F IL ED

N ovem ber 16, 1998

C eci l W . C r o w son

A ppel l a t e C our t

C l e r k

I N TH E CO U RT O F APPEALS O F TENN ESSEE

AT NAS HVI L L E

P E G G Y J EAN BRADF ORD, )

)

Pet i t i oner / A ppel l ant , )

) A ppeal N o .

VS. ) 01- A - 01- 9712- C V - 00689

)

JAM ES W I L L I A M AN DER S O N ) C o f f ee C i r cui t

a n d M Y R A A LEA ) N o . 25, 232

)

R espondent s / A ppel l ees, )

)

I N R E : R achel Lee A nder son )

 d/ o / b : 10/ 20/ 9 0 )

A P P E A L E D F ROM THE CI R C U I T COUR T OF COF F E E COUNT Y

AT M A N C H ESTER, TEN N ESSEE

T H E HONORA B L E GE R A L D L . E W E L L , S R . , J UDGE

J . BR OOKS F O X

M OORE & HED G E S

105 N . A t l ant i c St r eet

P . O . B ox 1810

Tul l ahom a , Tennessee 37388

A t t o r ney f o r Pet i t i oner / A ppel l ant

H . T HOM A S P A R S ONS

P A R S ONS , NI CHOL S & J OHNS O N

101 W est M a i n St r eet

M anchest e r , Tennessee 37355

A t t o r ney f o r R espondent s / A ppel l ees

A F F I R M ED AND RE M ANDED
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BEN H. CANTRE L L

P R E S I D I NG J UDGE , M . S .

CONCU R :

KOCH, J .

C A I N , J .

O P I N I O N

Thi s i s a cus t ody d i sput e bet w een t he chi l d ’ s f a t her and

t h e chi l d ’ s m a t e r nal gr andm o t her , w ho w a s nom i nat ed as t h e

cust odi a n i n t he w i l l of t he chi l d ’ s m o t her . The C i r cui t C our t of

C o ffe e C ount y aw a r ded cust ody t o t he f a t her and hi s m o t h e r . W e

a f f i r m .

I .

The chi l d , R achel Lee A nder son, w as bor n on O c t ober 22,

1990 t o Jam es W i l l i a m A nder son and Lees a D eyne Ander son. The

par ent s di vor ced on August 12, 1991 i n C o f f e e C o unt y , and t h e

m o t her w as aw a r ded cust ody of t he m i nor chi l d . Leesa Deyne

A nder son di ed suddenl y on Apr i l 29, 1997 l eavi ng a w i l l i n w h i ch she

appoi n t e d her par ent s , Peggy and Jer r y Br adf o r d as guar d i ans of t h e

chi l d . Jer r y Br adf o r d pr edeceased hi s daught e r on A p r i l 19, 1996.
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O n M ay 2, 1997 Peggy Br adf o r d f i l ed a pet i t i on f o r cust ody

i n t he C i r cui t C our t of C o f f ee C ount y . The pet i t i on n a m ed Jam e s

W illia m A nder son as a def endant and al l eged t hat he had dem anded

cust ody of t h e chi l d , but t hat pl aci ng t he chi l d i n hi s cus t ody w oul d

b e danger ous becaus e of hi s v i o l ent and aggr ess i v e beha v i o r and

psy chi a t r i c pr obl e m s .

Jam e s W i l l i a m A nder son obt a i ned per m i s s i on f o r h i s

m o t her M y r a A l e a t o i n t e r vene i n t he act i on. They f i l ed a

count e r c l a i m f o r j o i n t cust ody.

The pr o o f show s t hat si nce 1980 or bef o r e M r . A nder son

had a hi s t o r y of al cohol i s m and schi z ophr eni a , f o r w h i ch he dr a w s a

ser v i c e - r e l a t e d di sabi l i t y pens i on. I n t he past he has s how n a

p r opensi t y to i m p r ove and t hen r e l apse. H i s al cohol i s m m akes i t

m o r e l i kel y t hat hi s s chi z ophr eni a w i l l r ecur . I n t he o p i n i on of one

psy chi a t r i s t , a m an w i t h M r . A nder son’ s hi s t o r y w oul d have di f f i cul t y

w i t h i n t e r per sonal r e l a t i onshi ps and bei n g nur t u r i ng t o ot her s . A s a

r esul t , a chi l d i n hi s cus t ody w oul d be “ a t r i sk. ”

