Marks v. Grenier

165 Misc. 784, 1 N.Y.S.2d 235, 1937 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1068
CourtNew York Family Court
DecidedDecember 30, 1937
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 165 Misc. 784 (Marks v. Grenier) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Family Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Marks v. Grenier, 165 Misc. 784, 1 N.Y.S.2d 235, 1937 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1068 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1937).

Opinion

Panken, J.

Statutory courts are governed by the statutes creating them, and their jurisdiction is prescribed by the acts establishing them.

Section 18 of article 6 of the Constitution of the State of New York, in part, provides: “ The Legislature may establish Children’s Courts, and Courts of Domestic Relations, as separate courts, or [785]*785as parts of existing courts or courts hereafter to be created, and may confer upon them such jurisdiction as may be necessary for the correction, protection, guardianship and disposition of delinquent, neglected or dependent minors.”

Pursuant to the powers granted by the Constitution to the State Legislature, chapter 482 of the Laws of 1933 was enacted, which constitutes the Domestic Relations Court Act under which this court was established. The Constitution specifically granted to the Legislature the power to confer upon courts established under such power “ such jurisdiction as may be necessary ” for the protection of neglected or dependent minors.

Subdivision 1 of section 61 of the Domestic Relations Court Act reads:

“ Children. The Children’s Court in each county shall have exclusive original jurisdiction within such county to hear and determine all cases or proceedings involving the hearing, trial, parole, probation, remand or commitment of children actually or apparently under the age of sixteen years, or who were under the age of sixteen years when the act or offense is alleged to have been committed, or the right of action in such case or proceeding accrued, who are, or who are alleged to be (a) delinquent, (b) physically handicapped, (c) material witnesses, (d) mental defectives, (e) neglected, and shall also have jurisdiction to appoint guardians of the person of such children, and to grant orders for the adoption of such children. Such court shall also have jurisdiction in proceedings to determine the question of the rightful custody of such children if their custody is subject to controversy and such custody or controversy relates to their immediate care.”

Upon the Domestic Relations Court of the City of New York the Legislature conferred “ exclusive original jurisdiction ” in the counties embraced in the city of New York to hear and determine ” the rights and the protection of neglected children under the age of sixteen years.

There has been an inordinate amount of unfortunate litigation between the petitioner in this proceeding, who is the grandmother, and the father of the child involved.

The matter came on for the first time before the Supreme Court of the State of New York on a writ of habeas corpus instituted by the petitioner for the custody of the child. That proceeding was resolved by an order entered on or about the 15th day of November, 1935.

In the determination of the question presented upon the order to show cause before me why an order should not be made dis[786]*786missing the petition herein, for lack of jurisdiction, the fifth and sixth provisions of that order may be pertinent. These provisions read:

(5) “ That the respondent maintain said infant child in his home, 663 Casanova Street, in the Borough of Bronx, City of New York, and that the respondent and his wife, Jane Grenier, shall personally care for said infant.”

(6) “ On each Sunday the respondent shall take the infant to the home of the relator, the maternal grandmother, at 3:00 p. m. for a weekly visitation and the said infant shall remain in the company of the relator and /or Ida Marks and /or said Lester H. Marks for a two-hour period until 5:00 p. m.”

In the year 1936 the petitioner and the child’s father were again in the Supreme Court, at that time before another justice, and on the twelfth day of August of that year an order was entered modifying the order entered on the 15th day of November, 1935, to the extent of deleting and striking from the said order of November 15, 1935, provision No. 6, hereinbefore referred to and which took from the grandmother of the child involved, the petitioner herein, the right of visitation of her grandchild.

The order of August 12, 1936, was thereafter by an order dated the 6th day of November, 1936, changed, and in effect the order entered November 15, 1935, was reinstated and extended. From the latter order the father of the child appealed to the Appellate Division. That determination was reversed by the Appellate Division and upon an appeal to the Court of Appeals by the father of the child, the Appellate Division’s determination was affirmed. (See People ex rel. Marks v. Grenier, 249 App. Div. 564; affd., 274 N. Y. 613.) The appeal by Edward J. Grenier from the determination of the Appellate Division was addressed to the fifth provision of the order of November 15, 1935. Both the Appellate Division and the Court of Appeals upheld the provision in the order of November 15, 1935,“ That the respondent [in the habeas corpus proceeding in the Supreme Court, and the father of the child herein] maintain said infant child in his home, 663 Casanova Street, in the Borough of Bronx, City of New York, and that the respondent (and his wife, Jane Grenier, shall personally care for said infant.”

; The enforcement of the order made by the Supreme Court is a matter for that court. A violation of the provisions of any of its orders may be punished as contempt of that court.

1 Has the Domestic Relations Court of the City of New York, | under the act establishing it, jurisdiction in a case wherein an order I was made by the Supreme Court of the State of New York with regard to the custody of a child?

[787]*787In a case where neglect of a child endangers its morals and its health, the Children’s Court Division of the Domestic Relations Court has original jurisdiction; and upon a petition showing such state of facts, this court would take jurisdiction. The fact that an order was made by another court giving custody of a child to a person would not militate against the jurisdictional powers of this court on a state of new facts showing such neglect.

The welfare of the child, its protection against menace to its health and morals, has been intrusted to this court. An order made by another court effecting the custody of a child or directing that it be cared for by one or more persons, on a showing that the child’s morals and health are in imminent danger will not divest this court of the expressed powers granted to it to protect the child.

An order made determining the custody of a child is not res judicata as to future acts that might constitute neglect of the child. Such order merely adjudicates the rights of the parties as to which should have custody of the child. "Upon a showing of changed circumstances and conditions, the custody of the child may also be changed. To hold that an adjudication once made awarding custody of a child to a person has the effect of permitting that person to continue to have custody of that child regardless of his ability to provide for and regardless of his conduct toward the child, is contrary to good sense and is contrary to law.

The petitioner before me can apply to the Supreme Court for modification of the order affirmed by the Court of Appeals, as justice may require, upon a showing that the respondent in the proceeding in the Supreme Court is unable to care for the child or is no longer fit to have custody thereof.

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In re Nassau County Department of Social Services
225 A.D.2d 779 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1996)
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Bluebook (online)
165 Misc. 784, 1 N.Y.S.2d 235, 1937 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1068, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/marks-v-grenier-nyfamct-1937.