State Ex Rel. CYFD v. Larry G.

CourtNew Mexico Court of Appeals
DecidedSeptember 13, 2021
StatusUnpublished

This text of State Ex Rel. CYFD v. Larry G. (State Ex Rel. CYFD v. Larry G.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Mexico Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State Ex Rel. CYFD v. Larry G., (N.M. Ct. App. 2021).

Opinion

This decision of the New Mexico Court of Appeals was not selected for publication in the New Mexico Appellate Reports. Refer to Rule 12-405 NMRA for restrictions on the citation of unpublished decisions. Electronic decisions may contain computer- generated errors or other deviations from the official version filed by the Court of Appeals.

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO

No. A-1-CA-39326

STATE OF NEW MEXICO ex rel. CHILDREN, YOUTH & FAMILIES DEPARTMENT,

Petitioner-Appellee,

v.

LARRY G.,

Respondent-Appellant,

and

FELICIA G.,

Respondent,

IN THE MATTER OF JORDAN G.,

Child.

APPEAL FROM THE DISTRICT COURT OF TORRANCE COUNTY Mercedes C. Murphy, District Judge

Children, Youth & Families Department Rebecca J. Liggett, Chief Children’s Court Attorney Santa Fe, NM Kelly P. O’Neill, Children’s Court Attorney Albuquerque, NM

for Appellee

Law Offices of Nancy L. Simmons, P.C. Nancy L. Simmons Albuquerque, NM

for Appellant Georgia Garman Berrenberg Albuquerque, NM

Guardian Ad Litem

DECISION

BOGARDUS, Judge.

{1} Larry G. (Father) appeals the termination of his parental rights to his son, Jordan G. (Child). Father advances two arguments: (1) the proceedings constituted fundamental error that violated Father’s due process rights, and (2) insufficient evidence supported termination of Father’s parental rights. Unpersuaded, we affirm.1

BACKGROUND

{2} Father and Felicia G. (Mother) are the parents of Child. In September 2016, the Children, Youth & Families Department (CYFD) filed a petition alleging abuse and neglect by Mother2 and Father. The district court held an adjudicatory hearing as to Father in November 2016. Father, who was incarcerated, appeared telephonically. Father pleaded no contest to neglect, pursuant to NMSA 1978, Section 32A-4- 2(F)(2),(4) (2016, amended 2018).3 The factual basis for Father’s no contest plea included that Child, then three years old, was seriously abused and neglected, Father had care and control over Child before he was incarcerated, Father knew that Mother had a drug problem and was unable or unwilling to care for Child, Father failed to obtain legal custody of Child, and Father violated the terms of his probation, which resulted in Child being returned to Mother.

{3} The district court ordered CYFD to implement a court approved treatment plan for Father which included among other things: participation in therapeutic visits with Child; participation in Child’s medical and dental appointments; obtain and maintain employment; call CYFD daily to see if he was required to provide a urine sample and participate in random urinalysis as requested; attend intensive outpatient substance abuse treatment, with the proviso that CYFD would request inpatient treatment if Father was unable to maintain sobriety; complete a parenting class or group; sign releases of information; complete a psychological evaluation and follow recommendations; obtain and maintain housing; complete relinquishment counseling; provide CYFD with names of relatives; complete a mental health evaluation and follow recommendations; and participate in family therapy with Child and follow recommendations.

1This is a non-precedential expedited bench decision. See In re Court of Appeals Caseload, Misc. Order No. 01-57, ¶ 4(C) (Sept. 19, 2016). 2Mother pleaded no contest to abuse and neglect of Child, and the district court found aggravated circumstances because Mother subjected Child to “chronic abuse and torture.” Mother was sentenced to nine years in prison for her abuse of Child and her other children and relinquished her parental rights to Child before CYFD moved to terminate Father’s parental rights. 3All references to Section 32A-4-2 in this opinion are to the 2016 version of the statute. {4} Permanency hearings were held in September 2017, January 2018, August 2018, and March 2019. During this time, Child’s permanency plan was reunification with Father.

{5} Father made significant progress in his treatment plan after he was released from prison in May 2017, such that Child began a trial home visit on August 5, 2018. The trial home visit was disrupted when Father was arrested for residential burglary in October 2018. Child was returned to foster care, but after six weeks, Child was placed in treatment foster care due to behavioral issues. Father remained incarcerated until November 2018 and charges remained pending until May 2019.

{6} A final permanency hearing was held in September 2019 during which CYFD requested Child’s permanency plan be changed to adoption. James Anaya, the permanency planning worker assigned to Father’s case, testified that Father had not been compliant with his treatment plan. According to Anaya, Father was not providing samples for urinalysis, stopped attending visits with Child, was involved in a domestic violence issue that resulted in a temporary restraining order against him, failed to keep in regular contact with CYFD, and appeared intoxicated during a team meeting. At the hearing, Father admitted to recent drug use, but requested a second chance with Child. The district court ordered Father to continue to participate in his treatment plan, participate in substance abuse treatment, and suggested he participate in an inpatient treatment if necessary. The district court granted CYFD’s request to change the permanency plan to adoption, but made clear to Father that he had the opportunity to have the plan changed back to reunification.

{7} CYFD moved to terminate Father’s parental rights in October 2019, pursuant to NMSA 1978, Section 32A-4-28(B)(2) (2005). The termination of parental rights trial (TPR) was held over two days in November 2019 and February 2020, with a status hearing held between those dates in December 2019. The district court issued a judgment terminating Father’s parental rights of Child in April 2020, in which it incorporated the findings of fact and conclusions of law that the district court had issued twelve days before. Father filed a motion to reconsider the judgment, which was denied. This appeal followed.

DISCUSSION

{8} Father argues that his due process rights were violated because Child was not returned to him when the charges for residential burglary and a probation violation were dismissed even though he had already completed his treatment plan, and because the district court ordered Father to enroll in a one year inpatient substance abuse program—which he characterizes as a new requirement added to his treatment plan– without an opportunity for him to challenge it. He further argues that CYFD did not present clear and convincing evidence to support termination of his parental rights. We address each argument in turn.

I. Father’s Right to Due Process Was Not Violated {9} Regarding Father’s due process claims, our review is de novo. State ex rel. Child., Youth, & Fams. Dep’t v. Rosa R., 1999-NMCA-141, ¶ 6, 128 N.M. 304, 992 P.2d 317. As Father concedes, he failed to preserve his arguments regarding due process, and we therefore review for fundamental error. See Rule 12-321(B)(2)(c) NMRA (allowing judicial review of an unpreserved issue for fundamental error). “[T]ermination of parental rights cases can be candidates for fundamental error analysis[,]” and “we will address unpreserved errors that go to the foundation of the case, and which deprive the defendant of rights essential to his defense. Although fundamental error does not generally apply in civil cases, we will apply the doctrine in exceptional cases.” State ex. rel. Child., Youth & Fams. Dep’t v. Paul P., Jr., 1999-NMCA-077, ¶ 14, 127 N.M. 492, 983 P.2d 1011 (internal quotation marks and citation omitted).

{10} “Whether an individual was afforded due process is a question of law that we review de novo.” State ex rel.

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Bluebook (online)
State Ex Rel. CYFD v. Larry G., Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-cyfd-v-larry-g-nmctapp-2021.