State ex rel. Juvenile Department v. M. U.

210 P.3d 254, 229 Or. App. 35, 2009 Ore. App. LEXIS 758
CourtCourt of Appeals of Oregon
DecidedJune 10, 2009
Docket2008807661; Petition Number 105321; A139717
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 210 P.3d 254 (State ex rel. Juvenile Department v. M. U.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State ex rel. Juvenile Department v. M. U., 210 P.3d 254, 229 Or. App. 35, 2009 Ore. App. LEXIS 758 (Or. Ct. App. 2009).

Opinion

HASELTON, P. J.

Mother appeals from a judgment “establishing dependency jurisdiction and disposition” with respect to her daughter. In response to this court’s order to show cause why the appeal should not be dismissed on the ground that the notice of appeal was not timely filed, mother has moved for leave to pursue an otherwise untimely appeal. Specifically, she urges the court to extend the rationale of State ex rel SOSCF v. Hammons, 169 Or App 589, 10 P3d 310 (2000), to dependency “jurisdiction/disposition” cases, such as this one, where mother’s court-appointed trial counsel failed to file a timely notice of appeal and mother would be left without a remedy if the case is not considered by this court. For the reasons explained below, we conclude that Hammons cannot properly be extended to this context. Accordingly, we deny mother’s motion and dismiss the appeal.

On July 16,2008, the juvenile court entered the challenged judgment.1 On August 18, 2008—33 days later—this court received, by mail, a notice of appeal. After oral argument, we discovered the potential jurisdictional defect and, on March 23,2009, we issued an order to show cause why the appeal should not be dismissed as untimely. In response, mother did not dispute that the notice of appeal was untimely or that, in the absence of a timely appeal, we lack jurisdiction. Rather, mother moved the court for an order permitting her to nonetheless pursue her appeal under the authority of ORS 419A.200(5) and the principles articulated in Hammons. That motion was filed on March 25, 2009, more than eight months after the entry of judgment; the state does not oppose the motion.

Under ORS 419A.200(3), an appeal from a judgment entered in a juvenile court proceeding may be taken by filing a notice of appeal, in the form prescribed by ORS 19.250, no later than 30 days after the entry of judgment. Filing of a [38]*38notice of appeal may be accomplished by mail, and the date of filing is the date of mailing,

“provided it is mailed by registered or certified mail and the party filing the notice has proof from the post office of such mailing date. Proof of mailing shall be certified by the party filing the notice and filed thereafter with the court to which the appeal is taken. If the notice is received by the court on or before the date by which such notice is required to be filed, the party filing the notice is not required to file proof of mailing.”

ORS 19.260(1); State ex rel Juv. Dept. v. Caro, 149 Or App 631, 945 P2d 543 (1997) (applying predecessor statute, former ORS 19.028(1) (1995), renumbered as ORS 19.260(1) (1997), to appeal of judgment in juvenile court proceeding). Timely filing a notice of appeal is a jurisdictional requirement. See ORS 19.270(1) (“The Supreme Court or the Court of Appeals has jurisdiction of the cause when the notice of appeal has been served and filed as provided in ORS 19.240, 19.250 and 19.255.”); ORS 19.270(2)(b) (the failure to properly file a notice of appeal is jurisdictional); State ex rel Juv. Dept. v. Balderas, 172 Or App 223, 225, 18 P3d 434 (2001) (observing that the appellant’s motion for permission to pursue an otherwise untimely commenced appeal in a juvenile proceeding raised question of whether this court had jurisdiction).

In this case, mother’s trial attorney apparently signed the notice of appeal on August 13, 2008, the twenty-eighth day following entry of judgment. The postmark on the envelope in which the notice of appeal was mailed suggests that it was mailed on August 15, 2008, the thirtieth day following entry of judgment. The notice was received, however, on August 18, the thirty-third day after the entry of the judgment. Thus, under ORS 19.260(1), mother was required to file proof of mailing by registered or certified mail. Mother failed to do so. Consequently, unless there is some other legal principle that operates to save the appeal, we must dismiss it. “Even if a party does not raise a jurisdictional issue, ‘if we are without jurisdiction to hear [an] appeal, we must dismiss it sua sponte.’ ” State v. Christopher son, 159 Or App 428, 431, 978 P2d 1039, rev den, 329 Or 126 (1999) (quoting Hill v. Oland, 52 Or App 791, 794, 629 P2d 867 (1981) (brackets in Christopherson)).

[39]*39To avoid that end, mother invokes Hammons. To properly understand Hammons, we must begin with an examination of the Supreme Court’s opinion in State ex rel Juv. Dept. v. Geist, 310 Or 176, 796 P2d 1193 (1990), on which Hammons relied. In Geist, the mother appealed from an order terminating her parental rights, arguing that her trial counsel—appointed under former ORS 419.525(2), repealed by Or Laws 1993, ch 33, § 3732—provided inadequate assistance during trial. The Supreme Court held that the right to counsel under former ORS 419.525(2) included a right to adequate counsel and that, “[a]bsent an express legislative procedure for vindicating the statutory right to adequate counsel,” the court could fashion an appropriate remedy.3 Geist, 310 Or at 185. The Supreme Court further reasoned that, “[a]bsent an express prohibition against challenges of adequacy of appointed counsel, we do not interpret the legislature’s omission of an express procedure as evidencing any legislative intent to preclude such challenges.” Id. Because of the critical need for finality in a termination proceeding, the court also determined that the appropriate remedy should involve review on direct appeal, rather than a collateral attack or additional litigation, which would further delay the finality of the termination decision. Id. at 186-87.

The Supreme Court then wrestled with the question of what standard of adequacy of counsel should be applied in the context of a termination proceeding. Id. at 187-91. Noting the substantial and long-recognized distinctions between adult criminal cases and juvenile court proceedings, as well as the interests at stake in a termination proceeding, the court rejected the constitutional criminal law standard in favor of a due process “fundamental fairness” standard:

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Bluebook (online)
210 P.3d 254, 229 Or. App. 35, 2009 Ore. App. LEXIS 758, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-juvenile-department-v-m-u-orctapp-2009.