In Re L.C.A.S., C.L.S., K.C.C., Children v. the State of Texas

Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided August 20, 2025·No. 04-25-00133-CV·Published

Opinion

Fourth Court of Appeals

San Antonio, Texas

MEMORANDUM OPINION

No. 04-25-00133-CV

IN RE L.C.A.S., C.L.S., and K.C.C., Children

From the 407th Judicial District Court, Bexar County, Texas Trial Court No. 2023PA01844 Honorable Charles E. Montemayor, Judge Presiding

Opinion by: Irene Rios, Justice

Sitting: Irene Rios, Justice H. Todd McCray, Justice

Velia J. Meza, Justice

Delivered and Filed: August 20, 2025 AFFIRMED Appellant Mother appeals the trial court’s order terminating her parental rights to her children, L.C.A.S., C.L.S., and K.C.C. 1 In her sole issue, Mother challenges the sufficiency of the evidence supporting the trial court’s finding that termination was in the children’s best interests. We affirm.

1 To protect the identity of minor children in an appeal from an order terminating parental rights, we refer to the mother as “Mother” and we refer to the children using their initials or collectively as “the children.” See TEX. FAM. CODE ANN. § 109.002(d); TEX. R. APP. P. 9.8(b)(2). The trial court did not terminate Mother’s parental rights to her oldest child, S.B.C. Instead, the trial court granted Mother possessory conservatorship of S.B.C. Mother does not challenge the trial court’s conservatorship ruling regarding S.B.C., and S.B.C. is not the subject of this appeal.

BACKGROUND

The Department became involved in the underlying case when someone called the police to report L.C.A.S., a four-year-old child, was in the parking lot of Mother’s apartment complex without supervision. When the responding officer arrived, he observed the door to Mother’s apartment was open and the children were home alone. The officer arrived at the home at 11:00 AM and the oldest child told the responding officer that Mother had been gone since 10:00 PM the night before. The apartment was in an unsanitary condition and the two youngest children were naked with dirt and food stuck on their bodies.

On December 21, 2023, the Department filed a petition seeking termination of Mother’s parental rights. The trial court held a two-day bench trial on December 19, 2024 and January 8, 2025. The trial court heard testimony from Matthew Liska, Christopher Martinez, and Benito Rodriguez, who are all officers with the San Antonio Police Department (“SAPD”); Jennifer Henry, the Department’s caseworker; Dolores Mower, Mother’s counselor; L.C.A.S.’s father; and Mother.

On February 20, 2025, the trial court signed an order terminating Mother’s parental rights to the children. The trial court terminated Mother’s parental rights based on statutory grounds (D), (O), and (P) in subsection 161.001(b)(1) of the Texas Family Code. See TEX. FAM. CODE ANN. §§ 161.001(b)(1)(D), (O), (P). The trial court also found it was in the children’s best interests to terminate Mother’s parental rights. See id. § 161.001(b)(2). Mother appeals.

STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS AND STANDARD OF REVIEW To terminate parental rights pursuant to section 161.001 of the Texas Family Code, the Department has the burden to prove by clear and convincing evidence: (1) one of the predicate grounds in subsection 161.001(b)(1); and (2) that termination is in the best interest of the child.

TEX. FAM. CODE ANN. § 161.001(b). Clear and convincing evidence requires “proof that will produce in the mind of the trier of fact a firm belief or conviction as to the truth of the allegations sought to be established.” Id. § 101.007.

When reviewing the sufficiency of the evidence, we apply well-established standards of review. See id. §§ 101.007, 161.206(a); In re H.R.M., 209 S.W.3d 105, 108 (Tex. 2006) (conducting a factual sufficiency review); In re J.P.B., 180 S.W.3d 570, 573 (Tex. 2005) (conducting a legal sufficiency review).

