Title: IN THE MATTER OF THE ADOPTION OF: M.J.S.

State: oklahoma

Issuer: Oklahoma Supreme Court

Document:

IN THE MATTER OF THE ADOPTION OF: M.J.S.  IN THE MATTER OF THE ADOPTION OF: M.J.S. 2007 OK 44 162 P.3d 211 Case Number: 104240; Companion w/103263 Decided: 05/22/2007 Consolidated w/ No. 103837 THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA IN THE MATTER OF THE ADOPTION OF: M.J.S., a minor child. APPEAL FROM THE DISTRICT COURT OF TULSA COUNTY ¶0 The appellees, foster parents, filed an objection with the district court to the Department of Human Services' (Department/DHS) removal of M.J.S. (child) from their home. Three days later, the foster parents instituted adoption proceedings. The appellants, the child's relatives (relatives), and DHS intervened with the relatives filing a cross petition for adoption. Although DHS withheld its consent to M.J.S. being adopted by the foster parents and agreed to adoption by the relatives, the trial court allowed the foster parents to adopt M.J.S. based on the child's best interests. Following appeal of the adoption decision, the relatives filed a motion for new trial on grounds of newly discovered evidence. Although the trial court acknowledged that the evidence presented was material and of a character, if uncontroverted, that would have changed the placement decision, she denied the motion for new trial based on a determination that the new evidence could have been discovered prior to trial of the adoption matter. In a third proceeding, relying on the same evidence utilized by the relatives in their motion for new trial, the Department filed a petition to vacate based on allegations of fraud. Determining that the original judgment was procured by fraud, the trial court vacated the judgment in favor of the foster parents', dismissing their petition to adopt and left the child in the permanent custody of DHS with authority to seek other appropriate preadoptive placement for the child. The first two causes are consolidated and the third is treated as a companion case. We hold that: 1) in accord with State ex rel. Dept. of Institutions, Social & Rehabilitative Serv. v. Griffis, AFFIRMED IN PART; REVERSED IN PART; AND REMANDED. A. Craig Abrahamson, Tulsa, Oklahoma, For Appellants, Kirsten Ingrid Bernhardt, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Charles Kevin Morrison, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Mark A. Zanotti, Tulsa, Oklahoma, For Appellees, Catherine Ann O'Leary, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Jonna Sue Geitgey, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Yvonne Fisher Glick, Tulsa, Oklahoma, For Department of Human Services, Julie Kaye McMahon, Tulsa County Public Defender, Tulsa, Oklahoma, For Child. WATT, J.: ¶1 The retained appeal, consolidated matter and companion case all involve the same adoption proceeding and will be resolved by a single opinion in the instant appeal. ¶2 In accordance with State ex rel. Dept. of Institutions, Social & Rehabilitative Serv. v. Griffis, FACTS ¶3 In August of 2004, DHS was notified that the child, a newborn, tested positive for cocaine. M.J.S. was placed in protective custody and adjudicated as deprived on September 22, 2004, after the mother stipulated to the allegations of drug use. Thereafter, the father also stipulated to the allegations and a treatment plan was approved. ¶4 The child was hospitalized until September 1, 2004, when she was discharged into emergency foster care. The foster parents obtained custody on September 7th, dealing with the child's major medical problems associated with her prenatal history of drug exposure, including suffering from drug withdrawal. Currently, M.J.S. is developmentally delayed, has continued problems with asthma and ear infections and is at a high risk for respiratory problems. It is undisputed that: the child has had expert care during her placement with the foster parents; the foster parents have provided a loving and nurturing home environment; and the child and the foster parents are emotionally bonded. ¶5 On November 12, 2004, the father notified the social worker that he wanted the child placed with the relatives in Texas until he had the opportunity to "get on his feet." Later in the month, the social worker spoke with the relatives who expressed an interest in adopting the child. However, the social worker rejected the relatives as a placement because of concerns that the child might be returned to the father. In February of the following year, the father advised the social worker that he might be willing to relinquish his parental rights if the relatives were allowed to adopt M.J.S. ¶6 The father relinquished his parental rights on March 11, 2005, again requesting that the relatives be allowed to adopt M.J.S. The social worker did not hear from the relatives between November of 2004 and March 30, 2005, when the relatives began receiving reports of progress made towards adoption proceedings involving the child. On April 4, 2005, the mother's parental rights were terminated and the child was placed in the Department's permanent custody affording DHS the statutory authority to consent to the child's adoption. ¶7 The cause was transferred to the Adoption Transition Unit and a new social worker was assigned to M.J.S. The foster parents' home study was completed on September 20, 2005. The relatives contacted the new social worker who determined that the original worker had not adequately researched her concerns regarding placement with the relatives. The new social worker requested a home study for relatives, which was initiated in May and completed in November of 2005. Both home studies were approved. Between November