M r . A nder son o f f e r ed hi s t r eat i ng psy chi a t r i s t ’ s opi n i o n

t hat he w a s capabl e of t aki ng car e of t he chi l d and t hat t her e w as no

psy chi a t r i c pat hol ogy t hat w o u l d pr event hi m f r o m di schar g i ng hi s

par ent a l dut i es. D u r i ng t he si x t een m ont hs M r . A n d e r s o n has been
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under t he psy chi a t r i s t ’ s car e , he has been sober and has t aken t h e

m edi cat i o n pr escr i bed f o r t he schi z ophr eni a . I n t he opi n i on of t h e

doct o r , M r . A nder son has st eadi l y i m p r oved.

M r . A nder son t est i f i ed t hat he i n t ended t o t a ke t he chi l d

t o hi s m o t her ’ s hom e i n Fl o r i da unt i l he coul d m ake m o r e per m anent

l i v i n g ar r angem ent s . H i s s i s t e r l i ves about a m i l e aw ay f r o m hi s

m o t her , so s he can l end addi t i onal f a m i l y s uppor t . B o t h t h e m o t her

and si s t e r dr i nk soci a l l y .

The onl y t est i m ony about any aggr ess i ve behav i o r on th e

par t of M r . A nder son cam e f r o m t he m a t e r n a l g r a ndm o t her . She

t e s tifie d t hat she w as pr esent at t he hear i ng w hen her daught e r

obt a i ned an uncont est e d di vor ce. R eci t i ng her daught e r ’ s t est i m ony

i n t he f o r m e r t r i a l M s . B r adf o r d sai d her daught e r te s t i f i e d th a t M r .

A nder son had a hot t e m per and w oul d di spl ay i t i n publ i c . O n one

occasi on, M r . A nder son t h r eat ened t o com m i t sui c i de, and shot a

hol e i n t he f l oor o f th e i r tra i l e r . H e once hel d a gun t o hi s w i f e ’ s head,

and once l ocked her out of t he house i n t he r a i n . O ver M r . A nder son’ s

obj ect i on, t he t r i a l j udge adm i t t ed t h i s t e s t i m ony under R u l e

804( b ) ( a ) , Tenn. R . Evi d . W e w i l l not r evi e w t he cor r ect ness of t hat

r u lin g her e , because despi t e t hat evi dence, t he t r i a l j udge f ound t hat

M r . A nder son and hi s m o t h e r shoul d be gi ven j o i n t cust ody of t h e

chi l d .
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II.

N a t u r a l par ent s hav e a const i t u t i onal r i ght t o r a i se t hei r

chi l d r e n as t hey s ee f i t . H a w k v. H a w k , 855 S. W . 2d 573 ( Tenn. 1993) .

O n l y w hen i t i s neces sar y t o pr event ser i ous har m to t he chi l d , m a y

t he st a t e i n t e r f e r e w i t h t he r i ght s of nat u r a l par ent s . I d . at 580.

Ther e f o r e , in a cont est bet w een a par ent

and a non- par ent , a par ent cannot be depr i ved

o f t he cust ody of a chi l d unl ess t her e has been

a f i ndi ng, af t e r not i ce r equi r ed by due pr ocess ,

o f subs t ant i a l har m t o t he chi l d . O n l y t hen

m a y a cour t engage i n a gener a l “ best i n t e r est

o f t he chi l d ” eval uat i on i n m a k i ng a

det e r m i nat i on of cust ody.

I n R e A dopt i on of Fem a l e C h i l d , 896 S. W . 2d 546 at 548 ( Tenn. 1995) .

