Tyrone W. v. Superior Court

60 Cal. Rptr. 3d 486, 151 Cal. App. 4th 839, 2007 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 6308, 2007 Cal. App. LEXIS 890
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 31, 2007
DocketD049824
StatusPublished
Cited by46 cases

This text of 60 Cal. Rptr. 3d 486 (Tyrone W. v. Superior Court) 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
Tyrone W. v. Superior Court, 60 Cal. Rptr. 3d 486, 151 Cal. App. 4th 839, 2007 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 6308, 2007 Cal. App. LEXIS 890 (Cal. Ct. App. 2007).

Opinions

Opinion

McINTYRE, J.

Tyrone W. seeks writ review of juvenile court orders bypassing family reunification services at disposition and.setting a hearing to select and implement a permanency plan for his son, T.W., under Welfare and Institutions Code section 366.26. (All statutory references are to the Welfare and Institutions Code unless otherwise specified.) Tyrone contends the court [843]*843erred when it denied him reunification services under section 361.5, subdivision (b)(6) without finding he inflicted severe physical harm on T.W.’s sibling by act or omission.

We hold that section 361.5, subdivision (b)(6) requires the juvenile court to find that a parent inflicted severe physical harm on the child by act, omission or consent before it may deny reunification services to that parent under subdivision (b)(6). The Legislature did not intend subdivision (b)(6) to apply to deny reunification services to a negligent parent; rather, the parent must have been complicit in the deliberate abuse of the child. Identification of the parent who inflicted severe physical harm on a child is. required when the evidence does not show both parents knew the child was severely injured or knew the child was being abused. We further conclude the court identified Tyrone as an offending parent when it sustained the amended jurisdiction petition under section 300, subdivision (j) alleging both parents inflicted severe physical abuse on T.W.’s sibling. Accordingly, we deny the petition.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

Tyrone W. and Camela W. (together, parents) had two children, T.W., now age 21 months, and Y.W. The parents were on active duty with the United States Navy. In September 2005, United States Navy colleagues reported Tyrone and Camela often argued, and Camela had been injured on several occasions during their altercations. In November, a military tribunal convicted Tyrone of two counts of striking Camela in the head with his fist. Colleagues also reported Camela told them Tyrone placed his hand over T.W.’s mouth and banged T.W.’s head against his crib.

The allegations of child abuse were referred to the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency (Agency) for investigation. Camela asserted Tyrone never harmed T.W., then two months old, and denied she told her colleague that Tyrone abused T.W. The Agency concluded the allegation of physical abuse was unfounded and offered Camela voluntary services to address issues of domestic violence. Camela minimized the violence in the household, and she and Tyrone reunited when he was released from military custody. Their daughter, Y.W., was bom on June 3, 2006.

During the evening of July 3, 2006, Tyrone and Camela had an argument. Tyrone left the home. Camela telephoned 911 and told the dispatcher that Tyrone hit and kicked her. When officers arrived, Camela refused to press charges. Around 3:00 a.m. on July 4, Camela went to Tyrone’s hotel room with the children and asked him to return home with them, which he did.

[844]*844Later that morning, Tyrone fed Y.W. from approximately 8:45 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and placed the baby back in her crib. He went back to sleep. Camela awoke at 10:00 a.m. She did not check on the baby because it was not her shift to watch the children. When Tyrone checked on Y.W. at noon, he discovered she was not breathing and called for emergency assistance. Attempts to resuscitate Y.W. were not successful. The medical examiner suspected the cause of death was sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Officers called to the home to assist with Y.W. observed Camela had a swollen left eye. She said she and Tyrone argued the previous night, but her injury was accidental.

On July 17, 2006, the Agency filed a petition under section 300, subdivision (b) alleging T.W. was at substantial risk of suffering serious physical harm or illness as a result of domestic violence between his parents in July 2006, and January and September 2005. The Agency sought an order temporarily detaining T.W. from his parents’ custody, which the court granted. The Agency placed T.W. in foster care.

In August 2006 the medical examiner released the report of its investigation into Y.W.’s death. Y.W.’s death was not inconsistent with SIDS. However, the autopsy revealed the baby had fractures on eight posterior right ribs and had similar, but smaller, heading fractures on three posterior left ribs. Dr. Christopher Swalwell, the deputy medical examiner, opined Y.W.’s rib fractures resulted from “trauma inflicted by another person.” The fractures were not directly related to the cause of death, officially described as “sudden unexplained death in infant with healing rib fractures.” The medical examiner listed the manner of death as “undetermined.” Because of reports of possible domestic violence in the household and Y.W.’s unexplained injuries, Dr. Swalwell considered the death “suspicious.”

A child abuse expert, Dr. Marilyn Kaufold, estimated the injuries to Y.W.’s right ribs were approximately 10 to 14 days old. The condition of the three left posterior ribs suggested these fractures were older than those on the right, consistent with two to four weeks of healing. Dr. Kaufold opined the rib fractures were “likely indicative of child abuse” and did not occur from birth or natural disease.

In late August 2006, physicians conducted a full skeletal survey on 13-month-old T.W. His test results were normal.

After the medical exanliner issued its report, the Agency filed an additional count to the petition under section 300, subdivision (e), later amended at the request of county counsel to section 300, subdivision (j), and to include both [845]*845parents. The court also granted county counsel’s request to delete the phrase “and has suffered severe physical abuse by the parent and the parent knew or reasonably should have known that the person was physically abusing the child’s sibling” from the petition. (§ 300, subd. (e).)

The final amended petition alleged Y.W. suffered severe physical abuse and damage inflicted nonaccidentally by the parents and there was a substantial risk T.W. would suffer severe physical abuse by the parents as defined by section 300, subdivisions (e) and (j)- The Agency recommended the court deny both parents reunification services and set a hearing to select and implement an out-of-home permanency plan for T.W.

At the contested jurisdiction and disposition hearing, the court admitted the Agency’s reports into evidence. The parents presented no affirmative evidence and did not cross-examine the social workers. The court found T.W. was a child described in section 300, subdivisions (b) and (j), and removed him from parental custody. In view of the parents’ conduct and the severe injuries inflicted on Y.W., the court found it was unlikely T.W. could be safely returned to parental custody within a 12-month reunification period and it was not in T.W.’s best interests to offer reunification services to either parent. (§ 300, subds. (h), (i).) The court bypassed reunification services under section 361.5, subdivision (b)(6) and set a permanency plan hearing. (§ 366.26.)

Tyrone and Camela each filed a petition for writ review under California Rules of Court, former rule 38.1, now rule 8.452. On January 8, 2007, this court deemed the notice of intent filed by Camela to be abandoned, and dismissed her case. With respect to Tyrone’s petition, this court issued an order to show cause and the parties waived oral argument.

DISCUSSION

A.

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Bluebook (online)
60 Cal. Rptr. 3d 486, 151 Cal. App. 4th 839, 2007 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 6308, 2007 Cal. App. LEXIS 890, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tyrone-w-v-superior-court-calctapp-2007.