In the Interest of W. H. J.

511 S.W.2d 795, 1974 Mo. LEXIS 565
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedJuly 22, 1974
DocketNo. 58268
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 511 S.W.2d 795 (In the Interest of W. H. J.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Missouri 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 W. H. J., 511 S.W.2d 795, 1974 Mo. LEXIS 565 (Mo. 1974).

Opinion

HIGGINS, Commissioner.

Appeal by natural parents of child from denial of petition to revoke consent to adoption, asserting presence of questions involving construction of the Constitution of the United States and of this state. Jurisdiction on that ground is, at most, arguable; however, the case involves the welfare of an infant and his relationship to his parents and others, and it is retained for decision in the interest of an early resolution of those interests. See Order, Supreme Court en banc, April 9, 1973.

On June 21, 1972, the Juvenile Officer of Platte County, Missouri, by leave of court, filed a petition in the Juvenile Division of the Circuit Court in the interest of W. H. J., Jr., born March 17, 1972, of Parkville, Platte County, Missouri.

The petition alleged that the child was in need of care and treatment, and without care, custody and support, in that each of the natural parents of the child executed a verified consent to adoption of their child and consent to termination of their parental rights.

The consents were attached to the petition. They were executed separately and acknowledged before a notary public and were identical in form except that one identified the father as parent of the child and the other identified the mother as parent of the child. The mother’s consent follows :

“KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, That I, (_), of the County of Platte and State of Missouri being the mother and only surviving parent having any right or claim to certain named child W. H. J., Jr. born on the 17 day of March, 1972, a minor,, do hereby place said child under the jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court of Platte County, Missouri, to be dealt with under the laws of the State of Missouri in such cases made and provided, and to be placed by it in a good family home for adoption and in consideration of care and maintenance and adoption, I here[797]*797by relinquish all claims and rights in said child.
“I hereby further consent at any time hereafter to any decree of adoption of the above named child that may at any time hereafter be made by such Juvenile Court of Platte County, Missouri, or by any Court of competent jurisdiction within the State of Missouri, I understand that by such decree of adoption all rights I may have as a parent of said child shall be terminated and that the person or persons adopting said child under said Court decree will secure all personal rights to and over said child. I hereby enter my appearance, waive any notice or summons relating to said adoption as may be required by law, and give consent to the adoption of said child decreed at any time by any court of competent jurisdiction, above set forth.
“Witness my hand and seal, this 21 day of June, 1972.
“(Mother) /s/ _ Seal
“STATE OF MISSOURI
“COUNTY OF PLATTE
“On this 21 day of June, 1972, before me personally appeared [mother], to me known to be the person described in and who executed the foregoing instrument and acknowledged that she executed the same as her free act and deed.
“In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my official seal on this 21 day of June, 1972.
“/s/ Lorene Cox
“Notary Public”

Pursuant to the petition, the Juvenile Court entered this order:

“Now on this 21st day of June, 1972, it appearing to the Court that a Petition for corrective treatment of W. H. J., Jr., a child under Seventeen (17) years of age, has been filed * * * and
“It further appearing to the Court that an emergency situation exists in that said child is in need of immediate care and treatment, and that the best interests and welfare of said child require immediate care and treatment under the supervision of the Court, and that care, custody and control of said child be immediately removed from his parents, * * * it is
“ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED that care, custody and control of said child be, and is hereby removed from his parents and transferred and awarded to the Missouri Division of Welfare, Platte County Office, for foster home placement, pending hearing upon the Petition filed herein, or until further Ordered by the Court.”

On June 29, 1972, the paternal grandparents filed a petition praying in Count I for transfer of custody of the child for purposes of adoption, and in Count II for adoption of the child.

On July 19, 1972, the natural parents filed their petition to revoke their consents to adoption of W. H. J., Jr.

On January 18, 1973, the cause came on for hearing.

The father of the child was 19 years of age, having been born September 29, 1953. He had been living for about a month with his wife in a 4-room apartment in Riverside, Missouri, for which he paid $16.50 per week. He had been employed for “almost two weeks” at Dolgin’s Warehouse in North Kansas City at $1.75 per hour.

The father met his wife in January, 1970, during his freshman year in high school. About six months after they started dating, they became engaged to be married. Neither party’s parents would consent to the marriage; however, the parties accomplished the marriage August 13, 1971, with the wife then being two months’ pregnant with the child in question.

The father served in the United States Army, entering the service in February, 1971, at age 17. “I thought if I had a steady position, income and good steady background that my parents would let us [798]*798get married.” The consent did not follow and, after 3 ½ weeks in service, he went AWOL. “I wanted to get out and get a job, and then I could get my wife pregnant so that we could get married.” He was AWOL for 175 days, after which he was arrested, placed in the stockade for a month, and given an undesirable discharge.

In June, 1969, the father was taken into juvenile custody for car theft. “I kept running away from home * * * so I could get away from there. I never did manage it, so I stole a ’55 Chevy so I would get sent away, and they put me on probation and the day after * * * I stole a ’67 Mustang, and they finally sent me to a mental institution for mental evaluation.” After the mental evaluation, which took about a month, he was placed in the State Training School at Boonville.

The child in question was born March 17, 1972, at Salt Lake City, Utah. “ * * * my parents used to live out there when I was a kid, and I liked it out there, so, to get away from both our families and live our own lives we moved out there.” He and his wife were there for three months before the baby was born. The church helped with rent and groceries. They returned to Missouri when their child was three weeks old. “ * * * we come back to show off the baby [and the car] and just to get away.”

The father was unemployed upon the return to Missouri. He and his wife first discussed adoption of their child about June 5, 1972. “It was mainly my idea. She thought I knew what I was doing, so she went along with it.” On June 8, 1972, they went to the Platte County Welfare Office and the mother applied for assistance. “ * * * we tried to apply for welfare before and couldn’t get it as long as I was able to work. And the fact that I couldn’t seem to find a job didn’t make any difference.

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Bluebook (online)
511 S.W.2d 795, 1974 Mo. LEXIS 565, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-the-interest-of-w-h-j-mo-1974.