and January, there were four congenial visitations between the child and the relatives. ¶8 On December 7, 2005, DHS served the foster parents with a 5-day notice to remove M.J.S., to which they objected. The foster parents filed a petition for adoption on December 15, 2005. The trial court stayed the removal and entered an order on December 30, 2005, indicating that the petition for adoption would be heard in lieu of the objection to removal. The relatives intervened in the adoption proceeding filing a cross petition for adoption. ¶9 In reviewing the evidence from the adoption proceeding, the trial court recognized that the home studies indicated both homes and families were equally qualified as adoptive families. While both the relatives and the foster parents had the flexibility in employment to meet the needs of the child when demands arose, each of the two families had other advantages. The relatives were supporting two children, living in a larger home with more amenities, had a higher income and were younger and healthier. The foster parents were supporting one child, had plans to relocate to a larger house and were debt free. While the relatives were familiar with some of the child's health issues and had made contacts in the medical community regarding her needs, the foster parents had cared successfully not only for M.J.S. and D.D., as drug-addicted infants, but other foster children as well. Although the relatives were ambivalent concerning their willingness to adopt D.D. because of his apparent lack of blood relationship with them, the foster parents expressed a desire to adopt D.D. if parental rights were terminated and to raise M.J.S. and D.D. together. ¶10 On November 14, 2005, DHS recommended that the relatives be authorized to adopt the child. The trial court heard evidence on two days in January, allowed the submission of briefs in lieu of closing arguments and took the cause under advisement. On March 22, 2006, the trial court filed a lengthy document entitled, "Decision," in which it was determined that: the best interests of M.J.S. required that the foster parents' objection to her proposed removal be sustained; the foster parents' petition for adoption be granted; and the relatives' cross-petition for adoption be denied.12 The journal entry of final order, reflecting the same result as the "decision" issued earlier, was filed on April 25, 2006. ¶11 The relatives filed their petition in error on April 19, 2006. On the 26th, they filed a supplemental petition in error along with a motion to retain. The motion was granted on May 16, 2006. The briefing cycle was completed on July 27, 2006, with the filing of the relatives' reply brief. ¶12 In June of 2006, one of the relatives viewed a news report involving sex offenders. Afterwards, she conducted an internet search which revealed an offender with the same name as the foster father. The relative contacted a private investigator. The investigator's report absolved the foster father as not the individual identified on the website. Nevertheless, it did reveal that the foster father had been less than candid in his testimony regarding financial affairs as to the couple's lack of any debts, their ability to obtain a larger residence and the time and manner in which the couple acquired ownership of their home. ¶13 On July 18, 2006, the relatives advised the Court that a post-trial motion requesting a new trial had been filed in the trial court.13 The motion was based on the newly discovered evidence found in Texas public records. The records revealed: the existence of several tax liens in amounts exceeding one million dollars;14 bankruptcy filings in 1997 and in 2001 in which it appeared the foster parents had not revealed all their assets in violation of federal law; and a homeowners' association lien for failure to pay assessments. Although the foster father testified that the couple purchased their residence in 2000 as an investment, deeds located in the Tulsa County Courthouse revealed that the residence was listed in the name of the foster mother's father when purchased in 2000, coming into the foster couple's name with the filing of a general warranty deed in 2005. The residence does not appear as an asset on the 2001 bankruptcy filing. The investigative report also revealed that the foster mother, when listing her year of birth, utilized two dates differing by two years and that she utilized the more flattering date on DHS applications and forms. ¶14 In an order filed on September 12, 2006, the trial court recognized that it had entered its original adoption decision based on the foster father's uncontroverted trial testimony that a new residence could be afforded and attained to correct a DHS concern with regard to residential space. Recognizing that the foster parents' previous decision-making processes bordered on unethical, if not illegal, the trial court determined that the newly discovered evidence was material and such that would probably change the result if a new trial were granted. It further found that if the evidence went uncontroverted in a new trial, it would impact the Court's determination on financial ability and on the foster parents' moral and ethical qualifications as they related to the child's best interests. Nevertheless, because the trial court determined that, with due diligence, the evidence could have been obtained before trial, it overruled the motion for a new trial. ¶15 After being informed that the trial court had ruled on the new trial motion, the adoption and new trial matters were consolidated and an expedited briefing schedule was set. The final brief was filed on November 15, 2006; and the record on the new