D A 1 0

- 0 1 2 2 a n d D A 1 0

- 0 1 2 3

I N T H E S U P R E M E C O U

R T O F T H E S T

A T E O F M O N T

A N A

2 0 1 0 M T 1 8 4 N

T

. G

. C a n d M

. C

. ,

P e t i t i o n e r s a n d A p p e l l e e s

,

v

.

M

. C

. M

. ,

R e s p o n d e

n t a n d A p p e l l a n t

.

APPEAL FROM: District Court of the First Judicial District,

I n a n d F o r t h e C o u

n t y o f L e w i s a n d C l a r k

, C a u s e N o s

. B D A

- 2 0 0 9

- 1 3 a n d

B D A

- 2 0 0 9

- 1 4

H o n o r a b l e J e f f r e y M

. S h e r l o c k

, P r e s i d i

n g J u d g e

C O U N S E L O F R E C O R D :

F o r A p p e l l a n t :

L o r i A

. H a r s h b a r g e r

, J D L a w F i r m

, P

. C

. , W h i

t e h a l l

, M o n t a n a

F o r A p p e l l e e s :

C h a r l e s A

. S m i

t h

, A t t o r n e y a t L a w

, H e l e n a

, M o n t a n a

S u b m i t t e d o n B r i e f

s : J u l y 2 8

, 2 0 1 0

D e c i d e d : A u g

u s t 1 7

, 2 0 1 0

F i l e d :

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ C l e r k August 17 20102

Justice James C. Nelson delivered the Opinion of the Court.

¶ 1 P u r s u a n t t o S e c t i o n I

, P a r a g r a p h 3 ( d ) ( v

)

, M o n t a n a S u p r e m e C o u r t 1 9 9 6 I n t e r n a l

O p e r a t i n g R

u l e s

, a s a m e n d e d i n 2 0 0 6

, t h e f o l l o w i n g m e m o r a n d u m d e c i s i o n s h a l l n o t b e

c i t e d a s p r e c e d e n t

. I

t s h a l l b e f

i l e d a s a p u b l i c d o c

u m e n t w i t h t h e C l e r k o f t h e S u p r e m e

C o u r t a n d i t s c a s e t i t l e

, S u p r e m e C o u r t c a u s e n u m b e r a n d d i s p o s i t i o n s h a l l b e i n c l u d e d i n

t h i s C o u r t ' s q u a r t e r

l y l i s t o f n o n c i t a b l e c a s e s p u b l i s h e d i n t h e P a c i f i c R e p o r t e r a n d

Montana Reports.

¶ 2 M

. C

. M

. a p p e a

l s a n O r d e r o f t h e D i s t r i c t C o u r t f o r t h e F i r s t J

u d i c i a l D i s t r i c t

, L e w i s

a n d C l a r k C o u n t y

, t e r m i n a t i n g h e r p a r e n t a l r i g h t s t o h e r t w o m

i n o r c h i l d r e

n a n d

a p p r o v i n g t h e a d o p t i o n o f t h e c h i l d r e n b y M

. C

. , t

h e p a t e r n a l g r a n d m o t h e r o f t h e c h i l d r e n

,

and M.C.’s husband, T.G.C

. We affirm.

¶ 3 M.C.M. raise s the following three issues on appeal:

¶ 4 1. Whether the District Court erred in terminating her parental rights based on its

conclusion that she was unfit and had abandoned the children.

¶ 5 2. Whether the District Court erred in terminating her parental righ ts based on its

conclusion that she failed to support the children.

¶ 6 3. Whether the District Court erred in granting the Decree of Adoption of her

children by M.C. and T.G.C.

¶ 7 H a v i n g r e v i e w e d t h e r e c o r d

, t h e D i s t r i c t C o u r t ’ s d e c i s i o n a n d t h e p a r t i e s ’

a r g u m e n t s o n a p p e a l

, w e h a v e d e t e r m i n e d t o d e c i d e t h i s c a s e p u r s u a n t t o S e c t i o n I

