Mouton v. St. Romain

161 So. 2d 737, 245 La. 839, 1964 La. LEXIS 2998
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedFebruary 24, 1964
Docket46829
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 161 So. 2d 737 (Mouton v. St. Romain) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mouton v. St. Romain, 161 So. 2d 737, 245 La. 839, 1964 La. LEXIS 2998 (La. 1964).

Opinions

HAMLIN, Justice.

In the exercise of our supervisory jurisdiction (Art. VII, Sec. 11, La.Const, of 1921, LSA), we directed Certiorari to the Court of Appeal, Third Circuit (244 La. 907, 154 So.2d 771), in order that we might review its judgment which affirmed a judgment of the trial court rendered December 17, 1962, making absolute a writ of habeas corpus and ordering that the custody of the minor Debra Odelia Romero be returned to Mable Romero Mouton by Don E. and Jo Ann St. Romain (La.App., 153 So.2d 890).

The facts of record have been ably stated by the Court of Appeal, an,d, for an under[842]*842standing of our opinion, we reiterate the following:
“ * * * the plaintiff, born Mable Romero, first married Percy Benoit with whom she ceased living as man and wife in about 1957. Later she entered into a relationship with David Mouton, who was, at the time, also separated from his wife. Mouton is recognized as being the natural father of the child whose custody is sought in these proceedings. The child was born December 31, 1959 and given the name, Debra Odelia Romero (its name was changed on January 25, 1960 to Debra Odelia Mouton).
“A week or so after the child was born it became ill and was placed in the hospital. Plaintiff herself was suffering from some sort of nervous disorder at the time and was under the care of a psychiatrist. In February of 1960, at which time the child was only about two months old, plaintiff signed a document giving custody of the child to the defendants. The understanding was that the defendants would pay the child’s hospital bill and receive its custody. Plaintiff testified that it was not her intention to permanently abandon the child or to surrender it for adoption and the only reason she gave custody to the defendants was because she was destitute, could not care for the child, and it was suggested by her psychiatrist that she give the child to someone else. * * * 1
“In April of 1960 the St. Romains filed a petition for adoption of the child and an interlocutory decree of adoption was signed in due time. Then in December of 1961 the St. Romains filed a petition for final decree of adoption and it was at this time that the mother of the child made known to the court the fact that she did not consent to the adoption.2 The mother contends, and it is not denied, that she had actually been trying to regain custody of her child since before the interlocutory decree was signed.
“Although the St. Romains were denied a final decree of adoption, they retained custody of the child. In September of 1962 Mable Romero filed her first petition for a writ of habeas corpus to obtain custody. The matter was heard on September 24, 1962. At the hearing the evidence showed that Mable Romero had actually been living with Mr. David Mouton in his house for over a year and had moved from Mouton’s house only about a week before the hearing. The evidence also [844]*844showed that the plaintiff had suffered a mental disturbance of some nature, that she had moved about considerably, working in various places as a waitress in cafes and bars and generally manifested a rather unstable nature. The court was at that time not satisfied that Mable Romero was fit for the custody of her child. The child was left in the custody of the St. Romains.
“Following the first hearing, Mable Romero and David Mouton were married on October 9, 1962. She filed this second petition for a writ of habeas corpus on November 16, 1962 and it was heard on December 17, 1962. At the hearing the marriage of plaintiff and David Mouton was proved. It was also shown that Mr. Mouton is well able to care for plaintiff and her child and that Mr. Mouton intends to adopt the child. Mouton has already filed a petition to adopt plaintiff’s other child, a boy five years of age, by her first marriage.” 3

In affirming the judgment of the trial court and ordering the custody of Debra Odelia Romero returned to plaintiff, the Court of Appeal agreed with the trial judge that the matter was a difficult one for decision. The Court, however, took into consideration its perception that the St. Romains, who had the custody of the child, might never be able to adopt her because of the refusal of consent by the mother; it concluded that the scales were tipped by its great reluctance to upset the holding of the trial judge in cases of this type. State ex rel. Hampton v. McElroy, La.App., 141 So.2d 666; State ex rel. Hebert v. Knight, La.App., 135 So.2d 126; State ex rel. Guinn v. Watson, 210 La. 265, 26 So.2d 740.

Relators urge that the Court of Appeal committed error:

1. In not holding that it was to the best interest and welfare of the child that she remain in the custody of defendants.
2. In refusing to upset the holding of the trial judge, even though “the court” felt that the mother was still morally unfit.
3. In not considering the fact that this was all caused by the mother’s own actions in executing a notarial act of custody and right of adoption to the St. Romains.
4. In failing to consider the equities involved in this matter.

In State ex rel. Guinn v. Watson, supra, we held that the rule in this State seems to be clear that the mother has a superior right to the custody of her child over third persons, but that this right must yield [846]*846to the superior right of the State to deprive her of the care and possession of her child in the event the physical, mental, and moral welfare of the child requires it. See, State ex rel. Castille v. Cooke, 183 La. 404, 164 So. 153; State ex rel. Deason v. McWilliams, 227 La. 957, 81 So.2d 8.

In State ex rel. Martin v. Garza, 217 La. 532, 46 So.2d 760, we stated: “In such cases the sole question for the court’s consideration is whether the parent by his or her conduct has forfeited his or her parental right to the child, for it is the well settled jurisprudence of this state that the courts are not authorized to interfere with a parent’s authority over his or her children, except if the court is satisfied that he, or she, will neglect them, or expose them to improper influences, in which case the paramount interest which society has in seeing to it that they be well taken care of and properly brought up would justify the court in making some other disposition of them, * * * and the burden is on those resisting the parent’s right to show his or her disqualification or unfitness to have the custody of the child. * * * ” See, State ex rel. Paul v. Peniston, 235 La. 579, 105 So.2d 228; State ex rel. Brode v. Hatcher, 233 La. 636, 97 So.2d 422.

Fully cognizant of the fact that the trial judge rendered the present judgment on December 17, 1962 and that on October 4, 1962 he rendered and signed a judgment in the same matter vacating and annulling the writ of habeas corpus previously issued, and. being aware of the rule that a judgment of custody is not irrevocable but is subject to modification, alteration, change or reversal (Gary v. Gary, La.App., 143 So.2d 411), we approach a determination of whether Mable Romero Mouton is entitled to have a change in the custody of her daughter and whether Debra Odelia Romero’s welfare will be best served by such change.

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Mouton v. St. Romain
161 So. 2d 737 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1964)

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Bluebook (online)
161 So. 2d 737, 245 La. 839, 1964 La. LEXIS 2998, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mouton-v-st-romain-la-1964.