In Re Sanders Children, Unpublished Decision (10-29-2004)

2004 Ohio 5878
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedOctober 29, 2004
DocketCase No. 2004 AP 08 0057.
StatusUnpublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 2004 Ohio 5878 (In Re Sanders Children, Unpublished Decision (10-29-2004)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Sanders Children, Unpublished Decision (10-29-2004), 2004 Ohio 5878 (Ohio Ct. App. 2004).

Opinion

OPINION
{¶ 1} Appellant Vickie Bourne appeals from the July 8, 2004, Judgment Entries of the Tuscarawas County Court of Common Pleas, Juvenile Division, which granted permanent custody of appellant's three children to the Tuscarawas County Job and Family Services [hereinafter the agency].

STATEMENT OF THE FACTS AND CASE

{¶ 2} Appellant is the natural mother of Raymond Wayne Sanders (dob June 28, 2002), Stephen Lee Sanders (dob August 3, 2003) and Bradlie William Sanders (dob June 5, 2004). Charles Sanders is the natural father of the three children.

{¶ 3} The agency became involved with appellant and her child(ren) in December, 2002, when Charles Sanders reported that appellant threatened to smother Raymond in an attempt to retaliate against Charles. At that time, Raymond was very young and Stephen and Bradlie had not been born.

{¶ 4} On January 3, 2003, Raymond was placed in substitute care and placed in the temporary custody of Christine Erwin, Raymond's maternal aunt, under the protective supervision of the agency. On January 6, 2003, the agency filed a complaint, in which it alleged that Raymond was a neglected and dependent child. On February 28, 2003, the matter came on for an adjudicatory hearing. Upon motion, the trial court amended the complaint by dismissing the count which alleged that Raymond was neglected and by amending the language of the count which alleged dependency. Appellant and Mr. Sanders then admitted to the allegations in the complaint. The trial court also adopted a case plan and ordered that Raymond be placed in the temporary custody of Christina Irwin, under the protective supervision of the agency.

{¶ 5} While the case concerning Raymond was pending, appellant was pregnant with Stephen. Stephen was born on August 3, 2003, and placed in the temporary custody of the agency on August 6, 2003.

{¶ 6} On October 30, 2003, upon all parties' and the Guardian Ad Litem's recommendation, the trial court placed Raymond in the temporary custody of the agency. In so doing, the trial court noted that a home study of Christine Irwin's residence revealed that a known sex offender was residing in the home.

{¶ 7} On February 13, 2004, the agency filed a motion concerning Raymond and Stephen in which it sought to modify the prior disposition from temporary custody to permanent custody. The hearing on those matters was set for June 11, 2004, but was continued subsequent to the birth of Bradlie on June 5, 2004. Bradlie was placed in the temporary custody of the agency on June 7, 2004. On that date, the agency filed a complaint alleging that Bradlie was a dependent child. The complaint was subsequently amended on June 8, 2004, to include an abuse allegation as Bradlie tested positive for marijuana at birth.

{¶ 8} On July 8, 2004, adjudication of the complaint concerning Bradlie took place in conjunction with the permanent custody hearing in the two pending cases concerning Raymond and Stephen. Thus, after entering a finding that Bradlie was an abused and dependent child, disposition of the case concerning Bradlie was combined with the agency's request for permanent custody of the two older children. The agency sought permanent custody of Bradlie, too. Prior to the presentation of evidence, Charles Sanders, the father of all three children, stipulated to the permanent custody motion indicating to the trial court that he did not wish to oppose permanent custody in regard to all three children.

{¶ 9} The hearing then proceeded. Testimony showed that during the agency's involvement, appellant and Charles Sanders were repeatedly involved in incidents of domestic violence. Appellant was the victim of this violence and there were three separate criminal charges filed against Charles Sanders for domestic violence incidents involving appellant. However, testimony showed that Charles Sanders and appellant repeatedly violated no-contact orders issued in the domestic violence cases. Appellant admitted violating the no-contact orders, stating that she believed it was more important for the two of them to work on their relationship than to abide by court orders.

{¶ 10} In addition, testimony showed that appellant completed little of her case plan. Although appellant completed a psychological evaluation, appellant failed to complete the recommended counseling. Appellant was discharged from parent education at the agency for failing to regularly attend the program. Appellant subsequently completed another course of parent education, however, there was testimony to demonstrate that appellant failed to apply any of the information in her visitations with the children. Appellant failed to complete domestic violence treatment.

{¶ 11} Appellant never obtained stable housing during the pendency of this matter. Appellant was living with her father. She continued to live with her father despite the fact that appellant was advised early on that her father's history involving allegations of sexual abuse made his home an inappropriate place for her children to be reunified with her.

{¶ 12} As to employment, appellant worked one month during the pendency of these cases. Appellant testified that she had several health problems which precluded working and had applied for disability Social Security benefits.

{¶ 13} At the hearing, appellant admitted that she stole benefits from the agency, leading to her inability to obtain gas vouchers for transportation. Appellant also testified to four separate incarcerations during the pendency of these matters. These incarcerations related to convictions for writing bad checks. Appellant also admitted to using marijuana during the final months of her third pregnancy.

{¶ 14} Appellant had weekly visitation with the child(ren). Out of the 70 to 80 opportunities for visits, appellant missed 20 visits.

{¶ 15} At the conclusion of the evidence, the trial court issued a ruling from the bench granting the State's request for permanent custody. Corresponding Judgment Entries were filed July 9, 2004. Those Judgment Entries granted permanent custody of all three children to the agency.

{¶ 16} It is from these Judgment Entries that appellant appeals, raising the following assignments of error:

{¶ 17} "I. Job and family services failed to prove by clear and convincing evidence that the award of permanent custody was in the child's [sic] best interest, and the juvenile court therefore erred in awarding permanent custody of the child [sic] to the state.

{¶ 18} "II. The judgment of the trial court in granting permanent custody of raymond wayne sanders, stephen lee sanders and bradlie william sanders was against the manifest weight of the evidence and contrary to law.

{¶ 19} "III. The trial court erred by concluding that there was clear and convincing evidence that it was in the best interest of the minor child of the appellant to be placed in the custody of the tuscarawas county job and family service.

{¶ 20} "IV. The trial court committed prejudicial error in its decision granting in [sic] a permanent custody motion without considering wishes of the child.

{¶ 21} "V.

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

Related

In re A.C.-L.
Ohio Court of Appeals, 2026
In re B.R.
2025 Ohio 599 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2025)
In re D.T.
2020 Ohio 3808 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2020)
In re K.R.
2017 Ohio 7122 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2017)
In re W.H.
2016 Ohio 8206 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2016)
In re E.W.
2012 Ohio 308 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2012)
In Re J.C., 07ca833 (7-23-2007)
2007 Ohio 3781 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2007)
In Re Elder, Unpublished Decision (11-2-2006)
2006 Ohio 5889 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2006)
In Re Parks, Unpublished Decision (11-2-2006)
2006 Ohio 5890 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2006)
In Re Green, Unpublished Decision (6-23-2005)
2005 Ohio 3308 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2005)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2004 Ohio 5878, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-sanders-children-unpublished-decision-10-29-2004-ohioctapp-2004.