Sandra R./sergio C. v. dcs/m.R./f.M./j.M.

CourtArizona Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 11, 2020
DocketCV-19-0057-PR
StatusPublished

This text of Sandra R./sergio C. v. dcs/m.R./f.M./j.M. (Sandra R./sergio C. v. dcs/m.R./f.M./j.M.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Arizona Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sandra R./sergio C. v. dcs/m.R./f.M./j.M., (Ark. 2020).

Opinion

IN THE

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF ARIZONA

SANDRA R., SERGIO C., Appellants,

v.

DEPARTMENT OF CHILD SAFETY, M.R., F.M., J.M., Appellees.

No. CV-19-0057-PR March 11, 2020

Appeal from the Superior Court in Maricopa County The Honorable Alison Bachus, Judge Nos. JD20586; JS19097 AFFIRMED

Opinion of the Court of Appeals, Division One 246 Ariz. 180 (App. 2019) VACATED IN PART

COUNSEL:

John L. Popilek, John L. Popilek P.C., Scottsdale, Attorney for Sandra R.

H. Clark Jones (argued), Law Office of H. Clark Jones LLC, Mesa, Attorney for Sergio C.

Mark Brnovich, Arizona Attorney General, Brunn (Beau) W. Roysden III, Division Chief Counsel, Appeals and Constitutional Litigation Division, Drew C. Ensign, Section Chief, Civil Appeals, Phoenix, Autumn L. Spritzer, SANDRA R./SERGIO C. V. DCS, ET AL. Opinion of the Court

Dawn Rachelle Williams (argued), Assistant Attorneys General, Tucson, Attorneys for Department of Child Safety

Kristina Reeves, April Maxwell, Gillespie Shields Goldfarb & Taylor, Phoenix, Attorneys for Amici Curiae Gillespie Shields Goldfarb & Taylor

JUSTICE LOPEZ authored the opinion of the Court, in which VICE CHIEF JUSTICE TIMMER, and JUSTICES GOULD and MONTGOMERY joined. JUSTICE BOLICK concurred in the result.*

JUSTICE LOPEZ, opinion of the Court:

¶1 We consider the inquiry a juvenile court must make when terminating parental rights under A.R.S. § 8-533(B)(2)—a parent’s neglect or willful abuse of a child—as to the parent’s children who were not neglected or abused. We conclude that when a juvenile court finds a parent unfit for neglecting or willfully abusing a child, the court may also find the parent unfit as to that parent’s non-abused children. 1 In order to do so, the court must determine, during the initial statutory unfitness inquiry, whether there is clear and convincing evidence of a risk of harm to the children at issue.

I.

¶2 Sandra R. (“Mother”) and her five-year-old daughter M.R. began living with Sergio C. (“Father”) in 2013. Mother subsequently gave birth to Father’s children, F.M., in 2015 and J.M., in 2017. On April 24, 2017, then six-week-old J.M. slept most of the day and began vomiting that evening. Later that night, her condition worsened. J.M.’s arms began to shake, she turned pale, started moaning, could not fully open her eyes, and her arms became stiff. Mother and Father took J.M. to an urgent-care center where, upon examination, the doctor told them to immediately take J.M. to

* Chief Justice Robert Brutinel and Justice James P. Beene have recused

themselves from this matter. 1 For the sake of brevity, we refer to children who show no evidence of

neglect or abuse as “non-abused” children. 2 SANDRA R./SERGIO C. V. DCS, ET AL. Opinion of the Court

Phoenix Children’s Hospital (“PCH”). At PCH, a scan revealed that J.M. had a large subdural hemorrhage on the left side of her brain and a smaller subdural hemorrhage on the right side and severe retinal hemorrhaging. She also had a significant midline shift and herniation of her brain. J.M. required emergency neurosurgery to alleviate life-threatening pressure in her brain. J.M. had no external injuries such as bruising, abrasions, or lacerations, but her head injuries negatively affected a multitude of systems in her body. Post-trauma, PCH doctors diagnosed her with cerebral palsy. She now suffers from regular epileptic seizures, is blind, and requires occupational therapy, feeding therapy, and 24-hour monitoring.

