In Re Stephen W.

221 Cal. App. 3d 629, 271 Cal. Rptr. 319
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 25, 1990
DocketC006249
StatusPublished
Cited by38 cases

This text of 221 Cal. App. 3d 629 (In Re Stephen W.) 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 Stephen W., 221 Cal. App. 3d 629, 271 Cal. Rptr. 319 (Cal. Ct. App. 1990).

Opinion

221 Cal.App.3d 629 (1990)
271 Cal. Rptr. 319

In re STEPHEN W., a Person Coming Under the Juvenile Court Law.
BUTTE COUNTY CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES, Plaintiff and Respondent,
v.
RAYLA W., Defendant and Appellant.

Docket No. C006249.

Court of Appeals of California, Third District.

May 25, 1990.

*634 COUNSEL

Judith Rosen, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, Lucy Quacinella, Michael R. Bush, Ray L. Fuller, Andrew T. Holcombe, Alan Lieberman, Paul T. Persons and Joan Bertin for Defendant and Appellant.

Catherine I. Hanson, Alice P. Mead and Robert Roth as Amici Curiae on behalf of Defendant and Appellant.

Susan Roff Minasian, County Counsel, and David W. Kennedy for Plaintiff and Respondent.

OPINION

PUGLIA, P.J.

Stephen W. was declared a dependent child of the juvenile court under former section 300, subdivision (a) (Stats. 1986, ch. 1122, § 2, repealed by Stats. 1987, ch. 1485, § 3, operative Jan. 1, 1989) and section 300, subdivisions (a) and (b) of the Welfare and Institutions Code. (Stats. 1987, ch. 1485, § 4, operative Jan. 1, 1989.)[1] (All statutory references to sections of an undesignated code are to the Welfare and Institutions Code.) The court sustained a petition which alleged that Stephen was born under the influence of opiates, that Stephen's parents have a long-standing substance abuse problem, and that they are incapable of providing for Stephen's care, custody and control. Stephen was placed with his paternal grandparents pending successful completion by his parents of a family reunification plan. Rayla W., Stephen's mother, appeals. We shall affirm.

Stephen was born on November 27, 1988. Shortly after his birth, Stephen displayed symptoms consistent with drug withdrawal. Testing revealed opiates in Stephen's urine. He was treated medically for his withdrawal symptoms. The matter was referred to Butte County Child Protective Services (CPS). The mother admitted she was a heroin addict and had taken heroin as recently as the day prior to Stephen's birth.

*635 On November 28 Stephen was taken into temporary custody pursuant to section 305. Two days later, November 30, CPS filed a petition alleging under subdivisions (a) and (d) of former section 300 that Stephen's parents were "unable/unwilling" to provide for his care, custody and control due to their "longstanding substance abuse problem that periodically renders them incapable" of providing such care.[2] On that same day Stephen was released from the hospital and placed in temporary foster care pending placement with a relative. On December 2, Stephen was placed with his paternal grandparents.

A contested detention hearing set for December 8 was continued to allow the court to address the mother's motion to dismiss the petition. On December 9, the court heard the mother's motion wherein she argued, in essence, that by basing the petition on Stephen's status at birth, CPS was attempting to create rights in the fetus enforceable against the mother. In addition, the mother claimed CPS was attempting to "penalize individuals on the basis of their status as addicts." The trial court treated the motion to dismiss as a demurrer and following hearing, argument and briefing, concluded the allegation the parents are unable properly to provide care for Stephen as a result of longstanding substance abuse was sufficient to state a cause of action. The court denied the motion.

