In Re: K.G., a Minor

Superior Court of Pennsylvania·Decided February 8, 2018·No. 1265 MDA 2017·Unpublished

Opinion

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37

IN RE: K.G., A MINOR : IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF : PENNSYLVANIA

:

:

:

:

:

:

APPEAL OF: E.G., FATHER : No. 1265 MDA 2017

Appeal from the Decree July 14, 2017 In the Court of Common Pleas of Centre County Orphans' Court at No: 4155

IN RE: M.G., A MINOR : IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF : PENNSYLVANIA

:

:

:

:

:

:

APPEAL OF: E.G., FATHER : No. 1266 MDA 2017

Appeal from the Decree July 14, 2017 In the Court of Common Pleas of Centre County Orphans' Court at No: 2016-4156

BEFORE: PANELLA, J., STABILE, J., and PLATT*, J. MEMORANDUM BY STABILE, J.: FILED FEBRUARY 08, 2018 E.G. (“Father”) appeals from the decree entered July 14, 2017, which involuntarily terminated his parental rights to his minor twin daughters, K.G. and M.G. (collectively, “the Children”), born in December 2003. Additionally, Father’s counsel filed a petition to withdraw and brief pursuant to Anders v.

California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967), and Commonwealth v. Santiago, 978

* Retired Senior Judge assigned to the Superior Court.

A.2d 349 (Pa. 2009). After careful review, we grant counsel’s petition to withdraw and affirm.

We summarize the relevant factual and procedural history of this matter as follows. Father and D.G. (“Mother”) are former spouses. N.T., 4/27/17, at 5. They separated, and later divorced, after Mother’s minor daughter from a prior relationship accused Father of sexual abuse. Id. at 5, 13, 59. In January 2016, a jury convicted Father of numerous sexual offenses. Id. at 7; Exhibit P1 (report by guardian ad litem) at Exhibit A (Megan’s Law Public Report).1 Currently, Father is serving a minimum sentence of seventy-five years’ incarceration.2 Following Father’s incarceration, the Children visited him in prison. N.T., 4/27/17, at 8, 20. However, the visits ended after the Children expressed concern that Father was looking at them sexually. Id. at 8-9, 20-22. The

1 Although the details are not entirely clear from the record, the jury also convicted Father of committing sexual offenses against his own half-sister in 2003, when she was fourteen years old. See N.T., 4/27/17, at 6-7, 28; Exhibit P1 at 7, Exhibit A.

2 In its opinion, the orphans’ court found that Father is serving a sentence of seventy-four years’ incarceration, without specifying whether that is his minimum or maximum sentence. Orphans’ Court Opinion, 7/14/17, at 2. There was conflicting evidence in the record concerning the length of Father’s sentence. See Exhibit P1 at 2 (indicating that Father will serve a seventy-four year sentence); N.T., 4/27/17, at 39 (Father’s counsel indicating that Father will be incarcerated “for at least 75 years”). However, it appears more likely that Father received a minimum sentence of seventy-five years’ incarceration. Mother attached a copy of Father’s court summary to her termination petitions. The summary indicates that Father received twenty-five to fifty year sentences for each of his crimes. See Petition to Terminate Parental Rights (K.G.), 6/13/16, at Exhibit B.

Children last saw Father in approximately December 2015, prior to his trial. Id. at 8. Meanwhile, Mother began a relationship with S.H. Id. at 11. Mother and the Children began living with S.H. in June 2016. Id. at 14-15. Mother and S.H. became engaged, and planned to marry in June 2017. Id.

On June 13, 2016, Mother filed petitions to involuntarily terminate Father’s parental rights to the Children. The orphans’ court conducted a termination hearing on April 27, 2017. On July 14, 2017, the court entered a decree terminating Father’s parental rights. Father timely filed notices of appeal on August 11, 2017, along with concise statements of errors complained of on appeal. By order entered August 29, 2017, we consolidated the appeals sua sponte. On October 27, 2017, Father’s counsel filed a petition to withdraw and an Anders brief in this Court.

