in the Interest of A.J.L. and C.R.L., Children

136 S.W.3d 293, 2004 Tex. App. LEXIS 3825
Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided April 29, 2004·No. 02-03-00040-CV·Published·Cited by 37 cases

Opinion

OPINION

TERRIE LIVINGSTON, Justice.

Appellant Michelle L. appeals the trial court’s order terminating her parental rights to her children, A.J.L. and C.R.L. In two points, she complains that: (1) the trial court erred by allowing the attorneys for respondent, Donald “Bobby” Wall, and intervenors, Jose and Yolinda Trevino, to present closing arguments to the jury; and (2) the trial court abused its discretion by allowing expert opinions when there were no grounds for admissibility under a Daubert/Robinson analysis or because the opinions were based upon hearsay. In three supplemental points, appellant argues that: (1) the evidence is legally and factually insufficient to prove appellant knowingly placed or allowed the children to remain in conditions and surroundings that endangered their physical or emotional well being; (2) the evidence is legally and factually insufficient to prove appellant engaged in conduct or knowingly placed the children with persons who engaged in conduct that endangered their physical or emotional well being; and (3) the evidence is factually insufficient to prove that termination of appellant’s parental rights was in the best interest of the children. We affirm.

FACTS

Appellant grew up in foster care and had a lifetime history of violence and an *296 inability to control her temper and emotions. Child Protective Services in Kansas (KCPS) and Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) had removed appellant’s children from her care on multiple occasions because they had bruises, burns, and bites on them. Appellant also had a criminal and drug abuse history and an unstable home life and employment history. After the third removal, DFPS petitioned to terminate appellant’s parental rights to her two children.

At trial, the Trevinos, paternal grandparents of A.J.L., intervened asking to be named joint managing conservators of A.J.L. The natural father of C.R.L., Donald “Bobby” Wall, filed an original answer to the termination petition and filed a counter-petition asking to be named the sole managing conservator of C.R.L.

During the trial, the court allowed play therapist Brigitte Iafrate to testify on play therapy she conducted with A.J.L. Using puppets in a play acting scenario, it was her opinion that A.J.L. felt that he needed to protect his baby sister and that he had been traumatized at home. Before allowing Iafrate to testify, the trial court conducted a Daubert hearing to determine the admissibility Iafrate’s expert testimony as a professional counselor. Appellant objected to portions of Iafrate’s testimony, contending it was unreliable and based on hearsay. The trial court overruled her objections.

Prior to closing arguments, appellant objected to the Trevinos and Wall making closing arguments to the jury. The trial court overruled her objection, and both presented closing arguments to the jury. The trial court charged the jury only on termination, not conservatorship. The trial court terminated appellant’s parental rights based on the jury’s findings of endangerment and conduct as to both children.

CLOSING ARGUMENTS

In her first point, appellant complains that the trial court erred by allowing the attorneys for Wall and the Trevinos to present closing arguments to the jury. The State filed its first amended petition alleging that Wall was the biological father of C.R.L. and asked the court to find that, if reunification could not be achieved, the court terminate his parental rights. Wall, as a respondent, answered with a general denial and filed a counter-petition affirming that he was the biological father of C.R.L., asking that appellant’s parental rights to C.R.L. be terminated, and that the trial court award him custody of C.R.L. As a respondent, Wall is also a party to the suit. The Trevinos intervened and filed a petition in intervention requesting custody of A.J.L. The family code expressly provides grandparents with standing to intervene subject to the trial court’s discretion. Tex. Fajvi.Code Ann. § 102.004 (Vernon 2002). Unless the trial court does not allow the intervention, the intervenors become parties to the suit for all purposes. In re D.D.M., 116 S.W.3d 224, 232 (Tex.App.-Tyler 2003, no pet.). Because the trial court approved the intervention, the Trevinos are also parties to the suit.

After all the evidence is presented in the case, the parties may argue the case to the jury. Tex.R. Civ. P. 269. Where there are several parties to a case, the trial court may prescribe the order of argument between them. Id.

Appellant argues that because the jury charge addressed only termination issues, Wall and the Trevinos should not have been allowed to make closing arguments. Because they only sought custody of the children and the jury charge did not address custody, appellant contends they had no issues before the jury and should *297 not have been allowed to argue. Appellant contends that the holding of City of Houston v. Sam P. Wallace & Co., 585 S.W.2d 669 (Tex.1979) applies to the present case because the supreme court held that parties without issues before the jury should not be allowed to make closing arguments. Id. at 673. However, Wallace can be distinguished from this case because Wallace involved a settlement agreement.

In Wallace, both the city and employee had actions against the contractor as their common adversary and were both designated as plaintiffs. Id. The supreme court held that because the employee secretly settled with the contractor and agreed not to argue negligence against it, the trial was not a fair adversary proceeding. Id. Moreover, the court concluded that because after settling with the contractor, the subcontractor’s employee had no further claims against anybody and no other party had any claim against him, his counsel had no purpose in making a jury argument. Id. at 672.

The present case does not involve a settlement agreement, nor was there an unfair shift in the adversarial alignment of the parties at closing argument. To the contrary, the alignment of these parties remained consistent throughout the trial. Contrary to appellant’s assertions, both Wall and the Trevinos filed pleadings. Additionally, both had an interest regarding termination of appellant’s parental rights. Wall specifically requested that appellant’s rights to C.R.L. be terminated and the Trevinos asked to be appointed managing conservators of A.J.L. Upon the termination of parental rights, the trial court shall appoint a managing conservator of the child. Tex. Fam.Code Ann. § 161.207 (Vernon 2002). Thus, the termination of appellant’s rights was a matter of interest to both Wall and the Trevinos. Thus, we conclude that the holding in Wallace is inapplicable to the present case because the parties still had an interest in the termination of appellant’s parental rights. We hold that the trial court did not err by allowing Wall and the Trevinos to make closing arguments to the jury. Appellant’s first point is overruled.

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in the Interest of A.J.L. and C.R.L., Children, 136 S.W.3d 293, 2004 Tex. App. LEXIS 3825 (Tex. Ct. App. 2004).

136 S.W.3d 293 (in the Interest of A.J.L. and C.R.L., Children) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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