¶3 Dr. Melissa Jones, a PCH pediatrician with a specialty in child abuse pediatrics, evaluated J.M post-surgery. After reviewing the family’s medical history and J.M.’s birth records, Dr. Jones determined J.M.’s injuries resulted from abusive head trauma. Mother and Father provided no alternative explanation for the cause of J.M.’s injuries. PCH reported the injuries and, as a result, the Arizona Department of Child Safety (“DCS”) took custody and filed dependency petitions as to all three children. In July 2017, DCS moved to terminate Mother’s rights to J.M., F.M., and M.R., and Father’s rights to J.M. and F.M., for parental abuse or failure to protect from abuse. See § 8-533(B)(2). M.R.’s father’s parental rights have been terminated, and he is not a party to this appeal.

¶4 Over seven months, DCS offered Mother and Father services, including hair-follicle testing to rule out drug abuse, psychological evaluations, individual counseling, and a parent-aide during visits with the children. Mother and Father participated in services but continued to minimize J.M.’s injuries and provided no further explanation for how the injuries occurred.

¶5 The juvenile court held a four-day termination hearing in December 2017 and April 2018. Dr. Jones testified for DCS, stating she believed that J.M.’s injuries resulted from nonaccidental trauma and that J.M.’s lack of external injuries did not rule out abuse. According to Dr. Jones, the retinal hemorrhaging was indicative of “massive trauma” caused by acceleration and deceleration with “significant force.” Dr. Ruth Bristol, the pediatric neurosurgeon who performed the emergency surgery, testified that J.M.’s injuries were most likely caused by recent trauma and that J.M. would require long-term, full-time care for the foreseeable future.

3 SANDRA R./SERGIO C. V. DCS, ET AL. Opinion of the Court

¶6 Mother and Father’s expert, pediatric neurologist Dr. Joseph Scheller, disagreed with DCS’s experts. He testified that a scalp injury caused J.M.’s retinal hemorrhages at birth resulting in a subdural hematoma that began spontaneously re-bleeding some weeks later. He conceded that this occurrence would be “an unusual complication” and that no other non-traumatic medical condition could have caused J.M.’s injuries.

¶7 Dr. Jones and Dr. Bristol rejected Dr. Scheller’s conclusion. Dr. Jones testified that such an occurrence under J.M.’s circumstances would be “very, very rare” and that “children [who] have spontaneous re- bleeding [also] have some other complicating factor with their brain.” Dr. Bristol testified that the blood clot was only one or two days old and had not been present since birth. She further testified that in her experience as a pediatric neurosurgeon, she had “not seen a spontaneous re-bleed to that degree.” Dr. Jones stated that the only time PCH sees J.M.’s pattern of retinal hemorrhages is from abusive head trauma, severe motor vehicle collisions, or children who have fallen out of two- or three-story windows onto concrete.

¶8 On April 23, 2018, the juvenile court terminated Mother’s rights to J.M., F.M., and M.R., and Father’s rights to J.M. and F.M. The court found that J.M.’s injuries were the result of nonaccidental trauma and that Mother or Father, or both, intentionally abused J.M. or knew or reasonably should have known that the other parent abused her “as she was in their sole care when she suffered life-threatening injuries.” Applying the “constitutional nexus” standard established by Linda V. v. Arizona Department of Economic Security, 211 Ariz. 76 (App. 2005), the juvenile court found a significant nexus existed between J.M.’s abuse and the risk of abuse to J.M.’s siblings. The court found that despite J.M.’s extensive injuries, Mother and Father continued to deny that abusive conduct occurred, presented a “united front,” and remained committed to each other and their relationship, even marrying. Because neither parent had shown a willingness to leave the other to protect the children from the other parent, the court concluded that both parents demonstrated their lack of protective capacities for all the children.

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