Before reaching the merits of Father’s appeal, we must address counsel’s petition to withdraw. See Commonwealth v. Rojas, 874 A.2d 638, 639 (Pa. Super. 2005) (“‘When faced with a purported Anders brief, this Court may not review the merits of the underlying issues without first passing on the request to withdraw.’”) (quoting Commonwealth v. Smith, 700 A.2d 1301, 1303 (Pa. Super. 1997)). This Court extended the Anders procedure to appeals from decrees involuntarily terminating parental rights in In re V.E., 611 A.2d 1267 (Pa. Super. 1992). To withdraw pursuant to Anders, counsel must:

1) petition the court for leave to withdraw stating that, after making a conscientious examination of the record, counsel has

determined that the appeal would be frivolous; 2) furnish a copy of the [Anders] brief to the [appellant]; and 3) advise the [appellant] that he or she has the right to retain private counsel or raise additional arguments that the [appellant] deems worthy of the court’s attention.

Commonwealth v. Cartrette, 83 A.3d 1030, 1032 (Pa. Super. 2013) (en banc) (citing Commonwealth v. Lilley, 978 A.2d 995, 997 (Pa. Super. 2009)). With respect to the third requirement of Anders, that counsel inform the appellant of his or her rights in light of counsel’s withdrawal, this Court has held that counsel must “attach to their petition to withdraw a copy of the letter sent to their client advising him or her of their rights.” Commonwealth v. Millisock, 873 A.2d 748, 752 (Pa. Super. 2005).

Additionally, an Anders brief must comply with the following requirements:

(1) provide a summary of the procedural history and facts, with citations to the record;

(2) refer to anything in the record that counsel believes arguably supports the appeal;

(3) set forth counsel’s conclusion that the appeal is frivolous; and (4) state counsel’s reasons for concluding that the appeal is frivolous. Counsel should articulate the relevant facts of record, controlling case law, and/or statutes on point that have led to the conclusion that the appeal is frivolous.

Santiago, 978 A.2d at 361.

In the instant matter, Father’s counsel filed a petition to withdraw, certifying that he reviewed the record and determined that Father’s appeal is frivolous. Counsel also filed a brief, which includes a summary of the history and facts of the case, potential issues that could be raised by Father, and counsel’s assessment of why those issues are frivolous, with citations to

relevant legal authority. Counsel provided Father a copy of the brief, and a letter advising him that he may obtain new counsel or raise additional issues pro se. Accordingly, counsel complied substantially with the requirements of Anders and Santiago. Therefore, we may proceed to review the issues outlined in the Anders brief. We must also “conduct an independent review of the record to discern if there are any additional, non-frivolous issues overlooked by counsel.” Commonwealth v. Flowers, 113 A.3d 1246, 1250 (Pa. Super. 2015) (footnote omitted).

Counsel’s Anders brief raises the following issues for our review:

1. Whether the orphans’ court committed an abuse of discretion or error of law when it concluded that [Mother] established grounds for termination of parental rights?

2. Whether the orphans’ court committed an abuse of discretion or error of law when it concluded that it was in the best interest of the minor child to involuntarily terminate Father’s parental rights?

Anders Brief at 6.

We review these claims mindful of our well-settled standard of review.

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

In Re: K.G., a Minor, (Pa. Ct. App. 2018).

In Re: K.G., a Minor (In Re: K.G., a Minor) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Anders v. California
386 U.S. 738 (Supreme Court, 1967)
In Re BLW
863 A.2d 1141 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 2004)
Commonwealth v. Lilley
978 A.2d 995 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2009)
In Re: Adoption of C.D.R., Appeal of: R.R.
111 A.3d 1212 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2015)
In Re: Adopt. of M.R.D. and T.M.D. Appeal of: M.C.
145 A.3d 1117 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 2016)
Commonwealth v. Smith
700 A.2d 1301 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1997)
In re B.L.W.
843 A.2d 380 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2004)
Commonwealth v. Millisock
873 A.2d 748 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2005)
Commonwealth v. Rojas
874 A.2d 638 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2005)
In re L.M.
923 A.2d 505 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2007)
In re N.A.M.
33 A.3d 95 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2011)
In re T.S.M.
71 A.3d 251 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 2013)
Commonwealth v. Cartrette
83 A.3d 1030 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2013)
Commonwealth v. Flowers
113 A.3d 1246 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2015)
In re V.E.
611 A.2d 1267 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1992)