Case Title: In re Children

Citation: 

Docket Number: SJC-12386

State: massachusetts

Court: Massachusetts Supreme Court

Date: 2018-04-02T00:00:00Z

Document:
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SJC-12386 
 
IN THE MATTER OF CHILDREN. 
 
 
April 2, 2018. 
 
 
Supreme Judicial Court, Superintendence of inferior courts. 
 
 
 
Frank LaMonde appeals from a judgment of a single justice 
of this court denying his petition pursuant to G. L. c. 211, 
§ 3.  We affirm. 
 
 
As best we can tell from the record before us, LaMonde's 
two minor children are in the temporary custody of the 
Department of Children and Families and have been since 
February, 2016.  Since that time, LaMonde has filed several 
emergency motions for custody.  In the most recent motion, filed 
in April, 2017, LaMonde not only seeks custody but also alleges 
that the children's mother, from whom LaMonde is divorced, is a 
danger to the children and has "kidnapped" them two or three 
times.1,2  The motion was denied. 
 
 
LaMonde then filed a petition with a single justice of the 
Appeals Court pursuant to G. L. c. 231, § 118, first par., 
seeking custody of the children.  He also alleged, in the 
                                                 
 
1 The two children are the subject of different proceedings 
in the Probate Court and the filings and events in the two cases 
do not exactly align.  It appears, however, from the motion in 
question for "emergency grant of children," that the same motion 
was filed in both cases. 
 
 
2 Although it is difficult to discern the details from the 
record before us, it appears that the alleged actions taken by 
the children's mother occurred before the Department of Children 
and Families took custody of the children. 
2 
 
 
 
petition, that the children's mother kidnapped the children and 
took them out of Massachusetts; that he reported the alleged 
kidnapping to both the Probate and Family Court Department and 
the local police; and that no one has pursued the matter.  The 
single justice denied the petition.  LaMonde's subsequent notice 
of appeal was struck (by a different justice) on the basis that 
there is no right to appeal from the denial of a petition filed 
pursuant to G. L. c. 231, § 118, first par.  LaMonde then filed 
his G. L. c. 211, § 3, petition, which appears to be the same 
document that he filed in the Appeals Court (i.e., the petition 
pursuant to G. L. c. 211, § 3, is the exact same as the petition 
pursuant to G. L. c. 231, § 118, first par.).  A single justice 
of this court denied the petition without a hearing. 
 
 
The case is now before us pursuant to S.J.C. Rule 2:21, as 
amended, 434 Mass. 1301 (2001), which requires a showing that 
"review of the trial court decision cannot adequately be 
obtained on appeal from any final adverse judgment in the trial 
court or by other available means."  S.J.C. Rule 2:21 (2).  
LaMonde has not made, and cannot make, such a showing.  He has 
already sought interlocutory review of the trial judge's rulings 
under G. L. c. 231, § 118, first par., and has been denied 
relief by a single justice of the Appeals Court.  He is not 
entitled to any additional review at this juncture.  See Iagatta 
v. Iagatta, 448 Mass. 1016, 1016 (2007); Greco v. Plymouth Sav. 
Bank, 423 Mass. 1019, 1019-1020 (1996) ("Review under G. L. 
c. 211, § 3, does not lie where review under c. 231, § 118, 
would suffice.").3 
 
 
To the extent that LaMonde also seeks, in this court, 
relief from the recent denials in the Probate and Family Court 
Department of his motion to expedite the custody proceedings, 
the issue was not before the single justice and we therefore 
need not consider it.  See Carvalho v. Commonwealth, 460 Mass. 
1014, 1014 (2011), and cases cited.  In any event, it appears 
from the Probate and Family Court docket for each child's case 
that status conferences in both are currently scheduled for May, 
2018. 
 
 
The single justice did not err or abuse her discretion in 
denying relief under G. L. c. 211, § 3. 
                                                 
 
3 LaMonde's petition pursuant to G. L. c. 211, § 3, after a 
single justice of the Appeals Court had already denied his 
petition pursuant to G. L. c. 231, § 118, first par., was 
nothing more than a second attempt to obtain review of the 
challenged interlocutory rulings of the trial court. 
3 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Judgment affirmed. 
 
 
The case was submitted on the papers filed, accompanied by 
a memorandum of law. 
 
 
Frank LaMonde, pro se.