Santa Clara County Department of Family & Children's Services v. F.S.

218 Cal. App. 4th 337, 159 Cal. Rptr. 3d 891, 2013 WL 3873989, 2013 Cal. App. LEXIS 597
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedJuly 26, 2013
DocketH038633
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 218 Cal. App. 4th 337 (Santa Clara County Department of Family & Children's Services v. F.S.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Santa Clara County Department of Family & Children's Services v. F.S., 218 Cal. App. 4th 337, 159 Cal. Rptr. 3d 891, 2013 WL 3873989, 2013 Cal. App. LEXIS 597 (Cal. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinion

Opinion

ELIA, J.

In the present dependency proceeding, minors A.H. and S.H. (the children) were declared dependents of the court. (Welf. & Inst. Code, § 300, subds. (a) & (b).) 1 On April 16, 2012, after the 18-month review hearing, the juvenile court terminated family reunification services to F.S. (mother) and made an order setting a section 366.26 hearing for August 8, 2012. On August 3, 2012, the children’s parents, F.S. and S.H. (father), 2 filed a timely notice of appeal from two rulings of the juvenile court: (1) the July 25, 2012 order denying mother’s motion to vacate a default judgment and (2) the June 19, 2012 order denying the parents’ modification motion to place the children with relatives (§ 388). 3

Parents now raise contentions not directly challenging the rulings from which they appeal. Mother makes the following arguments: (1) the juvenile court failed to inform mother of the writ requirements for challenging the order setting a section 366.26 hearing by mail as required, (2) the juvenile court failed to obtain a valid waiver of her right to counsel and, therefore, abused its discretion in granting her request to represent herself on February 16, 2012, and then the court failed to advise parents of their right to counsel at the 18-month review hearing on April 16, 2012 (see Cal. Rules of Court, rule 5.534(g)), 4 (3) Judge Yew improperly heard the 18-month review after mother allegedly timely challenged the judge and attempted to disqualify the judge from hearing the matter, and (4) the evidence did not support the court’s finding following the 18-month review hearing that reasonable reunification services were provided to mother.

Father joins in mother’s arguments 1 and 3; he claims that the juvenile court failed to advise him of the writ requirement. He further claims that the juvenile court (1) failed to adequately inquire into his competency and erred *341 by not appointing a guardian ad litem for him at the January 26, 2012 hearing and (2) failed to determine whether he was mentally competent to waive counsel and, therefore, abused its discretion by granting his request to represent himself on February 15, 2012.

Under ostensible authority of In re Cathina W. (1998) 68 Cal.App.4th 716 [80 Cal.Rptr.2d 480], respondent Santa Clara County Department of Family and Children’s Services (Department) concedes that mother was entitled to challenge the juvenile court’s order setting the section 366.26 hearing. We do not accept this concession. For the reasons explained below, we find that none of the issues sought to be raised on appeal is cognizable and dismiss the appeal.

Procedural History

Dependency petitions were filed on behalf of the children. In July 2010, parents filed the Judicial Council “Notification of Mailing Address” forms (JV-140), which each designated the same permanent mailing address in San Jose, California. The form itself advised that all documents and notices would be sent to the address provided “until and unless you notify the court or the social worker ... on your case of your new mailing address.” It directed: “Notice of the new mailing address must be provided in writing.” (Boldface omitted.)

A first amended petition was filed on August 30, 2010.

Following a contested jurisdiction hearing, the court found the children were described by section 300, subdivisions (a) (serious physical harm) and (b) (failure to protect). The children were adjudged dependent children of the court. This court rejected father’s challenges to the jurisdictional and disposition orders in a prior appeal (In re A.H., supra, H036264).

On October 11, 2011, following a consolidated six-month/12-month review hearing, the juvenile court found, by clear and convincing evidence, that reasonable services had been offered and provided to parents. The court terminated family reunification services to father and terminated the children’s visitation with father due to the detriment to their well-being. At that time, both mother and father were represented by counsel.

The status review report, dated January 3, 2012, for the 18-month review hearing and addendum reports recommended that the court terminate family reunification services to mother and set a section 366.26 hearing. The status review report reflected that father remained at the originally noticed San Jose address but stated a Campbell address for mother.

*342 On January 3, 2012, the date set for the 18-month review hearing, mother was represented by an attorney with the Office of Dependency Counsel (ODC). Mother challenged the competency of the ODC and the juvenile court continued the matter until January 11, 2012, for a Marsden hearing (see People v. Marsden (1970) 2 Cal.3d 118 [84 Cal.Rptr. 156, 465 P.2d 44]) 5 and the 18-month review hearing.

On January 9, 2012, mother filed a combined “peremptory challenge” and request for judicial disqualification against Judge Teresa Guerrero-Daley.

On January 11, 2012, by written order, the juvenile court denied the peremptory challenge as untimely and struck the statement of disqualification. At the January 11, 2012 hearing, all parties were personally served with a copy of that decision and the court denied the peremptory challenge. After several warnings, parents were removed from the courtroom. The court ordered the deputy to look for them to provide a second opportunity to participate in the day’s hearing but they could not be located. The court took the Marsden hearing off calendar and continued the matter until January 18, 2012, for a Sara D. hearing (see In re Sara D. (2001) 87 Cal.App.4th 661 [104 Cal.Rptr.2d 909]) for father and a waiver of counsel hearing for both parents and ordered the 18-month review hearing to trail.

On January 26, 2012, hearings were held before Judge Daniel Nishigaya. After a closed Sara D. hearing regarding appointment of a guardian ad litem (GAL) for father, the juvenile court determined that such appointment was unnecessary because father understood the nature and consequences of the dependency proceedings and was able to assist counsel. The court then considered parents’ request for self-representation. Upon inquiry by the court, both parents clarified that they were not asking the court to appoint different counsel but rather wished to represent themselves. The court confirmed that each parent had received a Judicial Council form JV-2023 (Advisement and Waiver of Right to Counsel). In addition, the court gave an oral advisement regarding disadvantages of self-representation. The court directed parents to make their decisions regarding self-representation by the next hearing. The matter was continued until February 15, 2012.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
218 Cal. App. 4th 337, 159 Cal. Rptr. 3d 891, 2013 WL 3873989, 2013 Cal. App. LEXIS 597, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/santa-clara-county-department-of-family-childrens-services-v-fs-calctapp-2013.