1 ... S ee Te x. R. App . P. 47. 4. 2 ... Beca us e m i nors are i nvol ved i n t hi s app ea l , w e i den t i f y a l l pa rt i esby i n i ti a l s o n l y . S ee T e x . F a m . C o d e A n n . § 1 0 9 .0 0 2 (d ) (V e rn o n 2 0 0 8 ).



## COURT OFAPPEA LS SE COND DIST RIC TOF TE XAS FORT WORTH NOS. 2 - 09 - 34 1- CV 2 - 0 9 - 3 4 3 - CV S. C. S. AN D K. J. S. APPE L L AN TS V . TEX A S D EPA RTM EN T O F FAM I LY A N D A PPELL EE PRO TEC TI V E SERV I C ES

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FR O M THE 158TH DI STRI CT CO URT O F DENTO N CO UN TY

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### MEMORANDU M OPI NI ON 1

----- ----- -- I . I NT R ODU CT I ON Appe l l a nts K. J. S. a nd S. C. S. a p p e a l fro m t h e t r ia l c o u rt ’s d e n ia l o f t h e ir 2 m ot i o n s fo r d i s c l o s u re o f i n fo r ma t i o n fro m C h i l d P ro t e c t i v e S e r v i c e s (CPS)3 ... T h e T e x a s P u b l i c In fo rm a ti o n A c t (“ T P IA ” ) re q u i re s p u b l i c d i s c l o s u re

of gov ernm entdoc um ents and i nform at i on upon requ es t , w i t h e xce pt i ons . Tex . G ov’ tCode Ann. §§ 552 . 101 –. 106 ( V ernon 2004) , §§ . 107 –. 108 ( V er non Supp. 2009 ) , §§ . 109 – . 1 15 (V ernon 2004) , §§ . 116 –. 117 6 ( V ernon Supp . 2009) , § . 118 (

Verno n 2004) , § . 119 ( Verno n Sup p. 2009 ) , §§ . 120–. 131 (V e rn o n 2 0 0 4 ), § .1 3 2 (V e rn o n S u p p . 2 0 0 9 ), § § .1 3 2 5 – .1 3 6 (V e rn o n 2 0 0 4 ), § § .1 3 7 – .1 4 2 (V e rn o n S u p p . 2 0 0 9 ), § § 5 5 2 .0 2 1 , 5 5 2 .2 2 1 (V e rn o n 2 0 0 4 ). A perso n s ee ki ng s uch doc um ents and i nform at i on m ay f i l e s ui tfor a w r i tof m and am us or

an ac t i on for

a dec l arat or

y j udgm entag ai ns ta gove r nm ent al body for vi ol at i ng t he TPI A . Tex . G ov’ t C ode A nn. §§ 552. 321 , 552 . 321 5 ( V ernon 2 0 0 4 ). Sect i on 261. 201 of

t he Texa s Fam i l y C ode exc l ude s C PS d ocu m ents and in fo r m a t i o n re la t in g t o a n in v e s t ig a t io n o f c h ild a b u s e o r

n e g le c tfro m p u b lic re l e a s e u n d e r th e T P IA . T e x . F a m . C o d e § 2 6 1 .2 0 1 (a ) (V e rn o n S u p p . 2 0 0 9 ). Thi s se ct i on e stabl i sh esa sp ec i fi c p roce dure b y w hi ch su ch doc um ents and i n fo rm a ti o n m a y b e d i sc l o se d u p o n m o ti o n a n d s p e c i fi c fi n d i n g s b y a tri a l co u rt . S ee Te x. F a m . Cod e § 261 . 201(b) ( Verno n Sup p. 2009 ) . W e fin d t h a t , in t h is case, t hi s procedu re w as fol l ow ed, and t he t r i al co urth ad j ur i sdi ct i on t o order w het her