trial motion was received from the trial court on November 22, 2006. On December 29, 2006, we were notified that the trial court had granted the Department's motion to vacate its original adoption decision.15 Subsequent thereto, the parties were directed to explain why the consolidated appeals should not be dismissed. We were advised that dismissal would be inappropriate should the foster family appeal the dismissal order, which they did with the filing of their petition in error on January 25, 2007. The briefing schedule was completed with the filing of the foster parents' reply brief on March 19, 2007. However, the transcript of the vacation hearing, which was designated of record, was not filed in this Court until April 25, 2007. DISCUSSION ¶16 a. The Department's authority to consent to the adoption of a child pursuant to 10 O.S. 2001 §7003-5.5(H)(3) does not divest the trial court's duty to determine the best interests of the child in an adoption proceeding. ¶17 Once the child was placed with the Department pursuant to 10 O.S. 2001 §7003-5.5(H)(3),16 the relatives assert that D.H.S. had exclusive authority to consent to the child's adoption, leaving the trial court merely to "rubber stamp" the recommendation. They argue this proposition despite their recognition that it is clearly the trial court's statutory duty to determine best interests in every adoption case.17 Conversely, the foster parents contend that the Department's authority to recommend an adoptive family does not override the trial court's responsibility to determine the child's best interests. We agree with the foster parents' contention. ¶18 Title 10 O.S. 2001 §7003-5.5(H)(3) provides in pertinent part: ". . . Provided, that where the court places the child with the Department, it shall vest the Department with authority to place the child and upon notice to the court that an adoption petition has been filed concerning such child, invest the Department with authority to consent to the adoption of the child, and the jurisdiction of the committing court shall terminate upon final decree of adoption." ¶19 We have not addressed this particular statute. Nevertheless, we have considered similar statutory language18 dealing with the right of the Department to consent to an adoption in a decision addressing the precise issue presented here -- whether the district court had jurisdiction to hear and determine the matter of the foster parents' adoption petition, notwithstanding the Department's refusal to consent to such an adoption. ¶20 Title 10 O.S. Supp. 1974 §60.05 provided that adoption of a child could be decreed "when there ha[d] been filed written consent to adoption executed by" the Department's head or designee. The statute required a Department employee to appear in court and to "give written consent for the adoption of such child by the family whose application for adoption ha[d] been approved by the Department." ¶21 The effect of the statutory language was considered in State ex rel. Dept. of Institutions, Social & Rehabilitative Serv. v. Griffis, 1975 OK 164, ¶25, 545 P.2d 763 , 83 A.L.R.3d 363. The Griffis Court held that, despite the language indicating the necessity for Department approval of adoptions, the district court was constitutionally vested with jurisdiction to determine whether the adoption would promote the best interests of the child and that the decision could not be delegated to the Department. ¶22 The facts here and those present in Griffis are substantially similar. In both cases, similar statutory language is at issue, the child was determined to be dependent and neglected, parental rights were voluntarily relinquished, the child was placed in foster care and subsequently placed with the Department for the purpose of finding a suitable adoptive home. The one remarkable difference is that, in Griffis, the Department withheld its consent for foster care adoption based on what it viewed as unfavorable situations in the foster home -- here, both the relatives and the foster parents received favorable home study reports. ¶23 The reasons announced in Griffis for rejecting the contention that the adoption could not be completed without the Department's consent are equally persuasive today. Adoption remains a function which requires the exercise of judicial power vested in the courts by Article 7 of the Oklahoma Constitution. To adopt the position urged by the foster parents would leave the Department, not the court, as the final arbiter in an adoption proceeding. Furthermore, the Department would be invested with a power not all natural parents enjoy, i.e. those whose parental bond is severed without consent19 -- to thwart an adoption that serves the child's best interests. ¶24 Today, as in Griffis, the primary issue in an adoption proceeding remains whether the child's best interests are promoted. Not only is this a well settled jurisprudential rule,20 it has the imprimatur of the Oklahoma Legislature. Title 10 O.S. 2001 §7501-1.2 specifically provides that the purpose of the Adoption Code is to "ensure and promote the best interests of the child in adoption."21 Therefore, consistent with State ex rel. Dept. of Institutions, Social & Rehabilitative Serv. v. Griffis, 1975 OK 164, ¶25, 545 P.2d 763 , 83 A.L.R.3d 363, we hold that the grant of authority to the Department to consent to the adoption of a child pursuant to 10 O.S. 2001 §7003-5.5(H)(3)22 does not divest the trial court's duty to determine the best interests of the child in adoption proceedings.23 ¶25 Two nonprecedential24 Court of Civil Appeals opinions have visited the issue of whether the Department may withhold consent and thereby direct the decision of the district court