In the Interest of C.B.Y.

936 So. 2d 974, 2006 Miss. App. LEXIS 617
CourtCourt of Appeals of Mississippi
DecidedAugust 22, 2006
DocketNo. 2005-CA-00256-COA
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 936 So. 2d 974 (In the Interest of C.B.Y.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Mississippi primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In the Interest of C.B.Y., 936 So. 2d 974, 2006 Miss. App. LEXIS 617 (Mich. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

ISHEE, J.,

for the Court.

¶ 1. A.Y. appeals the decision of the Forrest County Youth Court terminating her parental rights to her minor child, C.B.Y. The Forrest County Department of Human Services (DHS) filed a petition to terminate the parental rights of A.Y., R.H., and an unknown putative father on June 2, 2004. A trial was held, and on January 10, 2005, the youth court entered a judgment terminating A.Y.’s parental rights. Aggrieved by the youth court’s decision, A.Y. appeals. She presents the following issues for our review:

I. Whether the youth court judge erred in finding that proof met the clear and convincing burden necessary to terminate the parental rights of A.Y.
II. Whether the DHS failed to implement a plan for reunification under Mississippi Code Annotated section 93-15-103, as amended, for which parental rights can be terminated.
III. Whether a minor under the legal custody of the DHS can be sued by the same agency to terminate parental rights to her child.
IV. Whether the youth court should have emancipated A.Y. upon her eighteenth birthday or at the time of her marriage to her husband.
V. Whether the rights of A.Y. were violated when her attorney failed to get notice of the review hearing leading up to the termination of parental rights.
VI. Whether the DHS violated the constitutional rights of A.Y. by requiring that she and her newborn leave her husband and submit to foster care before they would implement a plan for reunification with C.B.Y.

FACTS

¶2. A.Y., who was born on June 26, 1984, was fifteen years of age when she gave birth to a boy, C.B.Y., on November 3, 1999. In 2001, W.Y., C.B.Y.’s maternal grandmother, reported to the DHS that A.Y. had, taken C.B.Y. and run away. W.Y. further reported that C.B.Y. had asthma and A.Y. was not taking proper care of him. A.Y. responded that she ran away because her mother was on drugs. As a result of the allegations, A.Y. and C.B.Y. came into the temporary custody of the DHS on July 31, 2001. On September 18, 2001, the youth court found A.Y. and C.B.Y. to be neglected/dependent children, pursuant to Mississippi Code Annotated section 43-21-105(£), (p) (Supp.2005). The youth court ordered legal custody of C.B.Y. to be maintained by the DHS, with physical placement in the foster home of Stephen and Joanne High. The youth court further ordered a permanency plan of reunification and a concurrent plan of relative placement for C.B.Y. Regarding A.Y., the youth court ordered that she enter into a service agreement with the DHS.

¶ 3. On June 25, 2002, the youth court conducted a six-month review. The youth court determined that legal custody of C.B.Y. should remain with the DHS and that C.B.Y.’s physical placement should be in the home of his great-aunt, Virginia Byrd. The court also maintained that the permanency plan for C.B.Y. was one of reunification.

¶ 4. On July 15, 2002, A.Y. took C.B.Y. and ran away from her foster home. She married Jason Brett Anderson on July 28, 2002. A.Y. testified that Ramona Lockett, an employee with the DHS, advised her to run away once she turned eighteen years of age, to get married, and to stay hidden. On July 22, 2002, the youth court ordered that any law enforcement officer, where-[977]*977so-ever located, should take custody of C.B.Y. and return him to the custody of the DHS. On September 7, 2002, the youth court issued an order finding that A.Y. was on runaway status and ordering that the review of C.B.Y.’s welfare be continued until he could be found and returned to the custody of the DHS.

¶ 5. On November 21, 2002, A.Y. gave birth to a second son, A.B.A. A.Y. lived with Anderson, C.B.Y., and A.B.A. until June 3, 2003, when C.B.Y. developed a staph infection and was hospitalized at Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. According to the testimony of Deborah Stewart, a social worker with the DHS, W.Y. contacted the DHS, revealed CJB.Y.’s location, and stated her opinion that A.Y. was not taking care of C.B.Y. On July 1, 2003, the DHS regained physical custody of C.B.Y. On August 27, 2003, C.B.Y. was placed in the foster home of Bobby and Lucretia Zina Scarbrough.

¶ 6. A.Y. appeared at a review hearing that was held on August 19, 2003. The youth court ordered that the permanency plan for C.B.Y. be changed from reunification to termination of parental rights and adoption. On November 21, 2003, Robert Marshall agreed to represent A.Y. pro bono. He testified that he contacted Jean Fertitta, the co-head of the DHS, on December 15, 2003 and that they discussed A.Y.’s case.

¶ 7. On December 20, 2003, A.Y. and Anderson met with Fertitta and signed authorizations for a background check. According to Fertitta’s testimony, the background check revealed that A.Y. and Anderson both had a criminal background, and that Anderson had “an extensive arrest record.” On February 10, 2004, the youth court conducted another review hearing. Because Marshall did not file his entry of appearance with the youth court, he did not receive notice of the hearing. Stewart, the social worker, testified that, in an effort to locate A.Y. prior to the review hearing, the DHS traveled to the address provided by the Petal Police Department, but found that no one was living at that address. Marshall filed a motion for reconsideration, which was denied by the youth court.

¶ 8. On May 13, 2004, the youth court appointed James D. Johnson to be the guardian ad litem for C.B.Y. On June 2, 2004, the DHS filed a petition to terminate the parental rights of A.Y., R.H. (the alleged natural father of C.B.Y), and an unknown putative father. A trial was held on October 26, 2004.

¶ 9. During the trial, A.Y. testified that while she and C.B.Y. were supposed to be living with the Highs, she was actually living in an apartment with Anderson. A.Y. admitted that she knowingly and fraudulently gave the DHS misinformation about her living arrangements when a DHS agent would visit the High’s residence. She further testified that the last time she saw C.B.Y. was two days before the DHS took him from the hospital. A.Y. also admitted that she avoided contact with the DHS because she did not want the DHS to dictate where she was going to stay, and that as a result, she did not have any contact with C.B.Y.

¶ 10. Mrs. Scarbrough testified that the DHS contacted her on September 3, 2004 to schedule a visit between A.Y. and C.B.Y. She further testified that when she informed C.B.Y. about the proposed visit, he “started shaking his head really hard and crying, No, no, no, Mama, no.” According to Mrs. Scarbrough, C.B.Y. jumped into her lap and began crying so hard that he could barely breathe.

¶ 11. Stewart testified that June of 2003 was the last time A.Y. saw C.B.Y., but that A.Y. contacted her by phone on December [978]*97831, 2003 and January 5, 2004. Stewart further testified that the first time A.Y. called she wanted to know what she could do to get a visit with C.B.Y. Stewart explained to A.Y. that she was still in custody of the DHS, and that she (Stewart) was coming to pick her up at her home. Stewart went to A.Y.’s home, but A.Y. did not open the door. Stewart testified that the second time A.Y. called, she asked about visiting C.B.Y., but hung up the phone when Stewart told her that she needed to come to the office because she was still in custody.

¶ 12.

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Related

In Re CBY
936 So. 2d 974 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2006)

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Bluebook (online)
936 So. 2d 974, 2006 Miss. App. LEXIS 617, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-the-interest-of-cby-missctapp-2006.