t he confi denti al C PS docum ent s and i nfor m at i on A ppel l ant s request ed s h o u l d , o r s h o u l d n o t, b e d i s c l o s e d . I n addi t i on, an order w hi ch pur port s t o di spose of al l i ssues and al l part i es i sa fi n a l a p p e a l a b l e o rd e r. St at e v . O w ens , 907 S . W . 2 d 4 84, 485 (Tex. 1 9 9 5 ); N orm and v. Fox , 940 S . W . 2d 401, 403 (Tex. A pp. — W ac o 1997, no w ri t); Jobe v. La pi dus , 8 7 4 S . W . 2 d 7 6 4 , 7 6 5 (T e x . A p p .— D a lla s 1 9 9 4 , w r it den i ed) . I n a fi nal j udgm ent , no furt her ac t i on by t he t r i al co urtw i l l be n e c e s s a ry to s e ttle a n d d e te rm i n e th e e n ti re c o n tro v e rs y . N orm and , 940 S. W . 2d a t403; Retana v. Tan ner , 86 9 S. W . 2d 66 9, 67 0 ( Tex . A p p .— S an A nt oni o 1994, no w r i t) . H ere, t he t r i al court ’ s A ugus t5 , 2009 orders den yi ng A ppe l l ants’ m ot i onsap pea r t o be fi nal . Thus , w e co nc l ud e t hatw e h ave j u ri s d i c ti o n to c o n s i d e r t h i s a p p e a l . S ee Te x. Gov ’ tCod e Ann . § 22 . 220 (V e rn o n S u p p . 2 0 0 9 ) (d e l i n e a ti n g th e j u ri s d i c ti o n o f a p p e l l a te c o u rts ). 2 records. A p p e l l a n ts c o n te n d th e tri a l c o u rt e rre d i n fi n d i n g th a t th e d i s c l o s u re

3 o f t h e C P S re c o rd s is n o te s s e n t ia l t o t h e a d m in is t ra t io n o f ju s t ic e . W e w ill a ffirm .4 ... A ppe l l ants l i ved t oge t her att he t i m e o f

t he al l ega t i onsan d t he C PS i n v e s ti g a ti o n .

5 ... A lt h o u g h t h e re c o rd is u n c le a r , w e a s s u m e t h a tt h e O k la h o m a c h ild w el fare a ut hor i t i esco nduc t ed t hi s i nve st i gat i on. 3 I I . B AC K GR OUN D O n J u n e 1 7 , 2 0 0 9 , K .J .S ., a s e lf-e m p lo y e d fa m ily p h y s ic ia n , a n d h is fi ancée, S. C . S . , a sel f- em pl oye d, board- cert i fi ed nurse pract i t i oner , fi l ed se parat e m ot i onsfor di sc l os ure o f

i nform at i on from a C PS i nve st i gat i on c o ndu ct ed short l y aft er K . J. S . refused hi s for m er m ot her - i n- l aw ’ s requestto sh ort en hi s 200 8 C hr i st m asvi si t at i on w i t h hi s four - yea r - ol d da ught er . T he C PS i nve st i gat i on c onc erned al l ega t i onsof s exu al ab us e o f

K. J. S. ’ s daug hter

an d S. C. S. ’ s fi ve - ye a r - ol d s on by A ppe l l a nts , a s w e l l a s a l l e ga t i on s t ha tS. C. S. neg l i gen t l y s upe r

vi se d he r

s on. CPS de t erm i ned t he al l ega t i onsof ab us e a nd 4 negl i gent super

vi si on by A ppel l ant s t o be “rul ed out. ” C PS al so co nduc t ed an i nve st i gat i on of A ppe l l ants i n Cart er County, O kl ahom a, i n w hi ch t he al l ega t i onsw ere “ rul ed out . ” B ot h i nve st i gat i ons