The matter was continued to December 14 for a contested detention and jurisdictional hearing. At that hearing, the trial court received evidence that both parents, Rayla W. and Leonard W., were addicted to heroin. The trial court ruled the initial detention of Stephen was necessary and "[b]ased on the evidence before the Court," found Stephen to be within the provisions of former section 300, subdivision (a).[3] The court ordered that both parents *636 submit to drug testing to "prove they remain drug free until the [dispositional] hearing" which the court set for January 6, 1989. In so directing, the court indicated that if by the time of the dispositional hearing it received evidence the parents had abstained from narcotics for two weeks, it would consider returning Stephen to the custody of his parents.[4]

The dispositional hearing was ultimately held on January 13. At that hearing the court noted it had received and read the report and recommendation of CPS which indicated that while the parents had completed the 21-day detoxification program, neither parent was able to provide drug-free tests.[5] An addendum to the dispositional report noted the parents failed to appear for testing on January 1, 1989, and the mother missed another test on January 4, 1989.[6] A second addendum to the dispositional report noted the parents were again unable to provide drug-free tests and that Stephen's father failed to appear for testing on January 6, 8, and 10. At the conclusion of the hearing the court commented: "Now the Court certainly recognizes without any question I've been given evidence that [the parents] have not, quote, passed the tests. [¶] I don't pretend to be any medical expert but I will, I think, safely assume that probably the kind of addiction suffered by [the parents] is as serious as it can get...." As a result, the court reiterated its finding of jurisdiction under former section 300, subdivision (a) and found jurisdiction under present section 300, subdivisions (a) and (b).[7] The court declared Stephen to be a dependent child of the juvenile *637 court, placed him with his paternal grandparents under supervision of CPS, ordered services and programs pursuant to section 362, and placed Stephen in the family reunification program to facilitate his return home following placement.[8] The mother's appeal followed.[9]

I

The mother makes numerous claims with regard to her assertion the trial court erred in denying her motion to dismiss the petition. (1a) Mother first argues the petition was deficient in failing to contain a concise, separate statement of facts in support of the allegation Stephen was within the jurisdiction of the juvenile court.[10]

The petition alleged in relevant part: "The minor comes within Section(s) 300(a) and (d) of the 1988 California Welfare and Institutions Code in that the minor's parents are unable/unwilling to adequately provide for the care, custody and control of the minor due to the minor's parents' longstanding substance abuse problem that periodically renders them incapable of providing for the minor's care, custody and control."

The factual allegations in support of the petition were: "a. On or about November 27, 1988, following the minor's birth, the minor was found to have opiates in his urine. [¶] b. Following the minor's birth, the minor displayed behaviors consistent with opiate drug withdrawal and symptoms which were medically treated."

Mother claims these factual allegations actually arraign her for conduct prior to Stephen's birth and as such cannot support a dependency petition under section 300. (See In re Steven S. (1981) 126 Cal. App.3d 23, 26-30 [178 Cal. Rptr. 525].) Mother claims that when the petition is stripped of these factual allegations, all that remains is the bare statutory language which does not satisfy the requirement of a concise, separate statement of *638 facts in support of the petition. (§ 332, subd. (f); In re Jeremy C. (1980) 109 Cal. App.3d 384, 397 [167 Cal. Rptr.

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

Related

In re J.V. CA2/5
California Court of Appeal, 2025
In re C.F. CA3
California Court of Appeal, 2025
In re F.G. CA3
California Court of Appeal, 2025
In re R.O. CA3
California Court of Appeal, 2024
In re B.D.
California Court of Appeal, 2024
In re M.L. CA4/2
California Court of Appeal, 2022
In re M.H. CA4/3
California Court of Appeal, 2022
In re S.L. CA4/1
California Court of Appeal, 2021
In re B.R. CA4/1
California Court of Appeal, 2021
In re X.C. CA3
California Court of Appeal, 2021
In re G.S. CA4/1
California Court of Appeal, 2021
In re H.T. CA4/1
California Court of Appeal, 2021
In re E.E.
California Court of Appeal, 2020
In re Justice T. CA2/3
California Court of Appeal, 2016
In re Jocelyn C. CA4/3
California Court of Appeal, 2015
In re D.S. CA2/2
California Court of Appeal, 2015
In re Monica G. CA2/2
California Court of Appeal, 2014
In re Justin N. CA2/5
California Court of Appeal, 2014
In re Brandi M. CA2/2
California Court of Appeal, 2014
In re A.D. CA2/2
California Court of Appeal, 2014

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
221 Cal. App. 3d 629, 271 Cal. Rptr. 319, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-stephen-w-calctapp-1990.