“In reviewing the legal sufficiency of the evidence to support the termination of parental rights, we must ‘look at all the evidence in the light most favorable to the finding to determine whether a reasonable trier of fact could have formed a firm belief or conviction that its finding was true.’” In re J.L.B., No. 04-17-00364-CV, 2017 WL 4942855, at *2 (Tex. App.—San Antonio Nov. 1, 2017, pet. denied) (mem. op.) (quoting In re J.F.C., 96 S.W.3d 256, 266 (Tex. 2002)). “[A] reviewing court must assume that the factfinder resolved disputed facts in favor of its finding if a reasonable factfinder could do so.” J.F.C., 96 S.W.3d at 266. “A corollary to this requirement is that a [reviewing] court should disregard all evidence that a reasonable factfinder could have disbelieved or found to have been incredible.” Id.

“In reviewing the factual sufficiency of the evidence to support the termination of parental rights, we ‘must give due consideration to evidence that the factfinder could reasonably have found to be clear and convincing.’” J.L.B., 2017 WL 4942855, at *2 (quoting J.F.C., 96 S.W.3d at 266). “A [reviewing court] should consider whether disputed evidence is such that a reasonable factfinder could not have resolved that disputed evidence in favor of its finding.” J.F.C., 96 S.W.3d at 266. “The [reviewing] court must hold the evidence to be factually insufficient if, in light of the entire record, the disputed evidence contrary to the judgment is so significant that a

reasonable factfinder could not have resolved that disputed evidence in favor of the ultimate finding.” In re M.T.C., No. 04-16-00548-CV, 2017 WL 603634, at *2 (Tex. App.—San Antonio Feb. 15, 2017, no pet.) (mem. op.).

Further, in a bench trial, the trial court is the sole judge of the credibility of witnesses and the weight to be given their testimony. In re J.F.-G., 627 S.W.3d 304, 312, 317 (Tex. 2021). This is because “the trial judge is best able to observe and assess the witnesses’ demeanor and credibility, and to sense the ‘forces, powers, and influences’ that may not be apparent from merely reading the record on appeal.” Coburn v. Moreland, 433 S.W.3d 809, 823 (Tex. App.— Austin 2014, no pet.) (quoting In re A.L.E., 279 S.W.3d 424, 427 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2009, no pet.)). We, therefore, defer to the trial court’s factual determinations and judgment regarding credibility. J.F.-G., 627 S.W.3d at 312; see also In re R.R.A., 687 S.W.3d 269, 279 n.50 (Tex. 2024) (“Reviewing courts, however, must defer to the factfinder’s judgment as to the credibility of the witnesses and the weight to give their testimony, including reasonable and logical inferences from the evidence.”).

BEST INTEREST

In her sole issue, Mother argues the evidence is legally and factually insufficient to support a finding that termination of her parental rights is in the children’s best interests.

When considering the best interest of a child, we recognize the existence of a strong presumption that the child’s best interest is served by preserving the parent-child relationship. In re R.R., 209 S.W.3d 112, 116 (Tex. 2006). However, we also presume that prompt and permanent placement of the child in a safe environment is in the child’s best interest. TEX. FAM. CODE ANN. § 263.307(a).

In determining whether a parent is willing and able to provide the child with a safe environment, we consider the factors set forth in section 263.307(b) of the Texas Family Code. 2 See id. § 263.307(b). We also consider the Holley factors. 3 See Holley v. Adams, 544 S.W.2d 367, 371–72 (Tex. 1976). These factors are not exhaustive. In re C.H., 89 S.W.3d 17, 27 (Tex. 2002). “The absence of evidence about some of these considerations would not preclude a factfinder from reasonably forming a strong conviction or belief that termination is in the child’s best interest, particularly if the evidence were undisputed that the parental relationship endangered the safety of the child.” Id. In analyzing these factors, we must focus on the best interest of the child, not the best interest of the parent. Dupree v. Tex. Dep’t of Protective & Regul. Servs., 907 S.W.2d 81, 86 (Tex. App.—Dallas 1995, no writ).

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In Re L.C.A.S., C.L.S., K.C.C., Children v. the State of Texas, (Tex. Ct. App. 2025).

In Re L.C.A.S., C.L.S., K.C.C., Children v. the State of Texas (In Re L.C.A.S., C.L.S., K.C.C., Children v. the State of Texas) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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