490 U.S. 30 (Supreme Court, 1989)
Matter of Dependency and Neglect of AL
442 N.W.2d 233 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1989)
State v. Sprik
520 N.W.2d 595 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1994)
State v. Olson
408 N.W.2d 748 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1987)
People in Interests of MC
504 N.W.2d 598 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1993)
MacKaben v. MacKaben
2015 SD 86 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 2015)
Interest of A.O., V.O. & C.O.
2017 SD 30 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 2017)
Brackeen v. Zinke
338 F. Supp. 3d 514 (N.D. Texas, 2018)
In Interest of J.L.
2002 SD 144 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 2002)
People ex rel. M.H.
2005 SD 4 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 2005)

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Bluebook (online)
927 N.W.2d 111, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-et-sd-2019.