in Re S M Holley Minor

Michigan Court of Appeals·Decided October 27, 2015·No. 324736·Unpublished

Opinion

STATE OF MICHIGAN

COURT OF APPEALS

UNPUBLISHED In re SM HOLLEY, Minor. October 27, 2015

No. 324735 Oakland Circuit Court Family Division LC No. 14-821795-NA

In re SM HOLLEY, Minor. No. 324736 Oakland Circuit Court Family Division LC No. 14-821795-NA

Before: BORRELLO, P.J., and JANSEN and OWENS, JJ.

PER CURIAM.

In these consolidated appeals, respondents appeal as of right from the order terminating their parental rights to the minor child under MCL 712A.19b(3)(f) (child has a guardian and the parent, despite having the ability to do so, fails to support or contact the child for a period of two years or more), (g) (failure to provide proper care or custody), and (j) (reasonable likelihood child will be harmed if returned to parent’s home), and terminating respondent mother’s parental rights under MCL 712A.19b(3)(h) (imprisonment for more than two years). We affirm.

I. ADJUDICATION

This case arises from the termination of respondents’ parental rights. Petitioners are respondent father’s brother and sister-in-law. They are also the minor child’s guardians. Respondent father first argues that the trial court erred because it failed to find by a preponderance of the evidence that one or more of the statutory grounds for jurisdiction over the child under MCL 712A.2(b) was established. We disagree.

In order for the court to find that jurisdiction over a child is proper, the court must find by a preponderance of the evidence that at least one statutory ground for jurisdiction under MCL 712A.2(b) exists. See MCR 3.972(C)(1). We review a trial court’s findings of fact in a termination of parental rights case for clear error. In re HRC, 286 Mich App 444, 459; 781 NW2d 105 (2009). “A finding is ‘clearly erroneous’ if, although there is evidence to support it, we are left with a definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been made.” Id.

-1- “Child protective proceedings have long been divided into two distinct phases: the adjudicative phase and the dispositional phase.” In re AMAC, 269 Mich App 533, 536; 711 NW2d 426 (2006). In the adjudicative phase, which occurs first, the trial court determines whether it may exercise jurisdiction over the child because the child comes within MCL 712A.2(b). Id. “During the adjudicative phase, a trial may be held to determine whether any of the statutory grounds alleged in the petition have been proven.” Id. The rules of evidence apply, the respondent is entitled to have a jury determine the facts, and the standard of proof is a preponderance of the evidence. Id. “After the trial, ‘the verdict must be whether one or more of the statutory grounds alleged in the petition have been proven.’ ” Id., quoting MCR 3.972(E). During the dispositional phase, the court determines what action it will take on behalf of the child. AMAC, 269 Mich App at 537. The respondent is not entitled to a jury determination during the dispositional hearing, and the rules of evidence do not apply. Id. “If permanent termination of parental rights is sought, the petitioner bears the burden of proving the statutory basis for termination by clear and convincing evidence.” Id. The dispositional hearing may be held immediately after trial, and the time interval between the trial and dispositional hearing is at the discretion of the court, though the interval may not be more than 28 days without good cause. See MCR 3.973(B) and (C).

In this case, the trial court ordered termination of respondents’ parental rights at the initial disposition hearing. In order for this to occur, several conditions must be met, including:

(1) the original, or amended, petition contains a request for termination;

(2) at the trial or plea proceedings, the trier of fact finds by a preponderance of the evidence that one or more of the grounds for assumption of jurisdiction over the child under MCL 712A.2(b) have been established;

(3) at the initial disposition hearing, the court finds on the basis of clear and convincing legally admissible evidence that had been introduced at the trial or plea proceedings, or that is introduced at the dispositional hearing, that one or more facts alleged in the petition:

(a) are true, and

(b) establish grounds for termination of parental rights under MCL 712A.19b(3)(a), (b), (d), (e), (f), (g), (h), (i), (j), (k), (l), (m), or (n);

(4) termination of parental rights is in the child’s best interests. [MCR 3.977(E).]

Petitioners filed an initial petition to terminate respondents’ parental rights, alleging MCL 712A.2(b)(5)1 as one of the statutory grounds for jurisdiction. During the preliminary hearing,

1 The statutory ground that was formerly codified under MCL 712A.2(b)(5) is now codified under MCL 712A.2(b)(6). See 2014 PA 342.

-2- the referee found that jurisdiction was appropriate under the statutory ground and stated that the petition should be authorized. The trial court discussed during pretrial that trial would occur over at two-day period. The trial court properly held a combined adjudicatory/dispositional trial. See MCR 3.973(B) and (C). During the combined trial, the trial court did not make specific findings of fact with regard to adjudication. Instead, the trial court made findings of fact with regard to the statutory grounds for termination and the best interests of the child. However, the statutory ground for jurisdiction, which is now codified under MCL 712A.2(b)(6), is identical to the statutory ground for termination under MCL 712A.19b(3)(f). MCL 712A.2(b)(6) provides that jurisdiction is appropriate under the following circumstances:

If the juvenile has a guardian under the estates and protected individuals code, 1998 PA 386, MCL 700.1101 to 700.8206, and the juvenile’s parent meets both of the following criteria:

(A) The parent, having the ability to support or assist in supporting the juvenile, has failed or neglected, without good cause, to provide regular and substantial support for the juvenile for 2 years or more before the filing of the petition or, if a support order has been entered, has failed to substantially comply with the order for 2 years or more before the filing of the petition.

(B) The parent, having the ability to visit, contact, or communicate with the juvenile, has regularly and substantially failed or neglected, without good cause, to do so for 2 years or more before the filing of the petition.

MCL 712A.19b(3)(f) provides that a trial court may terminate a respondent’s parental rights if the court finds by clear and convincing evidence that

[t]he child has a guardian under the estates and protected individuals code, 1998 PA 386, MCL 700.1101 to 700.8206, and both of the following have occurred:

(i) The parent, having the ability to support or assist in supporting the minor, has failed or neglected, without good cause, to provide regular and substantial support for the minor for a period of 2 years or more before the filing of the petition or, if a support order has been entered, has failed to substantially comply with the order for a period of 2 years or more before the filing of the petition.

(ii) The parent, having the ability to visit, contact, or communicate with the minor, has regularly and substantially failed or neglected, without good cause, to do so for a period of 2 years or more before the filing of the petition.

Thus, the statutory ground for jurisdiction is identical to the statutory ground for termination. See MCL 712A.2(b)(6); MCL 712A.19b(3)(f). The only difference between statutory ground for jurisdiction and the statutory ground for termination is that the statutory ground for termination must be proven by clear and convincing evidence. See MCL 712A.2(b)(6); MCL 712A.19b(3)(f).

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