In Re Nicholas B.

106 Cal. Rptr. 2d 465, 88 Cal. App. 4th 1126
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 7, 2001
DocketH020404
StatusPublished
Cited by112 cases

This text of 106 Cal. Rptr. 2d 465 (In Re Nicholas B.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Nicholas B., 106 Cal. Rptr. 2d 465, 88 Cal. App. 4th 1126 (Cal. Ct. App. 2001).

Opinion

106 Cal.Rptr.2d 465 (2001)
88 Cal.App.4th 1126

In re NICHOLAS B., a Person Coming Under the Juvenile Court Law.
Santa Cruz County Human Resources Agency, Plaintiff and Respondent,
v.
Bill B., et al., Defendants and Appellants.

No. H020404.

Court of Appeal, Sixth District.

May 7, 2001.

*467 Janet G. Sherwood, By appointment of the Sixth District Appellate Program, Attorney for Defendant and Appellant Kimberly B.

Kenneth A. Krekorian, By appointment of the Sixth District Appellate Program, Attorney for Defendant and Appellant Bill B.

Dwight Herr, County Counsel, Dana McRae, Assistant County Counsel, Attorney for Plaintiff and Respondent Santa Cruz County Human Resources Agency.

Robert Patterson, Rancho Mirage, Attorney for Minor.

*466 WUNDERLICH, J.

Bill and Kimberly B., the parents of the minor Nicholas B., appeal from the jurisdictional and dispositional orders of the juvenile Court adjudging the minor a dependent child pursuant to Welfare and Institutions Code section 300, subdivision (b),[1] removing the child from their custody and ordering family reunification services. Under subdivision (b) of section 300, it must be proved that there is a substantial risk the child will suffer serious physical harm as a result of his parents' inability to supervise or protect him. The parents contend that the allegations contained in the petition failed to state a basis for jurisdiction *468 under section 300, subdivision (b) and that there was insufficient evidence for the court to assume jurisdiction over the minor. In addition, they challenge the dispositional order and the suspension of visitation. We agree that the allegations in the petition failed to state a basis for jurisdiction under section 300, subdivision (b), in that they do not allege a current substantial risk that the child will suffer serious physical harm as a result of his parents' inability to supervise or protect him. We thus reverse the jurisdictional and dispositional orders.

BACKGROUND

Nicholas B. was born in September 1985. His biological mother (Tiffany) was a friend of Bill B.'s adult son, Bruce. When Nicholas was six years old, Tiffany decided to place him and his younger sister Priscilla for adoption, and at the recommendation of Bruce B., the two children were adopted by Kimberly and Bill B. When Nicholas was in the fifth grade, the B.'s adopted two more girls, and Nicholas later reported feeling that Bill loved the girls more than he loved him.[2]

In 1995, when Nicholas was nine years old, his parents placed him in therapy with Bret Johnson, Ph.D., because of behavioral problems. In 1996-1997, Nicholas was seen by therapist Neil Brown. According to Kimberly, Nicholas had become an angry, oppositional child. He tried to set a fire in a school bathroom; he had disciplinary problems at school; he began stealing things and hoarding food. The parents were taught two techniques for dealing with Nicholas's uncontrollable rages. Future Families, the adoption agency the family worked with, recommended putting Nicholas in a cold shower, fully clothed, until his raging stopped. Therapist Brown showed the parents how to physically restrain Nicholas after he went into a rage at a family counseling session and tried to smash a computer.

In early 1998, Nicholas was referred to the Children's Health Council in Palo Alto for an evaluation, but the parents reported receiving no written results nor any helpful information or tools. Nicholas was diagnosed with a conduct disorder, possible mood disorder, mistrust of adults and feelings of not being cared for. Nicholas then began seeing therapist Jon Girvetz and the parents began working with Future Families' parent support groups.

The triggering incident occurred on September 15, 1998, when Nicholas (then 13 years old) was struck in the face by Kimberly after a dispute over spilled potato chips, sibling squabbles and Nicholas's use of offensive language.[3] The next day, Nicholas's therapist Jon Girvetz saw injuries (bruises and swelling) to Nicholas's face and reported them to the Santa Cruz County Human Resources Agency (Agency). Kimberly admitted to Girvetz and to the Agency that she had slapped Nicholas in the face, but by other accounts, she pinned him to the ground and punched him in the face with her fist.[4] The investigating social worker described the injuries as "very severe." In the course of the investigation, reports were received from Nicholas's sisters that Bill physically abused Nicholas. At first Bill denied these reports, then he called the investigating social *469 worker and admitted he had lied and that he had hit Nicholas in the past.

As a result of the investigation, the family agreed to voluntarily place Nicholas in foster care and to participate in a voluntary reunification plan. By doing so, they hoped to gain clarity and perspective on the problems and to get services to help them meet Nicholas's needs. Although Nicholas seemed to adjust well to his first foster home, there were difficulties with visitation and counseling. The foster family allowed no access to Nicholas for the first six weeks and no visits took place for three months. In October and November 1998 Nicholas did not want to visit his parents and the Agency did not enforce the visits.

The Agency then asked Pauline Fillion, a licensed marriage and family counselor who was experienced in adoption issues, to assess the family and its problems and to develop a plan for reunification. Over the next few months, she had several visits with Nicholas and the family, although she spent a limited amount of time with Nicholas alone. The family informed her that Nicholas had been in numerous (they estimated as many as 17) different placements prior to the age of five. Based in part on this unconfirmed information as well as on her interviews with Nicholas and the family, she made a diagnostic assessment of Nicholas as having reactive attachment and post-traumatic stress disorders. Based on the severe needs of a child with attachment disorder, Fillion recommended intense counseling for both Nicholas and his family, as well as a psychiatric assessment and medication evaluation for Nicholas.[5] She was critical of the initial delay in visitation and counseling, as it "thwarted" reunification prospects at an important time. The diagnosis of attachment disorder made sense to the parents, as it helped to explain Nicholas's behavior.

At Christmas, Nicholas reportedly looked forward to seeing his family and in February 1999, he was making plans to come home and to redecorate his room. The family had nine visits between December and March; the foster family would not allow more. Then after a visit with his adult stepbrother Bruce in March 1999, Nicholas refused to see his family and did not want to return home, but hoped to move in with Bruce.

On March 11, 1999, the Agency, represented by a new social worker, filed a petition pursuant to section 300, subdivision (b) (failure to protect), alleging that after six months of services, the parents were not able to alleviate the concerns which brought Nicholas to the attention of the agency and were not prepared to accept Nicholas back into their home.[6]

On March 19, 1999, a hearing was held on visitation with the parents. The court heard testimony and met with Nicholas alone in chambers, in an unreported conversation.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
106 Cal. Rptr. 2d 465, 88 Cal. App. 4th 1126, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-nicholas-b-calctapp-2001.