in an adoption proceeding. In re Adoption of D.D.B., 2004 OK CIV APP 31, 87 P.3d 1112 , promulgated by Division II, holds that the trial court has jurisdiction to review the decision of the Department to refuse to consent to an adoption petition. Division I held to the contrary in Matter of E.C.B., 2003 OK CIV APP 5, 62 P.3d 789 . To the extent that E.C.B. fails to conform with the principles announced today, it is hereby expressly overruled. ¶26 b. The trial court erred in its refusal to grant a new trial when the new evidence produced concerned the matter of the child's best interests and where the evidence, if uncontroverted, admittedly would change the original adoption determination. ¶27 The foster parents correctly point out that this Court upholds the decision of a trial court on a motion for new trial absent a showing of abuse of discretion25 and that motions filed on grounds of newly discovered evidence are viewed with disfavor.26 Because they assert that the evidence concerning the foster parents' financial situation could have been discovered prior to trial with the exercise of due diligence, the foster parents argue that the refusal to grant a new trial must be affirmed. Although the relatives contend that they demonstrated due diligence, they also claim that a new trial should be granted because the nature of the evidence weighs heavily against a finding that an adoption by the foster parents would serve the child's best interests. On this issue, we agree with the relatives.27 ¶28 Joliff v. Joliff, ". . . This [due diligence] is not the decisive factor in affirming the trial court's decision in this case because while it is certainly true that courts 'view with disfavor motions for new trial based on newly-discovered evidence . . .' and that 'such motions should be examined with caution . . . ,' we likewise view with equal disfavor custody decrees not based on the best interest of the child. . . ." [Footnotes omitted. Emphasis in original.] While the Joliff Court upheld the trial court's decision to deny a new trial, it did so largely because the trial court reviewed the Department's report and did not change its custody decision. Finally, the Court was adamant that the public should "make no mistake," that its first concern was the welfare of the child and that the trial court was being affirmed under the narrow set of facts presented. ¶29 Here, the trial court's order provides in pertinent part: ". . . The evidence presented at the hearing are [sic] material to the issue of the child's best interest - current and long term. . . . The evidence presented at the hearing is further material to the issue of the child's best interest because it tends to demonstrate the Petitioners' ability or non-ability to deal appropriately and legally with financial issues and the consequences thereof. Their previous decision-making processes bordered on questionably unethical, if not illegal, thinking. The character of potential adoptive parents is an important issue to the best interest of any child. . . . The Court further finds that the evidence is such that would probably change the result if a new trial is granted. Clearly, if uncontroverted at trial, this evidence substantially alters the complexion of the evidence presented at trial in that it directly impacts the Court's determination that the Petitioners' income was sufficient to provide a suitable home. It further impacts the Court's determination that the Petitioners were morally and ethically qualified to be considered as potential adoptive parents. This evidence clearly negates the foster parent preference factor in the Court's ultimate decision regarding the best interests of this child. . . ." [Emphasis provided.] Despite its clearly voiced concerns as to the adoptive parents' qualifications and the child's best interests, the trial court denied the relatives' petition for new trial because it believed that, as readily as the information was discovered once the relative mother's interest was piqued regarding the child molester issue, the same evidence could have been discovered with the exercise of due diligence either before the adoption proceedings began or within ten days of the trial's conclusion. ¶30 This Court sanctions adoptions when they serve the child's best interests. CONCLUSION ¶31 This Court does not dismiss the importance of the Department's recommendation or the worthiness of its consideration in adoption matters nor do we discount the need to consider statutorily provided preferential considerations when all factors in a custody matter are equal. Nevertheless, we hold that the right of the Department to consent to the adoption of a child under 10 O.S. 2001 §7003-5.5(H)(3)32 does not usurp the trial court's duty to allow adoption based on a determination of the child's best interests. ¶32 We are also mindful of the formidable task a trial court faces when rendering an adoption decision. However, under the teachings of Joliff v. Joliff, 1992 OK 38, 829 P.2d 34 , we determine that the character of the newly discovered evidence, which weighs heavily on the child's best interests, and the trial court's acknowledgment that it would change its adoption recommendation had the evidence, if uncontroverted, been presented in the original adoption hearing, requires that a new trial be conducted. ¶33 We express no opinion on the final decision to be rendered.33 The cause is remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion. AFFIRMED IN PART; REVERSED IN PART; AND REMANDED. WINCHESTER, C.J., EDMONDSON, V.C.J., WATT, TAYLOR, COLBERT, JJ. - CONCUR KAUGER, J. - CONCURS IN RESULT LAVENDER, HARGRAVE, OPALA, JJ. - CONCUR IN PART; DISSENT IN PART FOOT