In Re JBK

2004 MT 202, 95 P.3d 699, 322 Mont. 286
CourtMontana Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 3, 2004
Docket03-649
StatusPublished

This text of 2004 MT 202 (In Re JBK) 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 JBK, 2004 MT 202, 95 P.3d 699, 322 Mont. 286 (Mo. 2004).

Opinion

95 P.3d 699 (2004)
2004 MT 202
322 Mont. 286

In the Matter of J.B.K. and J.T.K., Youths in Need of Care.

No. 03-649.

Supreme Court of Montana.

Submitted on Briefs April 13, 2004.
Decided August 3, 2004.

*700 For Appellant: Raymond G. Kuntz, Attorney at Law, Red Lodge, Montana (for Mother, H.K.).

For Respondent: Hon. Mike McGrath, Attorney General; Jim Wheelis, Assistant Attorney General, Helena, Montana, Judy A. Williams, Assistant Attorney General, Billings, Montana.

Chief Justice KARLA M. GRAY delivered the Opinion of the Court.

¶ 1 H.K. appeals from the order entered by the Twenty-Second Judicial District Court, Carbon County, terminating her parental rights to J.B.K. and J.T.K. We affirm.

¶ 2 We address the following restated issues:

¶ 3 1. Does the District Court's order meet the requirements of § 41-3-609, MCA, for terminating parental rights?

¶ 4 2. In light of H.K.'s mental disability, does the failure to afford H.K. additional time to complete her treatment plan and change the condition or conduct rendering her unable to parent violate the Americans with Disabilities Act?

BACKGROUND

¶ 5 In December of 2001, H.K. and her infant son J.B.K. moved from Georgia to live with her aunt in Montana. H.K. was pregnant with J.T.K. at that time. H.K.'s aunt contacted social worker Georgia Cady from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (Department) to inquire about public assistance for H.K.

¶ 6 Cady later received a referral regarding H.K. and, after a home visit by Cady, the Department petitioned for emergency protective services and temporary investigative authority regarding J.B.K. in January of 2002. The District Court granted the petition and appointed an attorney and a guardian ad litem for H.K. and a guardian ad litem for J.B.K. After J.T.K. was born, the Department removed him from H.K. and amended its petition to apply to him as well as to J.B.K. The District Court granted the amended petition in March and appointed a guardian ad litem for both children. After J.T.K.'s removal, H.K.'s aunt moved from the residence.

¶ 7 In May of 2002, the Department petitioned the District Court to adjudicate J.B.K. and J.T.K. as youths in need of care and to award the Department temporary legal custody for six months. After a hearing in July, the District Court granted the Department's petition in August of 2002.

¶ 8 The Department also filed a treatment plan for H.K., which the District Court approved in July of 2002 after receiving no objection from H.K.'s attorney. The treatment plan spanned the period from July 15, 2002 to December 15, 2002. It listed a number of tasks, including successful completion of parenting courses.

¶ 9 In January of 2003, approximately one month after the treatment plan expired, the Department petitioned to terminate H.K.'s parental rights, as well as the parental rights of J.B.K.'s father and J.T.K.'s putative father. The District Court held a hearing on April 4, 2003.

¶ 10 The Department presented testimony from — and H.K. or her guardian ad litem cross-examined — six witnesses. Dr. Ned Tranel, a clinical psychologist, testified about H.K.'s mental disability and opined that her inability to meet a "minimum standard of parenting" would not change. Murnell Fargo, an employee of the Family Support Network who monitored H.K.'s weekly supervised visits with her children for over a year, testified she had observed no consistent long-term improvement in H.K.'s ability to perceive and respond to the children's needs without prompting. Dena Burt, program director for the Family Tree Center, testified that H.K. had difficulty transferring lessons from parenting classes to different contexts, despite receiving one-on-one instruction based on a class designed for parents with special needs before repeating an infant nurturing class. Toni Jackson, a property manager for H.K.'s apartment building and a *701 former Human Resource Development Council intensive housing case manager, testified that H.K.'s apartment was filthy when she visited it. Social worker Cady and Child Protective Services supervisor Roxanne Roller testified that H.K. had not successfully completed her treatment plan, despite receiving all services available from the Department.