5 o c c u rre d d u ri n g K .J .S .’s e x te n d e d v i s i ta ti o n s w i th h i s d a u g h te r. A tt he Jul y 29, 2009 he ar i ng , A ppe l l ants t es t i fi ed t hatt hey s oughtt he re l e a s e o f c o n fi d e n ti a l i n fo rm a ti o n to d e te rm i n e w h e th e r c ri m i n a l a c ti o n , c i v il a c ti o n , o r b o th s h o u l d b e ta k e n a g a i n s t th e p e rs o n m a k i n g th e s e “ fa l s e re p o rts .” B o t h t e s t ifie d t h a tif t h e a lle g a t io n s b e c a m e p u b lic , itw o u ld d a m a g e t h e ir6 ... Th i s st at em ental so appears as t he t r i al co urt ’ s sol e concl usi on of l aw . 4 m edi ca l prac t i ce s. Appel l ants al so st at ed t hey be l i eve d t he rel ea se of t he i n fo rm a ti o n w a s e ss e n ti a l to th e ad m i n i strati o n o f j u sti c e an d w a s n o t l i k e l y to e n d a n g e r a n y o n e i n v o l v e d . Fol l ow i ng t he hea r i ng, t he t r i al co urtco nduc t ed an i n c am era revi ew of t he C PS rec ords and den i ed bot h m ot i ons . The t r i al co urt ’ s fi ndi ngsof fac tan d con cl us i onsof

l aw i ncl ude d t he fol l ow i ng: 3. Di sc l os ure o f

t he repo rtan d t he i denti ty of t he perso n m ak i ng reporti s notessent i al t o t he adm i ni st rat i on of j ust i ce. 6 4. Di sc l os ure w oul d notbe l i ke l y t o end ang er t he l i fe o r s afety of t he chi l dren, t he perso n w ho m ade t he repo rt , or an y ot her

pe rso n part i ci pat i ng i n t he i nve st i gat i on. 5. D i scl osure w oul d t end t o st i fl e report s i n t he fut ure i n t hi s case. A p p e l l a n ts ti m e l y fi l e d a n o ti c e o f a p p e a l . I I I . DI S CU S S I ON I n tw o poi nt s, A ppe l l ants con t end t hat t he t r i al cou rt ( 1) erred by not fi ndi ng t he di scl osure of C PS records essent i al t o t he adm i ni st rat i on of j ust i ce a n d , th e re b y , (2 ) a b u s e d i ts d i s c re ti o n b y d e n y i n g th e i r m o ti o n s . A . St andard of

Rev i ew To det erm i ne w het her a t r i al co urtab us ed i t s di sc ret i on, w e m us tde ci de w het her

t he t r i al co urta cted w i t houtreferenc e t o a ny g ui di ng rul esor pr i nci pl es ; i n ot her

w ords , w e m us tde ci de w het her t he ac tw asarbi t rar y or5

u n re a s o n a b l e . L o w v . H e n ry , 2 2 1 S .W .3 d 6 0 9 , 6 1 4 (T e x . 2 0 0 7 ); Ci re v. C um m i ngs , 134 S . W . 3d 835, 838– 39 (Tex. 2004 ) . An appe l l at e c ourtca nnot c o n c l u d e tha t a tri a l co u rtab u se d i ts d i sc reti o n m e rel y b e c a u se the ap p e l l a te c o u rt w o u l d h a v e ru l e d d i ffe re n tl y i n th e s a m e c i rc u m s ta n c e s . E. I . du Pontde N em ours & Co. v. Robi ns on , 9 2 3 S .W .2 d 5 4 9 , 5 5 8 (T e x . 1 9 9 5 ); se e a l so Lo w , 2 2 1 S .W .3 d a t 6 2 0 . A n a b u s e o f d i s c re ti o n d o e s n o t o c c u r w h e n th e tri a l c o u rt b a s e s its d e c i s i o n s o n c o n fl i c ti n g e v i d e n c e . I n re Bar ber , 982 S. W . 2d 364, 366 (Tex. 1998 ) (or i g. proce edi ng) . Furt herm ore, an ab us e o f di sc ret i on do esnot o c c u r as l o n g as so m e e v i d e n c e o f su b sta n ti v e a n d p rob a ti v e ch a rac ter ex i sts to s u p p o rt th e tria l c o u rt’s d e c i s i o n . But naru v. Ford M ot or Co. , 84 S . W . 3d 1 9 8 , 2 1 1 (T e x . 2 0 0 2 ). B . T r i al Court s H ave Li m i t ed D i sc ret i on t o O rder D i sc l os ure o f

