S.T. v. Super. Ct. CA1/5

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedJuly 15, 2015
DocketA144865
StatusUnpublished

This text of S.T. v. Super. Ct. CA1/5 (S.T. v. Super. Ct. CA1/5) 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
S.T. v. Super. Ct. CA1/5, (Cal. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

Filed 7/15/15 S.T. v. Super. Ct. CA1/5 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

FIRST APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION FIVE

S.T. et al., Petitioners, v. THE SUPERIOR COURT OF SAN A144865 MATEO COUNTY, (San Mateo County Respondent; Super. Ct. Nos. 82132 & 83574) SAN MATEO COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY, Real Party in Interest.

Petitioners S.T. (Father) and A.L. (Mother) (collectively, Parents) seek writ review (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.452) of the decision of the juvenile court setting a hearing under Welfare and Institutions Code section 366.26,1 following an order denying reunification services with their daughters, Angelina T. (Angelina) and Isabella T. (Isabella). We grant the petitions solely with respect to the trial court’s order denying reunification services with Isabella, and otherwise deny the petitions. BACKGROUND In March 2012, a dependency petition was filed for Angelina, then ten months old. An amended petition filed shortly thereafter alleged Parents had a history of domestic

1 All undesignated section references are to the Welfare and Institutions Code.

1 violence; in February 2012, Mother hit Father causing him to bleed, while Angelina was in the home; after police arrived, Mother was arrested for domestic violence and then hospitalized pursuant to section 5150 after making suicidal statements; and Parents subsequently violated an emergency protective order protecting Father from Mother. The second allegation stated Parents had histories of mental health issues (for Mother, borderline personality disorder and major depressive disorder; for Father, schizophrenia); had entered into a voluntary services plan with the Agency in October 2011; failed to comply with that plan by failing to take prescribed medication and follow through with counseling, resulting in emotional instability and Mother’s section 5150 hospitalization; and Parents’ house had child safety hazards. The third allegation stated Mother had lost custody of an older child due to her untreated mental health issues. The jurisdiction and disposition hearing was held on March 26, 2012. The juvenile court sustained the allegations of the amended petition and declared Angelina a dependent of the court. Angelina was removed from Parents’ custody and detained with her maternal grandparents. Reunification services were ordered for Parents. During the following six months, Parents participated in services, therapy, and mental health treatment and had stable housing. On September 26, 2012, Angelina was returned to Parents’ custody with continued court supervision and family maintenance services. A review hearing was held in March 2013. The Agency’s report stated that in January Parents had been involved in another domestic violence incident while Angelina was in the home, resulting in Father’s arrest. Mother and Angelina moved to a domestic violence shelter, but returned to live with Father on March 1. Mother had been participating in therapy and was compliant with her medications. She had been inconsistent in attending psychiatrist appointments and had not attended domestic violence classes because she was on pregnancy bed rest. Father had been inconsistent with individual therapy, anger management classes, and his medications. The juvenile court ordered continued family maintenance services and set a second review hearing for September.

2 During the following six months, Isabella was born. Parents did not report any incidents of physical violence during this period, although they had a verbal argument while the children were home. Mother was compliant with her medications but inconsistent with anger management classes. Father was inconsistent with therapy and was not participating in anger management classes. At the September 2013 review hearing, the juvenile court ordered continued court supervision and family maintenance services. In February 2014, the Agency filed a dependency petition on behalf of Isabella, then 10 months old, alleging Parents continued to engage in domestic violence.2 The Agency’s jurisdiction/disposition report stated Parents continued to engage in domestic violence disputes in the children’s presence. Mother and the children moved to a domestic violence shelter in January, but Mother was asked to leave in March because of her aggression towards residents and staff. Between March and May 2014, Mother was transient, moving multiple times among different temporary housing; in May, she moved in with her parents and resumed mental health treatment. Father had not seen his psychiatrist or therapist regularly, and was not participating in domestic violence classes. In April 2014, Father was hospitalized due to the need to take psychotropic medications. In April, Mother allowed Father to stay with her and the children for a couple of days. In June 2014, the juvenile court sustained the amended allegations of the petition, declared Isabella a dependent of the court, and ordered her to remain in Mother’s custody with continued court supervision and services. The court directed no contact between Father and Mother except for the peaceful exchange of the children for visitations. A review hearing was held in July 2014. Father had not resumed mental health services and the Agency expressed concerns about his mental health. He had been sending threatening messages to Mother. Mother and the children had been living with Mother’s parents, but in late July they asked Mother to leave because of her verbal abuse.

2 The Agency concurrently filed a section 387 supplemental petition on behalf of Angelina with similar allegations. This petition was subsequently withdrawn.

3 The court ordered additional family maintenance services and ordered Father have only supervised visitation at the visitation center. In October 2014, the Agency filed section 387 supplemental petitions on behalf of both children, alleging the prior dispositions had not been effective in protecting the children. The supplemental petitions alleged Mother had repeatedly violated court orders by permitting Father to have access to the children without Agency supervision, and Parents had continued to engage in domestic violence disputes in the children’s presence and had not consistently utilized services. Following a detention hearing, the children were detained with their maternal grandparents pending the jurisdiction and disposition hearing. In October 2014 Agency reports, the Agency social worker reported she had learned Mother was allowing Father access to the children and Father had been transporting the children to and from daycare. On August 25, the social worker had reminded Mother that Father was not allowed any visits with the children without Agency supervision. On September 30, Mother told the social worker Father was continuing to transport the children. The social worker again warned Mother that Father’s visits with the children had to be supervised by the Agency. On October 9, Parents engaged in a public verbal altercation during which Father was holding Angelina and yelling at Mother, “it’s over, it’s over.” The police were called by a third party. Mother told a responding police officer that in early October, she had continued to allow Father to visit her and the children in their motel room almost every day. Subsequently, Father told the Agency social worker he had in fact been living with Mother and the children for a month before the October 9 incident, they were back together, and they had agreed not to call the Agency or the police in the event of further domestic disputes.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

San Diego County Health & Human Services Agency v. L.T.
214 Cal. App. 4th 1154 (California Court of Appeal, 2013)
Kowis v. Howard
838 P.2d 250 (California Supreme Court, 1992)
In Re Andrea G.
221 Cal. App. 3d 547 (California Court of Appeal, 1990)
In Re EB
184 Cal. App. 4th 568 (California Court of Appeal, 2010)
In Re Javier G.
40 Cal. Rptr. 3d 383 (California Court of Appeal, 2006)
Steve J. v. Superior Court
35 Cal. App. 4th 798 (California Court of Appeal, 1995)
In Re Arlyne A.
102 Cal. Rptr. 2d 109 (California Court of Appeal, 2000)
Orange County Social Services Agency v. Remberto C.
113 Cal. Rptr. 2d 597 (California Court of Appeal, 2001)
Riverside County Department of Public Social Services v. Kimberly S.
103 Cal. App. 4th 617 (California Court of Appeal, 2002)
Orange County Social Services Agency v. C.Q.
196 Cal. App. 4th 1319 (California Court of Appeal, 2011)
Napa County Department of Health & Human Services v. Shanon K.
203 Cal. App. 4th 188 (California Court of Appeal, 2012)
San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency v. S. G.
204 Cal. App. 4th 1111 (California Court of Appeal, 2012)
Melissa R. v. Superior Court
207 Cal. App. 4th 816 (California Court of Appeal, 2012)
J.A. v. Superior Court
214 Cal. App. 4th 279 (California Court of Appeal, 2013)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
S.T. v. Super. Ct. CA1/5, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/st-v-super-ct-ca15-calctapp-2015.