In the Interest of C.G.P. and G.L.P., Children v. the State of Texas

Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided March 30, 2023·No. 08-22-00070-CV·Published

Opinion

COURT OF APPEALS

EIGHTH DISTRICT OF TEXAS

EL PASO, TEXAS

§ No. 08-22-00070-CV IN THE INTEREST OF § Appeal from the C.G.P. and G.L.P., § 51st Judicial District Court Children. § of Tom Green County, Texas § (TC# A-19-0425-AG)

MEMORANDUM OPINION 1

Appellant Destiny Jordan Ferguson (Mother) appeals from the trial court’s final order in a suit to modify the parent-child relationship brought by Appellee Dustin Lee Polk (Father). Mother brings four issues on appeal. For the following reasons, we affirm.

I. BACKGROUND

Father and Mother are the parents of twin boys, C.G.P. and G.L.P., who were born in June 2018. 2 On January 14, 2020, the 51st Judicial District Court rendered an order in a suit affecting

1 We hear this case on transfer from the Third Court of Appeals in Austin and apply that court’s precedent as required by TEX. R. APP. P. 41.3. 2 To protect the identity of the minor children, we identify them by their initials only. See TEX. FAM. CODE ANN. §109.002(d).

the parent-child relationship as between Father, Mother, and their twin boys. Although Mother and Father were both appointed joint managing conservators of the children, Mother was designated as the conservator with the exclusive right to designate their primary residence without regard to geographic location. Mother was also designated the conservator with the right to consent to invasive medical treatments, if any. Due to the age of the children, as well as the circumstances of the parties, Father was awarded a modified standard possession order from February to June 2020. The order required Father to complete a series of visits until the boys reached the age of two years old. Once these conditions were met, the standard possession order then applied. Finally, Father was ordered to pay $389 in child support each month.

A year later, Father filed a petition to modify the order of January 14, 2020. Father alleged there had been a material and substantial change of circumstances since rendition of the prior order. To his petition, he attached a supporting affidavit wherein he testified about incidents that had caused him grave concern for the children’s physical health and emotional safety. Among other modifications, Father requested he be appointed as the person with the exclusive right to designate the primary residence of the children and for Mother’s possession and access to be modified. Specifically, Father requested that Mother be ordered not to leave the children alone with any person under the age of eighteen, and that she be ordered to not allow or cause the children to have contact with her brother and nephew. Lastly, Father requested that support payments previously ordered should be terminated, and Mother should be ordered to pay support.

Mother filed an original answer generally denying all allegations. Additionally, she filed a counterpetition where she asserted that no circumstances of the children, or of a conservator, or other party affected by the order to be modified, had materially or substantially changed as to conservatorship, or as to access and possession; but she otherwise contended that circumstances

had materially and substantially changed regarding support payments previously ordered by the court. As a modification, Mother requested Father be ordered to pay an increased amount of child support.

The trial court held a hearing regarding temporary orders on March 1, 2021. Our record, however, does not include a written order following that hearing. But, during the final hearing, Father admitted the previous hearing transcript as an exhibit, making it part of the record. At the conclusion of the temporary orders hearing, the trial court appointed Father as the conservator with the exclusive right to designate the children’s primary residence as well as the conservator with the exclusive right to make medical decisions regarding the children. The temporary order also awarded Mother access and possession pursuant to the standard possession order. 3 The trial court held a final hearing over five settings spanning from July through November 2021. In total, seven witnesses testified to include Mother, Father, one of the children’s teachers, Father’s mother, Father’s girlfriend, Mother’s boyfriend, and a friend of Mother’s. From both sides, the trial court also received over 70 exhibits to include the children’s medical records, text messages between the parties, and multiple photographs depicting the children with each parent.

Following the hearing, the trial court entered a final order modifying the prior order of January 2020. The trial court made an initial finding that material allegations in Father’s petition to modify were true and the requested modification of the prior order was in the best interest of the children. As before, however, the trial court appointed Mother and Father as joint managing conservators of the children. Also, no provision either addressed or appointed either parent as the primary conservator with the right to designate the children’s primary residence. Contrary to the

3 On March 9, 2021, prior to the final modification hearing, Mother obtained a temporary restraining order whereby Father was temporarily restrained from immunizing the children. On March 17, 2021, the trial court signed an order extending the temporary restraining order. The order indicated the temporary restraining order would remain in force and effect until the trial court held a hearing on the issue of immunizing the children.

earlier order, however, the trial court did order that neither parent could remove the children from Tom Green County for the purpose of changing their primary residence. Additionally, the trial court made specific findings that modified each parent’s rights to make medical decisions for the children, the right to make educational decisions, the right to make decisions as to moral and religious training, and the right to reprimand or punish the children. Similarly, the trial court modified the standard possession order to award each parent an alternating weekly schedule. Lastly, departing from the earlier order, the trial court ordered that neither parent would be obligated to pay child support.

Mother filed a motion for new trial which was overruled by operation of law. This appeal followed.

II. STANDARD OF REVIEW

In family law cases, issues involving conservatorship are reviewed under the abuse of discretion standard. Zeifman v. Michels, 212 S.W.3d 582, 587 (Tex. App.—Austin 2006, pet. denied) (citing Gillespie v. Gillespie, 644 S.W.2d 449, 451 (Tex.1982)). “A trial court abuses its discretion when it acts arbitrarily or unreasonably, or without reference to any guiding rules or principles.” In re J.R.D., 169 S.W.3d 740, 743 (Tex. App.—Austin 2005, pet. denied).

Determining whether the trial court abused its discretion involves a two-pronged inquiry:

first, whether the trial court had sufficient information upon which to exercise its discretion, and second, whether the trial court erred in its application of discretion. Zeifman, 212 S.W.3d at 588. Sufficiency challenges are factors relevant to whether the trial court abused its discretion rather than as independent grounds of error. In re J.R.D., 169 S.W.3d at 743. We view the evidence in the light favorable to the trial court’s decision, crediting favorable evidence if a reasonable fact finder could, and disregarding contrary evidence unless a reasonable fact finder could not. See City

of Keller v. Wilson, 168 S.W.3d 802, 807 (Tex. 2005). If there is evidence of substantive and probative character supporting a trial court’s decision, we cannot conclude on review that the court abused its discretion in reaching its decision. Echols v. Olivarez, 85 S.W.3d 475, 477 (Tex. App.— Austin 2002, no pet.).

III. DISCUSSION

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In the Interest of C.G.P. and G.L.P., Children v. the State of Texas, (Tex. Ct. App. 2023).

In the Interest of C.G.P. and G.L.P., Children v. the State of Texas (In the Interest of C.G.P. and G.L.P., Children v. the State of Texas) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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