Robinson v. Robinson

128 S.W.3d 543, 2003 Mo. App. LEXIS 1997, 2003 WL 22997232
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 23, 2003
DocketWD 60923
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 128 S.W.3d 543 (Robinson v. Robinson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Robinson v. Robinson, 128 S.W.3d 543, 2003 Mo. App. LEXIS 1997, 2003 WL 22997232 (Mo. Ct. App. 2003).

Opinion

PER CURIAM.

Shannon D. Robinson (“Robinson”) appeals a decree dissolving his marriage to Lisa D. Robinson (“Lisa”). The decree awarded sole legal and physical custody of their only child to Lisa and granted supervised visitation to Robinson. Robinson raises four points on appeal. In his first point, he challenges the custody and visitation determinations as against the weight of the evidence. The court, he contends, improperly based these awards solely on his alleged practice of exhibitionist masturbation. In his second point, Robinson argues that the court erred when it refused to call the Guardian ad Litem to the stand because it was unclear whether the Guardian had performed his duties. In his third point, Robinson contests the denial of his motion for a continuance. In his final point, Robinson argues that the trial court erred in its division of the marital property. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Statement of Facts

Lisa and Shannon Robinson were married in 1998. Their child, whom we will call Sandra (not her actual name) for purposes of this opinion, was born a year later. On that same day, Sandra’s twin brother died in the womb. Lisa Robinson filed her petition for dissolution on October 18,1999.

At trial, Lisa presented the following testimony. Shortly after their wedding, Robinson became verbally abusive. Throughout the marriage, this abuse continued. During Lisa’s pregnancy, Robinson called her names and forced her to leave the house. After Sandra’s twin died in the womb, Robinson reportedly told Lisa that she had “murdered” the child. Robinson remained bitter, believing that the presence of Lisa’s pet cat in the household had been a factor in the child’s death through the transmission of a harmful organism.

Lisa testified that on three different occasions, she discovered Robinson standing in a window in the direction of a neighbor’s house, exposing his penis, and masturbating. Lisa said that Robinson admitted to her that he had been doing this for two years because of a fantasy.

Amy H. testified that she lived across the street from Lisa and Shannon Robinson. She frequently witnessed Robinson standing “in the front door of his house,” exposing his penis, masturbating, and looking directly at her house. Rhonda L. testified that she was Amy’s coworker, and that she often drove Amy home after work. After she dropped off Amy, she also frequently witnessed Robinson exposing himself and masturbating in the front of his home.

Shannon Robinson testified. He denied that he engaged in exhibitionist behaviors. He stated that Amy H. would frequently expose herself from the front door and window of her residence.

*546 Lisa requested sole legal and physical custody, and requested that Robinson’s visitation be supervised. Robinson requested joint legal and joint physical custody of Sandra.

Maureen Patton, a licensed clinical social worker who counseled Lisa, recommended that Lisa should receive sole legal and physical custody and Robinson’s visitation should be supervised. Rosalyn Inniss, M.D., a court-appointed psychiatrist, made the same recommendation. The Guardian ad Litem, Donald Wilkinson, participated by examining and cross-examining witnesses. He neither testified nor offered an oral recommendation to the court. He did, however, offer a proposed parenting plan (that included supervised visitation for Robinson).

The trial court issued detañed findings of fact. The court awarded Lisa sole physical and sole legal custody, and granted Robinson supervised visitation. This appeal follows.

Custody and Visitation

In his first point on appeal, Robinson contends that the trial court erred in its custody and visitation determination. The award of sole custody to Lisa, he contends, was arbitrary because it was improperly based on Robinson’s exhibitionism. As to the grant of supervised visitation, he claims that the record does not establish that his sexual behavior adversely affected the chüd. He argues that such behavior is “merely a lifestyle choice,” and, therefore, the court improperly “imposed its personal morality” on the parties. We disagree with both assertions.

Murphy v. Carron, 536 S.W.2d 30, 32 (Mo. banc 1976), governs our review of a court-tried dissolution case. Belcher v. Belcher, 106 S.W.3d 601, 602 (Mo.App.2003). We must affirm the judgment of the trial court unless there is no substantial evidence to support it, it is against the weight of the evidence, or it erroneously declares or applies the law. Id.

In child custody matters, we afford the trial court even greater deference than we do in other areas. Horton v. Horton, 961 S.W.2d 67, 69 (Mo.App.1997). Because the trial court is in a better position to evaluate the credibility of the witnesses, we presume that it reviewed all of the evidence and awarded custody in light of the best interest of the chüd. Davidson v. Fisher, 96 S.W.3d 160, 164-65 (Mo.App.2003). Any conflicting evidence is resolved in favor of the trial court’s ruling. Couch v. Couch, 978 S.W.2d 505, 510 (Mo.App.1998). Therefore, the judgment is to be affirmed under any reasonable theory supported by the evidence. Miers v. Miers, 53 S.W.3d 592, 596 (Mo.App.2001).

Pursuant to section 452.375.2, 1 the trial court is to consider all relevant factors in its custody decision. The court was entitled to consider Robinson’s exhibitionist masturbation, the evidence as to which the court stated it found credible. Robinson presents no precedent for the notion that his behavior is merely another socially and morally neutral way to conduct one’s life. Robinson ignores the obvious fact that in all cmlized cultures public masturbation is not tolerated, is subject to legal sanction, and is regarded as suggestive of emotional disturbance. Because such a practice transgresses established cultural and social norms, it is pertinent to the ability to parent a child. Dr. Inniss, the court-appointed psychiatrist, testified that Robinson’s exhibitionism ülustrates that he has problems with boundaries, and exhibits seriously flawed judgment and self-cen-teredness. We find no authority for the *547 proposition that the exhibitionism was not a relevant consideration.

The court also considered substantial evidence that the parties were incapable of reasonable communication with one another. For all the foregoing reasons, we see no abuse of discretion in the award of sole legal and physical custody to Lisa.

Robinson also complains of the restriction on his visitation. Visitation rights in Missouri are governed by section 452.400.

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Bluebook (online)
128 S.W.3d 543, 2003 Mo. App. LEXIS 1997, 2003 WL 22997232, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/robinson-v-robinson-moctapp-2003.