Reco rds of A l l eged C hi l d A buse or N egl ect Sect i on 261. 201 (a) of the Texa s Fam i l y Code d es i gna t est he fol l ow i ng in fo r m a t io n a s c o n fid e n t ia l: ( 1) a reportof

al l eged or

suspect ed abuse or negl ect m ade und er t hi s cha pt er

an d t he i den t i ty of t he perso n m ak i ng t he repo rt ; an d ( 2) exceptas other

w i se provi ded i n t hi s sect i on, the fi l es, report s, rec ords , co m m uni ca t i ons , au di ot ape s, vi deo t ape s, an d w orki ng pap ers us ed or

de ve l op ed i n a n i nve st i gat i on [ of al l ege d a bus e o r n e g l e c t]. T e x . F a m . C o d e . A n n . § 2 6 1 .2 0 1 (a ).7 ... Th i s t er m i s notdefi ned by st at ut e. 8 ... S e c ti o n 2 6 1 .2 0 1 (b ) a l s o re q u i re s th a t a m o ti o n i s fi l e d w i th th e c o u rt request i ng t he rel ease of t he i nfor m at i on and t hata noti ce of hear i ng i s ser ved on t he i nvest i gat i ng agency and al l o t her i nt erest ed part i es. H ere, t he part i es do no t di sput e t hata m ot i on w as fi l ed seeki ng t he rel ease of t he C PS records, th a t a proper

not i ce w as gi ven t o t he i nvest i gat i ng agen cy and al l i nt erest ed part i es, and t hata hear i ng w as hel d t o det er m i ne w het her or not , and t o w hat ext ent , t he C PS rec ords s houl d be di sc l os ed. 6 S ect i on 2 61 . 20 1( b) of t he T exas Fam i l y C ode provi des t hata courtm ay o rde r t h e d i sc l o su re o f co n fi d e n ti a l i n fo rm a ti o n i f: ( 1) a m ot i on hasbeen fi l ed w i t h t he cou rtrequ es t i ng t he rel ea se of t he i nform at i on; ( 2) a n ot i ce of hear i ng has been ser ved on t he i nvest i gat i ng agen cy and al l ot her

i nt eres t ed part i es ; an d ( 3) aft er

hear i ng and an i n cam era re v i e w o f t he request ed i nform at i on, t he cou rtde t erm i nes t hatt he di sc l os ure o f t he request ed i nfor m at i on i s: ( A ) essent i al t o t he adm i ni st rat i on of j ust i ce; an d 7 (B ) n o t l i k e l y to e n d a n g e r t h e l i fe o r sa fety o f: ( i ) a ch i l d w ho i s t he su bj ec tof t he repo rtof

al l ege d or su sp e c ted ab u se o r ne g l e c t; ( i i ) a pe rso n w ho m ak esa repo rtof al l ege d or su sp ec t ed abu se or

ne gl ec t ; or ( i i i ) a ny other

person w h o p art i ci pat es i n an i nve st i gat i on of

repo rt ed abu se or

ne gl ec tor

w ho provi desca re f

or t he chi l d. 8 T e x . F a m . C o d e A n n . § 2 6 1 .2 0 1 (b ). The e xce pt i on al l ow i ng t he t r i al courtt o di sc l os e confi den t i al i nform at i on u n d e r s e c ti o n 2 6 1 .2 0 1 i s d i s c re ti o n a ry . I n re F ul gi um , 150 S. W . 3d 252, 253 (Tex . A pp. — Tex ar kana 2 00 4, or i g. proceedi ng) . The w ord “m ay” creat es7