¶ 11 H.K. testified on her own behalf that she was aware of her disability and its effects on her child care abilities. She asserted she had been trying her hardest to comply with the treatment plan and "working as best as [she] could," but she "would put more effort into it so [she] could get it done" if she had more time. She also felt she could be successful. When asked if she could take care of the children, H.K. replied that she "would try to be the best parent for them," but acknowledged the difference between trying to parent and being able to do so.

¶ 12 After the hearing, the District Court entered its findings of fact, conclusions of law and order, terminating the parental rights of H.K., J.B.K.'s father, and J.T.K.'s putative father. H.K. appeals. Additional facts necessary to our resolution of the issues are included below.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

¶ 13 In reviewing a district court's termination of parental rights, we determine whether the statutorily required findings of fact are clearly erroneous, whether the conclusions of law are correct and whether the court abused its discretion in ordering termination. In re J.V., 2003 MT 68, ¶ 7, 314 Mont. 487, ¶ 7, 67 P.3d 242, ¶ 7 (citations omitted).

DISCUSSION

¶ 14 1. Did the District Court's order meet the requirements of § 41-3-609, MCA, for terminating parental rights?

¶ 15 The District Court terminated H.K.'s parental rights pursuant to § 41-3-609(1)(f), MCA, after finding the children had been adjudicated as youths in need of care, H.K. had not successfully completed her treatment plan, and the condition or conduct rendering her unable to parent was unlikely to change within a reasonable time. H.K. asserts error.

¶ 16 H.K. first argues the District Court's order violates § 41-3-609(4)(b), MCA, which provides that "[a] treatment plan is not required under this part upon a finding by the court following hearing if ... two medical doctors or clinical psychologists submit testimony that the parent cannot assume the role of parent." H.K. contends that, because the Department did not present the testimony of two medical doctors or clinical psychologists, it "cannot argue that H.K. is unable to assume the role of parent." Section 41-3-609(4)(b), MCA, has no application here, however. It addresses a circumstance in which no treatment plan is required. As set forth above, the District Court terminated H.K.'s parental rights under a different portion of § 41-3-609, MCA.

¶ 17 H.K. also argues that the District Court's finding that her conduct or condition was unlikely to change within a reasonable time does not satisfy § 41-3-609(1)(f), MCA, because she "was not given enough time to successfully complete the treatment plan...." Section 41-3-609(1)(f), MCA, does not provide that a parent must be given as much time as it takes for successful completion of a plan. Further, § 41-3-609(2)(a), MCA, requires a court to consider, among other things, a parent's mental deficiency in determining whether the parent's conduct or condition is likely to change within a reasonable time. When construing a statute, we ascertain and declare its terms or substance and do not insert what has been omitted or omit what has been inserted. Section 1-2-101, MCA; In re Adoption of Snyder, 2000 MT 61, ¶ 16, 299 Mont.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

In Re the Custody & Parental Rights of P.M.
1998 MT 264 (Montana Supreme Court, 1998)
In Re the Adoption of Snyder
2000 MT 61 (Montana Supreme Court, 2000)
Robinson v. Department of Social & Health Services
896 P.2d 1298 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 1995)
In Re Angel B.
659 A.2d 277 (Supreme Judicial Court of Maine, 1995)
In the Interest of Doe
60 P.3d 285 (Hawaii Supreme Court, 2002)
In the Interest of C.M.
996 S.W.2d 269 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1999)
Adoption of Gregory
747 N.E.2d 120 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 2001)
In re A.M.
2001 MT 60 (Montana Supreme Court, 2001)
In re J.V.
2003 MT 68 (Montana Supreme Court, 2003)
In re S.C.
2003 MT 93 (Montana Supreme Court, 2003)
In re J.C.
2003 MT 369 (Montana Supreme Court, 2003)
In re A.R.
2004 MT 22 (Montana Supreme Court, 2004)
In re J.B.K.
2004 MT 202 (Montana Supreme Court, 2004)
In re B.S.
693 A.2d 716 (Supreme Court of Vermont, 1997)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2004 MT 202, 95 P.3d 699, 322 Mont. 286, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-jbk-mont-2004.