In Re ST

127 S.W.3d 371, 2003 WL 23208331
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedFebruary 5, 2004
Docket09-02-415 CV
StatusPublished

This text of 127 S.W.3d 371 (In Re ST) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re ST, 127 S.W.3d 371, 2003 WL 23208331 (Tex. Ct. App. 2004).

Opinion

127 S.W.3d 371 (2004)

In the Interest of S.T., O.T.H., G.T.H., and M.L.T.

No. 09-02-415 CV.

Court of Appeals of Texas, Beaumont.

Submitted December 12, 2003.
Decided February 5, 2004.

*373 Stephen C. Howard, Law Offices of Stephan C. Howard, Orange, for appellant.

C. Ed Davis, Texas Dept. of Protective and Regulatory Services, Lana Shadwick, Special Litigation Unit-Appellate Section, Houston, for appellees.

Before McKEITHEN, C.J., BURGESS and DAVID B. GAULTNEY, JJ.

OPINION

DAVID B. GAULTNEY, Justice.

This is a parental rights termination case. The Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services[1] sought termination of appellant's parent-child relationship with his four children on two grounds: (1) endangerment by conditions or surroundings; and (2) conduct endangerment. See Tex. Fam.Code Ann. § 161.001(1)(D) & (E) (Vernon 2002). The jury returned a verdict that the parental rights of both parents as to all four of their children should be terminated. The father, Onesimo Herrera-Trejo, Sr., appeals from the trial court's order of termination.

A court may order involuntary termination if the court finds (1) a parent has committed one of a statutory list of acts or omissions, and (2) termination is in the best interest of the child. Tex. Fam.Code Ann. § 161.001 (Vernon 2002). The trial court's findings must be based on clear and convincing evidence. Id.; In re B.L.D., 113 S.W.3d 340, 353-54 (Tex.2003). In issues one through six, appellant challenges the sufficiency of the evidence to support the jury's findings. We must determine whether the evidence is such that a factfinder could reasonably form a firm belief or conviction about the truth of the matter on which the State bears the burden of proof. See In re J.F.C., 96 S.W.3d 256, 265-66 (Tex.2002) (defining the standard of review for legal sufficiency); In re C.H., 89 S.W.3d 17, 25 (Tex.2002) (defining the standard of review for factual sufficiency).

When reviewing the legal sufficiency of the evidence, an appellate court looks at the evidence in the light most favorable to the finding. In re J.F.C., 96 S.W.3d at 266. In the "clear and convincing" context, this means we must assume that the factfinder resolved disputed facts in favor of the finding, if a reasonable factfinder could do so. Id. We must disregard all evidence that a reasonable factfinder could have disbelieved or found incredible, but undisputed facts cannot be disregarded. Id.

When reviewing the factual sufficiency of the evidence, we must give due consideration to any evidence the factfinder could reasonably have found to be clear and convincing. Id. The evidence is factually insufficient if, "in light of the entire record, the disputed evidence that a reasonable factfinder could not have credited in favor of the finding is so significant that a factfinder could not reasonably have formed a firm belief or conviction." Id.

In the instant case, the jury was instructed in answering the termination question that, in order to terminate appellant's parental rights, "it must be proven by clear and convincing evidence that termination is in the best interest of each child and that at least one of the following events has occurred[.]" The provisions of *374 sections 161.001(1)(D) & (E) of the Texas Family Code were then reproduced for the jury, as the jury was asked to determine whether appellant did the following:

knowingly placed or knowingly allowed the children to remain in conditions or surroundings which endanger the physical or emotional well-being of the children; [Section 161.001(1)(D), Texas Family Code]
engaged in conduct or knowingly placed the children with persons who engaged in conduct which endangers the physical or emotional well-being of the children [Section 161.001(1)(E), Texas Family Code].

The Department's involvement with appellant and his family began June 16, 1998, and continued to the time of trial, August 19, 2002. A number of Department personnel were called to testify as to their personal experiences with appellant, his wife Barbara, and the children.[2] Also testifying were witnesses from law enforcement, day-care personnel, a non-governmental human services case-worker, various foster parents in whose homes the children were placed over the years, a case-worker for Adult Protective Services, and the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer. Through these witnesses, the Department showed the plight of the children essentially stemmed from Barbara's physical and mental inability to care for the young children,[3] and from appellant's neglect of the children.

At the time of trial, the children had been removed from the home and returned twice, with a third and final removal taking place on July 27, 2001. Only three months following the birth of the third child, G.T.H., the children were removed from the home on September 3, 1998, because the two boys, S.T. and O.T.H., were found playing on a roadway that ran next to their home. The roadway had a posted speed limit of fifty miles per hour. When law enforcement officers arrived at the location, they were initially unable to get anyone to respond at the Trejo home. The officers entered the home and observed Barbara asleep on a mattress. Because of the way she spoke and moved, she was thought to be intoxicated. However, upon speaking with her further, an officer determined she was not intoxicated, but was "slow," and had difficulty in understanding the danger to the children of playing in the roadway.

The Department's caseworker investigating this incident concluded there was reason to believe the Trejo children were physically neglected by Barbara. Essentially, the children were in a home environment that presented health and safety hazards. In September 1998, the primary goal of the Department, working with Barbara and appellant, was to have someone in the home with Barbara to assist in caring for the children. At that time, Barbara was still ambulatory, though she had to drag her left leg slightly when walking. Her speech was slow, but understandable. She had limited learning ability. Based upon observations of Barbara and her limited cognitive abilities, concern arose about the children's speech being delayed. Barbara would not talk to them enough. The youngest boy, O.T.H., was assessed for developmental problems when he was two years old as he was not speaking and he was not acting as if he understood what *375 was being said to him. The oldest boy, S.T., who was almost three years old at the time of the Department's first intervention in September 1998, exhibited abnormal and prolonged aggressive behavior. When S.T. behaved this way, Barbara would have no control over him. She would usually smile and make no attempt to stop S.T. or give him any directives.

At all of the places where the Trejo family resided during the four-year period of Department assistance and intervention, the sanitary conditions were bad.

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Bluebook (online)
127 S.W.3d 371, 2003 WL 23208331, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-st-texapp-2004.