In Re GRW

191 S.W.3d 896, 2006 WL 1148097
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 2, 2006
Docket06-05-00081-CV
StatusPublished

This text of 191 S.W.3d 896 (In Re GRW) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re GRW, 191 S.W.3d 896, 2006 WL 1148097 (Tex. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

191 S.W.3d 896 (2006)

In the Interest of G.R.W., a Child.

No. 06-05-00081-CV.

Court of Appeals of Texas, Texarkana.

Submitted March 20, 2006.
Decided May 2, 2006.

*897 Timothy Haney, Attorney At Law, Sherman, for appellant.

*898 Edwin Marino, Legal Aid, McKinney, Charles W. Butler, Attorney At Law, Bonham, for appellee.

Before MORRISS, C.J., ROSS and CARTER, JJ.

OPINION

Opinion by Chief Justice MORRISS.

When James Elwyn Sykes was fifteen or sixteen years old, he had a sexual relationship with S.W., who was then at least three years younger than he. Sykes was indicted for sexual assault of S.W., but, pursuant to a plea agreement, pled guilty to the lesser charge of child endangerment. Sykes' and S.W.'s relationship produced a child, G.R.W., born November 4, 2003. The conservatorship of G.R.W. is the subject of this appeal.

Sykes and his mother, Donna Alexander—in whose home Sykes and S.W. had lived and shared sleeping quarters during much of the time they maintained their sexual relationship—sought to be named sole managing conservators for G.R.W. Ronald Glen Harris and wife, Rita Faye Harris (the Harrises), G.R.W.'s maternal great-uncle and great-aunt, were granted sole managing conservatorship by the trial court, while Sykes and Alexander were appointed possessory conservators.

Sykes and Alexander contend the trial court abused its discretion in naming the Harrises sole managing conservators because the trial court failed to honor the presumption of Section 153.131 of the Texas Family Code that it is in a child's best interest that custody be awarded to the child's parent. Sykes and Alexander assert the trial court's order must be reversed because there is insufficient evidence to rebut the presumption favoring the natural parent, Sykes, as possessory conservator, and because there was no finding that appointing Sykes as sole managing conservator would be detrimental to G.R.W.'s physical health or emotional development. In support of their assertion, Sykes and Alexander cite Section 153.131(a) of the Texas Family Code, which requires a parent to be appointed sole managing conservator or both parents to be appointed joint managing conservators unless the trial court determines such appointment would not be in the best interest of the child because it would significantly impair the child's physical health or emotional development. See TEX. FAM. CODE ANN. § 153.131(a) (Vernon 2002).[1]

Sykes and Alexander also note that, after trial, they asked the trial court to make findings of fact and conclusions of law under Rule 296 of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure and that the trial court did not issue any findings or conclusions in response to their request. They argue that we must, therefore, presume the trial court made no finding—neither (1) a finding under Section 153.131(a) that appointing Sykes as sole managing conservator "would significantly impair [G.R.W.]'s physical health or emotional development," nor (2) a finding under Section 153.131(b) *899 that there was a history of family violence, as set out in Section 153.004—necessary to rebut the parental presumption favoring Sykes. We disagree.

First, though Section 153.131(a) requires a trial court finding to rebut the parental presumption, such a finding need not be explicitly made. "In drafting the Family Code (and other statutes as well), the Legislature often requires judges to `find' certain matters before taking certain actions, but only occasionally requires those findings to be made in writing." In re J.P., 136 S.W.3d 629, 630-31 (Tex.2004) (footnotes omitted). Because Section 153.131(a) makes no requirement of a written finding, such a finding need not be in writing. See TEX. FAM.CODE ANN. § 153.131(a).

Second, a party who asks a trial court, under Rule 296 of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, to enter findings of fact and conclusions of law, but fails to give the trial court the subsequent Rule 297 notice that the requested findings and conclusions are late, has waived his or her right to complain about the trial court's failure to enter findings and conclusions. Las Vegas Pecan & Cattle Co. v. Zavala County, 682 S.W.2d 254, 255-56 (Tex.1984); Gaxiola v. Garcia, 169 S.W.3d 426, 429-30 (Tex.App.-El Paso 2005, no pet.); In re A.I.G., 135 S.W.3d 687, 694 (Tex.App.-San Antonio 2003, no pet.). While Sykes and Alexander requested findings of fact and conclusions of law, the record contains no Rule 297 notice. They have, therefore, waived their right to complain about the lack of formal findings.

Because of that, the trial court's failure here to make explicit findings rebutting Sykes' natural-parent presumption is of no consequence. If the record contains factually and legally sufficient evidence to support the necessary findings, we must affirm the trial court's judgment.

There is legally insufficient evidence only if: (1) there is a complete absence of evidence of a vital fact; (2) the court may not give weight to the only evidence offered to prove a vital fact; (3) the evidence amounts to no more than a mere scintilla;[2] or (4) the evidence conclusively negates a vital fact. Uniroyal Goodrich Tire Co. v. Martinez, 977 S.W.2d 328, 334 (Tex.1998). In reviewing for legally sufficient evidence, we are to consider evidence favorable to the finding if a reasonable fact-finder could do so, and are to disregard evidence contrary to the finding unless a reasonable fact-finder could not disregard it. City of Keller v. Wilson, 168 S.W.3d 802, 827 (Tex.2005).

The evidence is factually insufficient if the evidence supporting the finding is so weak or the evidence to the contrary is so overwhelming that the answer should be set aside and a new trial ordered. Garza v. Alviar, 395 S.W.2d 821, 823 (Tex. 1965). In assessing factual sufficiency, we are to consider all of the record evidence, not just the evidence supporting the judgment. Maritime Overseas Corp. v. Ellis, 971 S.W.2d 402, 406-07 (Tex.1998).

*900 Where evidence shows merely that a parent has been victimized, that is no evidence to rebut the presumption as to that parent. Lewelling v. Lewelling, 796 S.W.2d 164, 167 (Tex.1990) (evidence that parent suffered physical abuse at hands of spouse is "no evidence" to rebut parental presumption). The presumption, however, can certainly be rebutted by evidence of blameworthy prior behavior of the parent. See, e.g., In re K.R.P., 80 S.W.3d 669, 677 (Tex.App.-Houston [1st Dist.] 2002, pet. denied) (affirming nonparent as managing conservator, where parent had prior convictions, history of family violence, and smoking in asthmatic child's presence).

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191 S.W.3d 896, 2006 WL 1148097, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-grw-texapp-2006.