State v. NL

239 P.3d 255, 237 Or. App. 133
CourtCourt of Appeals of Oregon
DecidedSeptember 1, 2010
Docket00389604, 00389606, 00389607, 00389609, 00389611, 00389613 Petition Number J13025 A143877
StatusPublished

This text of 239 P.3d 255 (State v. NL) 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 v. NL, 239 P.3d 255, 237 Or. App. 133 (Or. Ct. App. 2010).

Opinion

239 P.3d 255 (2010)
237 Or. App. 133

In the Matter of M.R.L., E.Y.L., Y.I.L., A.J.L., M.L.L., and S.E.L., Children.
STATE of Oregon, Petitioner-Respondent,
v.
N.L. and B.Z.L., Appellants.

00389604, 00389606, 00389607, 00389609, 00389611, 00389613; Petition Number J13025; A143877.

Court of Appeals of Oregon.

Argued and Submitted April 15, 2010.
Decided September 1, 2010.

*256 Shannon Storey, Deputy Public Defender, argued the cause for appellant N.L. On the brief were Peter Gartlan, Chief Defender, and Holly Telerant, Deputy Public Defender, Appellate Division, Office of Public Defense Services.

Ann Lechman-Su argued the cause and filed the brief for appellant B.Z.L.

Jeff J. Payne, Assistant Attorney General, argued the cause for respondent. With him on the brief were John R. Kroger, Attorney General, and Jerome Lidz, Solicitor General.

Before LANDAU, Presiding Judge, and ORTEGA, Judge, and SERCOMBE, Judge.

ORTEGA, J.

Father and mother appeal from a juvenile court judgment taking jurisdiction over their six children: M.R., born in August 1996; E, born in September 1998; M.L., born in July 2000; Y, born in January 2004; A, born in February 2007; and S, born in November 2008. After father and mother filed notices of appeal, the juvenile court entered a judgment amending the jurisdictional/dispositional judgment. As we explain below, we conclude that the juvenile court lacked authority to amend the judgment as it did; that father's trial counsel performed inadequately by misstating the law concerning the applicability of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA); that, as to the juvenile court's finding of medical neglect, father suffered no prejudice as a result of counsel's performance; and that, as to additional findings required by ICWA, father did suffer prejudice. Because the jurisdictional/dispositional judgment did not comply with ICWA as to evidence and findings required under ORS 419B.340, we reverse and remand.

To determine which judgment is at issue on appeal, we begin with the procedural history. In July 2009, DHS was awarded protective custody of the children. In a subsequent shelter order entered later that month, the juvenile court determined that the children were Indian children under ORS 419A.004(13), which defines "Indian child" as a child who either (a) is a member of a tribe or (b) is eligible for membership and is the biological child of a member of a tribe. Father *257 is a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, and the court found by clear and convincing evidence that the children were enrolled or eligible for enrollment. The court further found, by clear and convincing evidence, that removal from the home was in the children's best interest because the parents' continued custody was likely to result in serious emotional or physical damage to the children and that, under the circumstances, no efforts would have prevented the need for removal or made possible the return of the children.

The jurisdictional hearing was held in October. Near the end of the hearing, the court and counsel discussed the applicability of ICWA. A DHS caseworker testified that she had inquired of the Choctaw Nation whether the children were eligible for enrollment, had received conflicting information in response, and was gathering information to apply for enrollment; the Choctaw Nation did not intend to intervene until the children were enrolled. The caseworker believed that there was a "strong possibility" that they were eligible but that, "based on * * * letters from the Tribe, there is still some confusion about that matter."

The juvenile court made no findings about enrollment eligibility but did express concern about whether ICWA applied, which would trigger the requirements of proof by clear and convincing evidence and testimony from a qualified expert. ORS 419B.340(7). Counsel for all parties (father, mother, the children, and the state)—apparently confused by the tribe's lack of intervention—responded by agreeing that the applicable evidentiary standard was a preponderance of the evidence. The court accordingly applied that standard and made oral findings that, under ORS 419B.100(1)(c), the children's conditions and circumstances were such as to endanger their welfare because mother and father had (1) failed to provide dental care, (2) failed to provide for the children's medical needs, and (3) failed to provide for their educational needs. The court noted that it would find medical neglect by clear and convincing evidence, if needed. The court subsequently entered a "Judgment of Jurisdiction/Disposition (Non-ICWA)." (Uppercase and boldface omitted.) Mother and father appealed, and father argued, in part, that the juvenile court had erred by failing to apply ICWA.

Meanwhile, after the entry of the jurisdictional judgment and the filing of the notices of appeal in this case, mother filed in the juvenile court a "Motion for Reconsideration of ICWA Ruling at Jurisdictional Hearing." She contended that the juvenile court had "the authority to correct an error or mistake at any time under ORS 419B.923, even during the pendency of an appeal." DHS also received information that the children were eligible for enrollment and that the Choctaw Nation intended to intervene. The juvenile court held a hearing on April 13, 2010 (two days before oral argument in the appeal of the jurisdictional judgment), decided that ICWA applied, and set a date for an evidentiary hearing under ICWA standards.

In this court, the state filed a notice of probable mootness, arguing that the juvenile court's actions mooted father's assignment of error concerning ICWA. Attached to that notice is an unsigned order stating, in part, that the juvenile court

"finds that at the original jurisdictional hearing, * * * the case should have been treated as an ICWA case pursuant to [ORS] 419B.878, because there was sufficient ambiguity on the record as to the applicability of ICWA, the underlying facts as to whether the children were in fact `Indian children' under the statute, and * * * the state concedes that there was `a suggestion of Indian heritage.'"

The state indicated that the parties had agreed to the order and that the juvenile court was expected to sign it on the morning of April 15. Although no party has provided this court with a signed copy of the order, OJIN indicates that, on April 15, the juvenile court signed an "Order grant counsel for mothers mo to reconsider." That caption corresponds to the caption of the unsigned order that was attached to the state's notice of probable mootness, which was "Order Granting Counsel for Mother's Motion for Reconsideration Regarding the ICWA Issue at Jurisdictional Hearing." (Uppercase omitted.)

*258 On June 1, the juvenile court held a hearing in which it heard qualified expert testimony from a Choctaw Nation social worker.

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Related

State v. Ainsworth
213 P.3d 1225 (Oregon Supreme Court, 2009)
State Ex Rel. Juvenile Department v. Charles
810 P.2d 389 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 1991)
State Ex Rel. Juvenile Department v. Geist
796 P.2d 1193 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1990)
State Ex Rel. Juvenile Department v. Cooke
744 P.2d 596 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 1987)
Patrick v. State of Oregon
36 P.3d 976 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2001)
Department of Human Services v. B. A. S.
221 P.3d 806 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2009)
State ex rel. Juvenile Department v. S.P.
215 P.3d 847 (Oregon Supreme Court, 2009)
State v. N. L.
239 P.3d 255 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2010)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
239 P.3d 255, 237 Or. App. 133, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-nl-orctapp-2010.