State v. Khan

2008 OK CIV APP 104, 198 P.3d 415, 2008 Okla. Civ. App. LEXIS 80
CourtCourt of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedOctober 24, 2008
DocketNo. 105,912
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 2008 OK CIV APP 104 (State v. Khan) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Khan, 2008 OK CIV APP 104, 198 P.3d 415, 2008 Okla. Civ. App. LEXIS 80 (Okla. Ct. App. 2008).

Opinion

KENNETH L. BUETTNER, Presiding Judge.

11 Respondent/Appellant Aftab Ahmed Khan (Father) appeals from a judgment terminating his parental rights to A.K. due to incarceration. We hold that the record does not include clear and convincing evidence supporting termination in this case and reverse.

T2 AK. was six years old when she and her older half-sister were removed from their mother's home because of physical abuse in September 2005. Petitioner/Appellee State of Oklahoma filed its Petition for deprived adjudication September 30, 2005. The State alleged A.K. was deprived because of physical abuse and domestic violence in the mother's home, and because of abandonment, failure to protect, and failure to support on the part of Father. The Petition included a request for immediate termination of Father's parental rights pursuant to 10 O.8.2001 [416]*416§ 7006-1.1(A)(2), (8), and (7). The Petition asserted Father's address was unknown.

1 3 Hearing on the Petition against Father was held January 18, 2006. Father failed to appear.1 The trial court found the State had met its burden of proof and terminated Father's parental rights to A.K. in a judgment filed January 24, 2006. An Order filed March 12, 2008 shows that the mother voluntarily relinquished her parental rights to AK. in a hearing held April 18, 2007.

14 The State filed a "2nd Amended Petition," making the same deprived allegations against Father and again seeking immediate termination, May 14, 2007.2 A return of service, showing Father was personally served at the Federal Correction Institution in Forest City, Arkansas, was filed June 11, 2007.

15 Father filed an Answer June 19, 2007. In his Answer, Father denied having abandoned AK. Father asserted he has been incarcerated since December 12, 2008 and is scheduled to be released on or about July 1, 2013. Father admitted not paying child support, asserting that in prison he did not earn money with which to pay child support, and asserted he had not willfully abandoned the child. Father stated AK.'s paternal aunt, living in Broken Arrow, could assume custody of the child and continue to raise her in the Muslim faith. The trial court appointed counsel for Father August 14, 2007.

T6 The State filed a "3rd Amended Petition" February 15, 2008. The State alleged Father was incarcerated for distribution of a controlled dangerous substance. The State again asserted AK. was deprived due to abandonment, failure to support, and failure to protect by Father. The State requested immediate termination of Father's parental rights for abandonment, pursuant to 10 0.8. 2001 § 7006-1.1(A)(2) and/or (8); failure to support, § 7006-1.1(A)(7); and for incarceration, § 7006-1.1(A)(12).

T7 Jury trial was held April 14-16, 2008. The State indicated it was proceeding only on § 7006-1.1(A)(12) (incarceration) and the trial court instructed the jury on that ground alone. The jury returned its verdict finding by clear and convincing evidence that Father's parental rights should be terminated on the ground that Father is incarcerated, the continuation of parental rights would result in harm to the child, and that termination was in A.K.'s best interests. The trial court entered its Order terminating parental rights May 1, 2008. Father appeals.

T8 Title 1.1(A)(12) provides: 10 0.98.2001 § 7006-

A. Pursuant to the provisions of the Oklahoma Children's Code, the finding that a child is delinquent, in need of supervision or deprived shall not deprive the parents of the child of their parental rights, but a court may terminate the rights of a parent to a child in the following situations; provided, however, the paramount consideration in proceedings concerning termination of parental rights shall be the health, safety or welfare and best interests of the child:
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12. A finding that all of the following exist: a. the child has been adjudicated deprived, and
b. custody of the child has been placed outside the home of a natural or adoptive [417]*417parent, guardian or extended family member, and
c. the parent whose rights are sought to be terminated has been incarcerated, and
d. the continuation of parental rights would result in harm to the child based on consideration of the following factors, among others: the duration of incarceration and its detrimental effect on the parent/child relationship; any previous incarcerations; any history of eriminal behavior, including crimes against children; the age of the child; the evidence of abuse or neglect of the child or siblings of the child by the parent; and the current relationship between the parent and the child and the manner in which the parent has exercised parental rights and duties in the past, and
e. termination of parental rights is in the best interests of the child.
Provided, that the incarceration of a parent shall not in and of itself be sufficient to deprive a parent of parental rights(.)

Clear and convincing evidence must support termination of parental rights. In re S.B.C., 2002 OK 83, ¶ 7, 64 P.3d 1080, 1082. In its Answer Brief, the State asserts that we must affirm the jury's decision if it is supported by any evidence, citing In re T.E.B., 2001 OK CIV APP 70, 24 P.3d 900. That standard of review for termination cases was expressly rejected in $.B.C., where the court explained:

We are hence persuaded that, in order to assure faithful nisi prius compliance with the federal mandate, appellate review of a parental-bond severance must be conducted by searching for the presence of clear- and-convineing proof. The heightened test that is accorded fundamental rights would be watered down-if not indeed rendered meaningless-by the use on review of anything less than the very same standard as that which is required in the trial courts. In short, to warrant affirmance of nisi prius findings, appellate review in a parental-bond-severance proceeding must demonstrate the presence of clear-and-convine-ing evidence to support the first-instance decision.

64 P.3d 1080 at 17 (emphasis omitted).

T9 Father asserts that the State failed to meet its burden of proving that his incarceration would result in harm to A.K. as required by § 7006~1.1(A)(12)(d). We agree. The evidence showed that Father went to prison in 2003, when A.K. was four years old, and he would be released in 2018, when she is 14. The evidence did not show a detrimental effect on the parent/child relationship. There was no evidence that Father had any previous incarcerations or any history of criminal behavior. Nor was there evidence Father had committed crimes against children or abused or neglected AK. or any siblings. The evidence of the current relationship between Father and AK. showed that Father sends gifts to the child and speaks to her on the phone. The foster mother testified that when the child speaks to Father she asks where he is and when he is coming home. There was no evidence that AK. was fearful of Father. Father testified that before he was incarcerated, he shared custody of the child with her mother. Father was involved enough in A.K.'s life then that he knew the daycare provider (who is now her foster mother).

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Related

In Re Ak
2008 OK CIV APP 104 (Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma, 2008)

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Bluebook (online)
2008 OK CIV APP 104, 198 P.3d 415, 2008 Okla. Civ. App. LEXIS 80, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-khan-oklacivapp-2008.