In the Int. of: E.M., Appeal of: K.M.

Superior Court of Pennsylvania·Decided February 28, 2022·No. 659 MDA 2021·Unpublished

Opinion

J-A28026-21

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37

IN THE INT. OF: E.M., A MINOR : IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF : PENNSYLVANIA

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APPEAL OF: K.M. :

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: No. 659 MDA 2021

Appeal from the Dispositional Order Entered May 25, 2021 In the Court of Common Pleas of Schuylkill County Juvenile Division at No(s): CP-54-DP-0000149-2021

BEFORE: LAZARUS, J., NICHOLS, J., and STEVENS, P.J.E.* MEMORANDUM BY NICHOLS, J.: FILED: FEBRUARY 28, 2022 K.M. (Mother) appeals pro se from the order adjudicating E.M. (Child)1 (born May 2021) dependent and transferring custody to the Schuylkill County Children & Youth Services (CYS).2 This case returns to us after we remanded to have the trial court resolve whether Mother was represented by counsel for this appeal. Mother, pro se, raises numerous claims, including a violation of her right to counsel and other challenges to the finding of dependency. We

* Former Justice specially assigned to the Superior Court. 1 The trial court appointed Tom Campion, Esq., as Child’s guardian ad litem, but because Attorney Campion was unavailable, James Conville, Esq., represented Child at the shelter care hearing, which we discuss below. 2 Mother identified J.A. as the father of Child, but as of the date of the dependency hearing, he had not been located. N.T. Hr’g, 5/24/21, at 3. The record reflects that Mother has also identified R.R. as Child’s father. Neither J.A. nor R.R. is a party in this case.

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affirm based on the trial court’s reasoning and deny Mother’s application for relief.

We adopt the facts and procedural history set forth in the trial court’s opinion. See Trial Ct. Op., 6/23/21, at 1-5. Briefly, CYS filed an application for emergency protective custody on May 17, 2021, alleging that Child should be removed from Mother’s custody because of substance abuse, mental health, and parenting issues. Id. at 1, 5. That same day, the trial court granted the application and scheduled an emergency shelter care hearing for May 20, 2021.3 On May 20, 2021, CYS filed a dependency petition, alleging Child was dependent. CYS averred that Mother’s other minor child, A.M. (born September 2018), was removed due to Mother’s “substance abuse, mental health, and . . . inability to maintain sobriety.” Dependency Pet., 5/20/21, at 3. CYS asserted that during Mother’s pregnancy with Child, it conducted random drug screens, which returned six positive test results. Id. CYS alleged that Mother’s cooperation had declined over the prior eight months and she was incarcerated for a probation violation after failing to complete drug and alcohol treatment. Id. CYS averred that reasonable efforts were made to prevent Child’s placement. Id. at 4.

3 Under 42 Pa.C.S. § 6325, a court may place a child in shelter care “prior to the hearing [if] required to protect . . . the child.” 42 Pa.C.S. § 6325.

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That same day, the trial court held the emergency shelter care hearing.

Mother had court-appointed counsel, Mark Barket, Esq., but he could not appear for the hearing. N.T. Hr’g, 5/20/21, at 3-4, 18. The court proceeded with the hearing without Attorney Barket. Id.

At the hearing, counsel for CYS explained that Child, who had been born a few days prior to the hearing, was still hospitalized for “issues regarding [Mother’s] opiate abuse.” Id. at 4. CYS caseworker Lisa Moyer testified that CYS had previously provided services to Mother and A.M. because of Mother’s drug use and mental health. Id. at 7. Because of Mother’s “inability to remain sober,” A.M. was removed from Mother’s care and eventually custody was transferred to A.M.’s father. Id. at 8.

Ms. Moyer testified that Mother had six drug tests between November 2020 and February 2021, which was during her pregnancy with Child, and tested positive for methamphetamines, amphetamines, and opiates. Id. Ms. Moyer stated that Mother was incarcerated for a probation violation, tested negative for drugs, and released from prison on May 4, 2021. Id. at 8-9. Ms. Moyer said that Mother was tested an additional five times in May 2021, with one negative result and the remaining results pending at the time of the hearing. Id. at 10. Ms. Moyer noted that Mother did not keep a telephone appointment with a rehabilitation counselor and had not yet rescheduled that appointment. Id. at 11. Ms. Moyer was also concerned that Mother lives with her mother, L.G. (Child’s maternal grandmother), who has substance abuse

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issues as well as at least one open case with CYS. Additionally, L.G. tested positive for methamphetamine on April 5, 2021. Id. at 16-17.

With respect to Child, Ms. Moyer testified that CYS wanted Child in foster care until CYS could ensure that Mother could “stay clean and sober.” Id. In Ms. Moyer’s view, Mother had a history of completing drug treatment, remaining sober for “a couple of negative drug screens,” and then relapsing. Id. at 10.

Mother acknowledged that she had six positive drug tests since the last time she appeared before the trial court regarding A.M. Id. at 20. Mother claimed that she had negative drug test results on May 14 and 16, 2021. Id. at 21. At the end of the hearing, the trial court ordered that Child remain at the hospital pending the May 24, 2021 dependency hearing. Id. at 27.

On May 24, 2021, the trial court held the dependency hearing, and Attorney Barket attended the proceeding. Ms. Moyer and Mother testified in greater detail about the issues raised at the prior emergency shelter care hearing, such as Mother’s history of drug abuse and resistance to treatment. See, e.g., N.T. Hr’g, 5/24/21, at 6-7. Ms. Moyer noted that Mother also tested positive for PCP on the day Child was born. Id. at 9. Ms. Moyer testified that CYS contacted or attempted to contact other people for placing Child, but none were suitable. Id. at 14. Ms. Moyer also explained that Mother refused inpatient treatment for her addiction. Id. at 7, 13.

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Mother testified that she missed the telephone appointment with a rehabilitation counselor because she had a conflicting doctor’s appointment. Id. at 23. Mother could not explain her positive result for PCP. Id. at 24. Mother stated that she would live at L.G.’s house with Child. Id. Mother also admitted that she had six positive drug test results while pregnant with Child. Id. at 27.

At the conclusion of the hearing, CYS argued for Child’s continued placement until Mother could “establish sobriety for a longer period of time” but also suggested CYS would be amenable to “early review” if Mother continued to test negative and completed thirty days of drug rehabilitation. Id. at 34-35. On May 25, 2021, the trial court found Child to be dependent and removed Child from Mother’s care. Id. at 13-14.

On May 27, 2021, Mother, pro se, timely appealed and contemporaneously filed a Pa.R.A.P. 1925(a)(2)(i) statement of errors complained of on appeal, raising the following eleven issues:

1. The Court erred in that [CYS] should have never been granted emergency custody as there was no danger to [Child] proven;

2. The Court erred in that custody of [Child] should not have been transferred to [CYS] as notarized papers were provided to Orphans Court May 17, 2021 giving temporary custody to grandmother [L.G.]; . . .

3. The Court erred in that three different judges that were not provided all filings were able to decide the outcome of taking a child from his mother;

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4. The Court erred in that counsel should have been provided for [Mother] on the May 20, 2021 hearing ([Mother] called CY[S] the morning after being served with the hearing papers at the hospital for counsel);

5. The Court erred in letting two different guardian ad litem’s with two different opinions represent the child within two days’ time;

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In the Int. of: E.M., Appeal of: K.M., (Pa. Ct. App. 2022).

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