d is c re tio n a ry a u th o rity . T e x . G o v ’ tC o d e A n n . § 3 1 1 .0 1 6 (V e rn o n 2 0 0 5 ). If a h ea r i ng de t erm i nest hatt he di sc l os ure o f t he i nform at i on i s es se nt i al t o t he adm i ni st rat i on of

j us t i ce an d t here i s no dange r t o t he chi l d or

an ot her

pe rso n, a c o u rt m a y o rd e r th e d i s c l o s u re a t i ts d i s c re ti o n . Ful gi um , 15 0 S .W .3 d at 2 5 5 . C . Tr i al CourtD i d NotA bus e I t s D i sc ret i on A p p e l l a n ts c o n te n d th a t th e tri a l c o u rt e rre d i n fi n d i n g th a t th e d i s c l o s u re of t he reportand t he i denti ty of t he person m aki ng t he repo rtis n o t es sent i al to t h e a d m i n i s tra ti o n o f j u s ti c e . S p e c i fi c a l l y , A p p e l l a n ts c o n te n d th a t d i s c l o s u re i s es se nt i al t o de t erm i ne i f ci vi l or cri m i nal ac t i on s houl d be t ak en aga i ns tt he person w ho m ade t hes e “ fal se repo rt s. ” H ow eve r , A ppe l l ants poi ntust o no c a s e la w o r

s t a t u t e p ro v id in g t h a td is m is s e d o r “ ru le d o u t ” c o m p la in t s o f c h ild abu se are a ut om at i ca l l y de em ed fal se an d w i t houtm er i t . Pl us , t he fam i l y c ode m e re ly re q u i re s th a t s u s p e c te d , n o t c o n fi rm e d , c h i l d a b u s e b e re p o rte d . S ee T e x . F a m . C o d e A n n . § 2 6 1 .1 0 1 (a) ( V e rno n 2 0 0 8 ) (“A p e rso n h a v i n g ca u se to b e lie v e t h a ta c h ild ’s p h y s ic a l o r m e n t a l h e a lt h o r

w e lfa re h a s b e e n a d v e rs e ly af fect ed by abu se or

negl ectby any person shal l i m m edi at el y m ake a reportas p ro v i d e d b y th i s s u b c h a p te r.” ).9 ... W e not e t hatA ppel l ant ’ s rel i ance on t hi s case i s quest i onab l e because

Frostd o e s n o te v e n m e n t io n t h e re le a s e o f c o n fid e n t ia l in fo r m a t io n u n d e r fa m ily c o d e s e c ti o n 2 6 1 .2 0 1 . 8 C i t i ng Frost v. S tate , A ppe l l ants argue t hatt hi s i nform at i on s houl d be 9 di sc l os ed bec aus e t hi s i s a fal se repo rt , m ak i ng a fal se repo rt i s a cri m e, and “C PS does notw antt o be used as a t ool for fal se and vi ndi c ti ve act i ons. ” 2 S. W . 3d 625, 631 (Tex. A pp. — H ous t on [ 14t h Di st . ] 1999 , pe t . ref’ d) . I n Frost , C P S c o n d u c te d a th o ro u g h i n v e s ti g a ti o n , C P S c o n c l u d e d n o b a s i s fo r th e re p o rt e x i s te d , a n d a j u ry c o n v i c te d a p p e l l a n t o f m a k in g a fa l s e re p o rt. I d. a t626, 6 2 8 . H o w e v e r, n e i th e r Frostnor t he rec ord s upport s A ppe l l ants’ co nt ent i on t hatt hi s ca se i nvol vesa fal se repo rt . CPS co nduc t ed an i nve st i gat i on a nd, unl i ke i n Frost , ev i dentl y det er m i ned t hata b asi s for t he reportexi st ed because th e rec o rd i s d e v o i d o f e v i d e n c e o f pe n d i n g cri m i n a l p ros e c u ti o n . A g ree i n g w i th A p p e l l a n ts th a t C P S ’s “re so u rce s are l i m i ted an d the y d o n o t ne e d o r w a n t t o spend t hei r

