S.M. v. R.M.

82 So. 3d 163, 2012 WL 716142, 2012 Fla. App. LEXIS 3723
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedMarch 7, 2012
DocketNo. 4D11-3632
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 82 So. 3d 163 (S.M. v. R.M.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
S.M. v. R.M., 82 So. 3d 163, 2012 WL 716142, 2012 Fla. App. LEXIS 3723 (Fla. Ct. App. 2012).

Opinions

GERBER, J.

The mother appeals the circuit court’s sua sponte shelter order placing the child in the father’s custody. The mother argues that the court denied her request to be heard during the shelter hearing and thereby violated her right to due process. We treat the mother’s appeal as a petition for writ of certiorari, grant the petition, and remand with directions. We withhold issuance of the writ on the assumption that the circuit court shall comply with our directions.

A detailed history of the extensive record which the parties have presented to this court is necessary to better understand the issue which the petition presents.

In 2006, a Broward County family court judge entered a final judgment dissolving the marriage between the mother and the father. The final judgment provided, in pertinent part, that the mother was to have primary custody of the parties’ only child, with the husband having established rights of access to and visitation with the child on certain dates. The judge retained jurisdiction to enforce the final judgment.

In 2009, the father filed a petition for modification. The father alleged that the mother was interfering with the father’s access to and visitation with the child. The father also alleged that the child had developed psychological issues for which the mother was not seeking treatment. The mother disputed these allegations.

In January, 2011, the father filed an emergency motion seeking to be granted sole custody of the child. The father alleged that an expert appointed to evaluate the child found that the mother was severely alienating the child. The mother disputed these allegations.

In February and April, 2011, the Bro-ward County family court judge held four evidentiary hearings on the father’s motion. During these hearings, the father presented his evidence. However, the mother did not complete her presentation of evidence. The judge did not rule on the father’s motion.

In June, 2011, the family court judge recused himself without ruling on the father’s motion. The clerk assigned the case to a new family court judge.

In July, 2011, the father filed with the new family court judge an updated emergency motion seeking sole custody of the child. The father represented that earlier that month, the Department of Children and Families issued a report finding that the mother was causing mental injury to the child. According to the father, however, the Department was not filing a dependency petition because of his pending motion. The father requested that the judge appoint a guardian ad litem for the child and set another evidentiary hearing on his motion.

On July 29, 2011, the new family court judge held a brief hearing on the father’s requests. The mother objected to the father’s requests. The judge entered an order appointing a guardian ad litem and directing the guardian to file a report with her recommendations for parental responsibility and time-sharing for the child. The judge entered a separate order setting a two-hour evidentiary hearing on the father’s motion for September 15, 2011. The judge later rescheduled the evidentiary hearing due to scheduling conflicts. The [165]*165judge ultimately set the two-hour eviden-tiary hearing for October 5, 2011.

At the October 5th hearing, the father was present with his attorney and the mother was present with her attorney. The child was not present. The court stated that the first issue was whether the father’s motion to change custody was an emergency. The court called the guardian ad litem as the first witness. The court asked the guardian if, based on her investigation, this matter was an emergency. The guardian responded it was. The court announced that it would proceed with the hearing. The court accepted the guardian’s report into evidence. In the report, the guardian reported on her personal observations of the child’s separate interactions with the father and the mother. Based on those observations and other research which the guardian performed, she opined that the mother was causing mental injury to the child. The guardian recommended that the court appoint certain experts to treat the child and to provide therapy to the family. The guardian further recommended that the court grant the father temporary sole custody and ultimate decision-making authority regarding the child’s treatment. The guardian did not discuss the possibility of commencing a shelter proceeding or a dependency proceeding pursuant to Chapter 39, Florida Statutes.

The court then called the Department’s investigator as the next witness. The investigator was based in Palm Beach County because the child was living in Palm Beach County. The investigator testified that, based on his observations, the child was suffering maltreatment and mental injury while in the mother’s custody. The investigator stated that the parental alienation alleged in this case was “beyond anything that any of us have ever seen.” The court asked the investigator what the Department did to protect the child based on his findings. The investigator testified that he wanted to remove the child and presented the case to a Department attorney for review. According to the investigator, however, the attorney responded that the Department could not remove the child because the mental injury already occurred and because the family court proceeding vested jurisdiction in Broward County. The mother objected on hearsay grounds. The judge overruled the objection.

Then, approximately ten to fifteen minutes into the hearing’s allotted two hours, and without the judge giving the mother any opportunity to be heard, the following exchange occurred:

Judge: It is this court’s opinion that the primary responsibility for the safety of children, until there is a court hearing, lies in the Department of Children and Families. And that responsibility cannot be abdicated to a family court, and just for the reason of what happened in this case ... that judges get recused, judges change, and hearings get postponed.
Judge: [The Department has] an independent duty to file a dependency action.
Investigator: I will do so immediately if you ask me to, Your Honor.
Judge: Absolutely. It is a dependency. It doesn’t belong in family court. Do you need me to sign a shelter order?
Investigator: I would like that, yes, Your Honor.
Mother’s Attorney: Can I cross-examine him before you sign a shelter order? Judge: No, ma’am. There is a finding ... of maltreatment and mental injury, ma’am. It is not my case. This is not a family case. This is a dependency case. [166]*166You can argue it to the dependency-judge, okay? This hearing is over.
Investigator: I believe, Your Honor, because the abuse occurred and is occurring in Palm Beach County, it would go to a Palm Beach County court and shelter it in Palm Beach County court.
Judge: Okay. To be in Palm Beach County.
Mother’s Attorney: Now, is this a transfer or actual shelter?
Judge: This is an actual shelter. That means that a Palm Beach judge has to have a hearing within 24 hours.
Judge: Do we have a statement of procedures for the dependency court in Palm Beach. I don’t think we do. Investigator: I can basically state how it will go.

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Related

H.E., The Father v. DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN & FAMILIES
District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2021
Sm v. Rm
82 So. 3d 163 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2012)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
82 So. 3d 163, 2012 WL 716142, 2012 Fla. App. LEXIS 3723, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sm-v-rm-fladistctapp-2012.