The bur den is o n t he one seeki ng t o depr i ve t he nat u r a l

par ent of t he cust ody of hi s or her chi l d t o pr ove t hat t he pa r ent ’ s

cust ody poses a r i sk of ser i ous har m t o t he chi l d . I n R e C r a w f o r d ,

02A 01- 9405- C H - 00124 ( f i l ed at Jackson, Feb. 22, 1995) . W e a r e

sat i s f i e d t hat t he gr andm o t her has f a i l e d t o car r y t hat bur den i n t h i s

case. A l t hough t he f a t her has s e r i ous m ent a l and dependency

p r obl e m s , hi s t r eat i ng phys i c i an expr ess ed hi s opi n i on t hat he posed

n o t h r eat t o t he chi l d . I n al l of t he st r ange behavi o r t hat he exhi b i t e d

dur i n g hi s i l l ness , t he pr oof di d not r eveal t hat he ever posed a t h r eat

t o t he chi l d .
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A l t hough t he t r i a l j udge di d n o t m ake a speci f i c f i ndi n g

t hat t he f a t her di d not pose a t h r eat t o t he chi l d , such a f i ndi ng i s

i m p lic i t in hi s cus t ody or der . H i s or der does r eci t e t he f a t her ’ s pas t

subs t ance abuse and ps ychi a t r i c pr obl e m s but i t r e l i es on t h e

tre a t i n g phys i c i an’ s t est i m ony t hat t h e condi t i ons w e r e i n r e m i s s i o n

and t he “ gener a l st a t e of t he l a w i n Tennesse e r e l a t i ve t o gr ant i n g

p r e f e r ence t o par ent s ov e r al l ot her s . ” The cour t concl udes by say i n g

t hat “ t he pr oof m a n d a t es t hat t he r espondent / f a t her , t he nat u r a l

f a t her o f th i s chi l d , be gi ven her cust ody and be gi ven an oppor t uni t y

t o r a i se her j o i n t l y w i t h hi s m o t her . ” W e do not t h i nk t he pr oof

p r eponder a t es agai nst t hat f i ndi ng.

B o t h si des ar gue t h a t th e i r exper t ’ s opi n i on shoul d be

g i ven p r i m a r y w e i ght . The gr andm o t her ar gues t hat t he t r eat i n g

p s y chi a t r i s t had not r evi e w ed t he m edi cal r ecor ds cov e r i ng M r .

A n d e r son’ s ent i r e ei ght een year hi s t o r y of m ent a l i l l ness . M r .

A nder son ar gues t hat t he gr andm o t her ’ s exper t of f e r ed an opi n i o n

b a s e d ent i r e l y on t he m edi cal r ecor ds w i t hout any per sonal

obser vat i on. W e t h i nk under t hose ci r cum s t ances t he t r i a l j udge had

t o m ake a det e r m i nat i on about w h i ch w i t ness w as m o r e cr edi b l e .

That det e r m i nat i on i s e n t i t l ed t o gr eat w e i ght on appeal . S t a t e ex

r e l . B a l s i nger v. Tow n of M adi sonv i l l e , 435 SW . 2d 803 ( Tenn. 1968) .
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The gr andm o t her al so ar gues t hat th e w i l l nom i nat i ng her

a s cust odi an of t he chi l d shoul d be gi ven s o m e consi der a t i o n . Sh e

c i t e s Te n n . C ode A nn. § 34- 12- 103, a gener a l st a t u t e gover n i ng t h e

appoi n t m ent of guar d i ans. I n t hat st a t u t e , per sons desi gnat ed i n th e

w ill of a par ent or par ent s ar e consi der ed f o r guar d i anshi p j u s t a fte r

t he par ent s t hem sel ves .

W e do not t h i nk t h e st a t u t e has any appl i cat i on her e . Thi s

i s not a guar d i anshi p pr oceedi ng. I f i t w e r e , t he st a t u t e gi ves f i r s t

p l ace t o par ent s . Ther e f o r e , w e r e j ect t he ar gum ent t hat t he st a t u t e

w oul d have a bear i ng on t h i s cas e .

The j udgm ent of t he cour t bel o w i s af f i r m ed and t he cause

i s r e m anded t o t he C i r cui t Co u r t of C o f f ee C ount y f o r any f u r t her

p r oceedi ngs t hat m ay becom e necess a r y . Tax t he cost s on appeal

t o t he appel l ant .

______________________________________

BEN H. C A N T R E L L , P R E S I D I NG J UDGE ,

M . S .

CONCU R :

_____________________________

W I L L I AM C. KOCH, J R . , J UDGE
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_____________________________

W I L L I AM B. CA I N , J UDGE