resources on fal se al l egat i ons, ” w e furt her n ot e t hatt he aggr i eved a g e n c y , C P S , sa w n o n e e d to p ro s e c u te i n th i s i n s ta n c e . C onfi den t i al i ty i s ce nt ral to t he fam i l y c ode provi si onsgov erni ng t he repo rt i ng of chi l d abu se , and t he St at e h asa com pel l i ng i nt eres ti n prot ec t i ng t he confi denti al i ty of i nfor m at i on used or obtai ned i n an i nvest i gat i on of al l eged o r s u s p e c te d c h i l d a b u s e . D oe v. Tarrant C oun ty D i st . A t t or ney’ s O f fi ce , 2699

S .W .3 d 1 4 7 , 1 5 5 (T e x . A p p .— F o rt W o rth 2 0 0 8 , n o p e t.); se e Pe nns yl van i a v . R it c h ie , 480 U . S. 39, 57, 107 S . Ct . 989, 100 1 ( 198 7) (des cr i bi ng c om pel l i ng i n te re s t i n p ro te c ti n g c h i l d -a b u s e i n fo rm a ti o n ). A ft er hol di ng a hear i ng a nd c onduc t i ng a n i n c am era revi ew of t he c o n fid e n t ia l in fo r m a t io n , a s re q u ire d b y s e c t io n 2 6 1 .2 0 1 (b ) o f t h e T e x a s F a m ily C ode , t he t r i al co urtm ade a fi ndi ng of fac tt hat“ [ d] i sc l os ure o f t he repo rtan d t he i den t i ty of

t he perso n m ak i ng t he repo rti s notes se nt i al t o t he adm i ni st rat i on of

j us t i ce . ” Tex. Fa m . Code A nn . § 261. 201 ( b) ( 3) ( V ernon Supp. 2009 ) . Havi ng revi ew ed t he br i ef s, t he rec ord, an d t he m at er i al s from t h e C P S in v e s t i g a t io n , w e fin d t h a tt h e t r ia l c o u rtc o u ld h a v e re a s o n a b ly det er m i ne d t hatt he di sc l os ure o f t he C PS rec ords w asnotes se nt i al t o t he a d m i n i s tra ti o n o f j u s ti c e . W i th th e re q u i re d d u e d e fe re n c e to th e tri a l c o u rt’s fi ndi ngsof

fac tan d c onc l us i on s of l aw , asw el l ast he res t r i ct i onson t he d i s c l o s u re o f th e c o n fi d e n ti a l i n fo rm a ti o n c o n ta i n e d i n th e C P S re c o rd s , w e d e c lin e t o c it e s p e c ific fa c t s a n d fin d t h a tt h e t r ia l c o u rtd id n o te r r in det erm i ni ng t hatt he di sc l os ure o f t he i nform at i on i s note sse nt i al t o t he adm i ni st rat i on of j ust i ce. B e c a u s e w e fi n d n o e rro r in t h e t ri a l c o u rt’s d i s c l o s u re d e te rm i n a ti o n , w e canno tsay t hatt he t r i al courtabused i t s di scret i on i n deny i ng A ppel l ant s’10

m ot i on for

di scl osure of

t he C PS records u nder sect i on 26 1. 20 1 of t he T exas F a m i l y C o d e . T h u s , w e o v e rru l e A p p e l l a n ts ’ tw o p o i n ts . I V. C ONC L US I ON H a v i n g o v e rru l e d A p p e l l a n ts ’ tw o p o i n ts , w e a ffirm th e tri a l c o u rt’s j u d g m e n t.

A N N E GA RD N ER J U S T I C E PA N EL: GA RD N ER, W A LKER, an d M EI ER, JJ. W A LKER, J. co ncu rs w i t houtopi ni on. DEL I VERE D: J ul y 22, 2010