Kinnan v. Jordan

129 P.3d 807
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedFebruary 28, 2006
Docket32922-1-II
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 129 P.3d 807 (Kinnan v. Jordan) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kinnan v. Jordan, 129 P.3d 807 (Wash. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

129 P.3d 807 (2006)
131 Wash.App. 738

In re the Marriage of Stacey L. KINNAN, Appellant,
v.
Linnette M. JORDAN, Respondent.

No. 32922-1-II.

Court of Appeals of Washington, Division 2.

February 28, 2006.

*808 Lori Ann Ferguson, Dean Kirk Langsdorf, Attorney at Law, Vancouver, WA, for Appellant.

Scott Jeffrey Horenstein, Attorney at Law, Vancouver, WA, Catherine Wright Smith, Valerie A. Villacin, Edwards Sieh Smith & Goodfriend PS, Seattle, WA, for Respondent.

BRIDGEWATER, J.

¶ 1 Stacey L. Kinnan appeals from a modification of a parenting plan that removed a restriction requiring Linnette M. Jordan, the mother, to supervise the two minor children of the parties and at no time to allow Jeff Jordan to be alone with the children should she leave the residence. The dissolution trial court, also the modification trial court, had imposed the restriction because Mr. Jordan, then Mrs. Jordan's boyfriend, had pleaded guilty to communication with a minor for immoral purposes. We reverse, vacate the modification order, and remand for an appropriate hearing.

I. FACTS

¶ 2 Mr. Kinnan and Mrs. Jordan (f/k/a Kinnan) divorced on May 28, 2003.[1] At that time, the dissolution trial court entered a final parenting plan for the parties' two children.[2] Included in the parenting plan, the court imposed the following restriction under paragraph "3.13 OTHER.":

The mother shall be an independent supervisor of the children, [A.K.] and [C.K.], when they are in her care. She shall at no time knowingly leave either child alone with Jeff Jordan, should she leave the residence.

Clerk's Papers (CP) at 8. The court imposed this restriction because Mr. Jordan had pleaded guilty to communication with a minor for immoral purposes in 1988[3]. (Mr. *809 Jordan successfully concluded his sentence, which included work release and probation, and a two-year treatment program for sex offenders.[4])

¶ 3 On June 16, 2003, the Jordans married.

¶ 4 In 2004, Mrs. Jordan sought to remove the restriction that "[s]he shall at no time knowingly leave either child alone with Jeff Jordan, should she leave the residence." CP at 8. She declared that "it can be a major inconvenience for me and my husband and the children for me to have to be present at all times." CP at 14. At the request of the trial court, the parties attempted to mediate the issue with Mary Hatzenbeler. The mediation failed.

¶ 5 On November 23, 2004, Mrs. Jordan filed a motion and declaration for an order removing the supervision requirement in the parenting plan. In support of her motion, she declared that Mr. Jordan "has been treated ... and he poses no risk whatsoever to our daughter." CP at 14. She also declared, "I understand that RCW 26.09.191 does allow the restriction to be lifted if the `offender' has had no repeat offenses over the last two years. In fact, he has had no repeat offenses at all and the incident occurred 16 years ago." CP at 14.

¶ 6 Attached to her motion, Mrs. Jordan included a 2003 evaluation of C.K. Among other things, the evaluation concluded that C.K. had been told conflicting stories about Mr. Jordan and that C.K. denied feeling unsafe in either parental house. Mrs. Jordan also attached a report from Dr. C. Kirk Johnson and Dr. Scott A. Senn, both of whom conducted a sexual risk assessment of Mr. Jordan in 2001. This report concluded that Mr. Jordan was "a low risk offender." CP at 20. Mrs. Jordan also attached the results of a polygraph examination, which indicated that Mr. Jordan had been truthful about not having any sexual contact with a child since his 1988 conviction.

¶ 7 On December 7, 2004, Mr. Kinnan filed a motion either to terminate Mrs. Jordan's visitation or to require that all visitation between Mrs. Jordan and the children be supervised by a third party whenever Mr. Jordan is present. In support of his motion, he declared that Mr. Jordan continued to pose a risk to the children. Mr. Kinnan stated, "Dr. Johnson could not indicate that Mr. Jordan did not represent a risk to [A.K. and C.K.], nor could he assure Petitioner/Father that [A.K. and C.K.] would be safe with Mr. Jordan."[5] CP at 56. In addition, Mr. Kinnan argued that Mrs. Jordan should no longer be considered a neutral and independent supervisor of the children. He relied on his understanding of RCW 26.09.191.

¶ 8 In a response to Mr. Jordan's subsequent declaration, Mr. Kinnan declared, "Common sense indicates that he should not be around them unsupervised, Dr. Johnson indicates that he should not be around them unsupervised, and the statute indicates that he should not be around them unsupervised." CP at 69. Mr. Kinnan referenced yet another sexual risk assessment performed by Dr. Johnson in 2002. Although Dr. Johnson considered additional information about sexual abuse allegations, he nevertheless concluded that it was his "opinion that the risk estimate remains low." CP at 76.

¶ 9 On January 11, 2005, the parties appeared before the modification court. The court stated, "[W]hen I sent the parties to mediation [I] said that they needed now to start functioning like parents rather than having to rely on the Court." Report of Proceedings (RP) at 2. Because mediation failed, the court "asked that the mediator be here and we get it talked out and figured out, and if we couldn't get an agreement, then I would make a ruling on the issue. So am I correctly summarizing where we are?" RP at 2.

*810 ¶ 10 Mr. Kinnan's counsel indicated, "I think we also said that we would have an evidentiary hearing." RP at 2. The court replied, "No, I don't think I said that." RP at 3. The court then implied that an evidentiary hearing would be necessary only in the event that the issues were not resolved. Mrs. Jordan's counsel agreed, "I don't remember that, not that we — not that we wouldn't or couldn't, but that would be hard to do today, but—." RP at 3.

¶ 11 After hearing argument from counsel on the need for the restriction, the court stated, "And I think one of the reasons that we're here today is I wanted to hear from the guardian ad litem on what her recommendations might be, because her ultimate job is — is to — to tell us what's in the best interest of the children." RP at 18. The mediator, Ms. Hatzenbeler, corrected the court and indicated that she was the mediator, not the guardian ad litem. The court then noted that all parties had waived their right of confidentiality with the mediator.[6]

¶ 12 After swearing in Ms. Hatzenbeler, the court asked, "[F]rom a mediation standpoint, what would your recommendation be in terms of trying to resolve the issue which both counsel have spoken to?" RP at 19.

¶ 13 Ms. Hatzenbeler testified that "these kids are probably at a greater risk of being sexually molested, abused or whatever at the mall than they are in either of their homes." RP at 21-22. She also expressed concern that the "whole sexual issue in this family is got — getting out of control." RP at 22. "And the sooner that we get past this, I think it's the better for not only the kids but for the adults in their lives as well." RP at 23. In response to questioning by Mrs. Jordan's counsel, Ms. Hatzenbeler testified, "That — that restriction of — of not being able to leave [Mr. Jordan] alone gives the children the impression, I think, that [Mr.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
129 P.3d 807, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kinnan-v-jordan-washctapp-2006.