,

P a r a g r a p h 3 ( d ) o f o u r 1 9 9 6 I n t e r n a l O p e r a t i n g R

u l e s

, a s a m e n d e d i n 2 0 0 6

, w h i c h

p r o v i d e s f o r m e m o r a n d u m o p i n i o n s

.3

¶ 8 W h e n M

. C

. M

. a n d h e r h

u s b a n d

, R

. M

. , 1 d i v

o r c e d i n 2 0 0 7

, t

h e D i s t r i c t C o u r t

a w a r d e d M

. C

. l e g

a l g u a r d i a n s h i p o v

e r t h e c h i l d r e n b e c a

u s e t h e c o u r

t f o u n d t h a t n e i t h e r

M

. C

. M

. n o r R

. M

. w a s f i t t o p a r e n t t h e c h i l d r e n b a s e d o n t h e f a c t t h a t M

. C

. M

. h a

d a

s e r i o u s d r

u g p r o b l e m a n d t

h a t R

. M

. h a d e n g

a g e d i n a s s a u l t i v e b e h a v

i o r t o w a r d t

h e

c h i l d r e n

. T h e c o u r

t o r d e r e d b o t h p a r e n t s t o p a y 5 0 % o f t h e c h i l d r e n ’ s m e d i c a l e x p e n s e s

a n d t o c o n t r i b u t e f

u n d s a s t h e y w e r e a b l e f

o r t h e c a r e a n d u p b r i n g i n g o f t h e i r c h i l d r e n

.

T h e c o u r t a l s o c o n c l u d e d t h a t w i t h i n o n e y e a r o f t h e d a t e o f t h e D e c r e e o f D i s s o l u t i o n

,

e i t h e r p a r e n

t c o u l d p e t i t i o n t o h a v

e a h e a r i n g t o d e t e r m

i n e w h e t h e r e i t h e r o f t h e m s h o u l d

b e a w a r d e d c

u s t o d y o f t h e c h i l d r e n

.

¶ 9 I n i t s J a n u a r y 2 0 1 0 O r d e r t e r m i n a t i n g M

. C

. M

. ’ s p a r e n t a l r i g h t s

, t h e c o u r t f

o u n d

t h a t M

. C

. M

. d i d n o t p a y a n y s u p p o r t f o r t h e c h i l d r e n a s o r d e r e d b y t h e 2 0 0 7 D e c r e e o f

D i s s o l u t i o n

, n o r d i d s h e p e t i t i o n t h e c o u r t w i t h i n o n e y e a r t o r e g a i n c u s t o d y o f t h e

c h i l d r e n

. F u r

t h e r m o r e

, t

h e D i s t r i c t C o u r t f

o u n d t h a t t h e c h i l d r e

n h a v e l i v e d a l m o s t

e x c l u s i v e l y w i t h M

. C

. a n d T

. G

. C

. s i n c e 2 0 0 2

, a n d t h a t M

. C

. M

. h a s n o t p r o v i d e d a n y

f i n a n c i a l s u p p o r

t f o r t h e c h i l d r e

n d u r i n g t h e e n t i r e t i m e t h e c h i l d r e n h a v e l i v e d w i t h M

. C

.

C o n s e q u e n t l y

, t h e c o u r t c o n c l u d e d t

h a t M

. C

. M

. a

b a n d o n e d h e r c h i l d r e n

. T h e c o u r t a l s o

c o n c l u d e d t

h a t M

. C

. M

. i s u n f

i t t o p a r e n

t h e r c h i l d r e

n b e c a u s e

, a l t h o u g h s h e c u r r e n t l y i s

working and able to contribute to the support of the children, she has failed to do so.

¶ 1 0 M

. C

. M

. a r g

u e s o n a p p e a

l t h a t t h e D i s t r i c t C o u r t e r r e d i n t e r m i n a t i n g h e r p a r e n t a

l

r i g h t s b e c a u s e s h e d i d n o t w i l l f u l l y a b a n d o n t h e c h i l d r e

n a s s h e n e v

e r i n t e n d e d t o g

i v e

1 R

. M

. ’ s p a r e n t a

l r i g h t s a r e n o t a t i s s u e h e r e s i n c e h e a l r e a d y a g r e e d t o t h e t e r m

i n a t i o n o f

h i s p a r e n t a l r i g

h t s t o b o t

h c h i l d r e n a n d t o t

h e a d o p t i o n o f t h e c h i l d r e n b y M

. C

. a n d

T

. G

. C

.4

M

. C

. p e r m a n e n t c

u s t o d y o f t h e c h i l d r e

n

. S h e m a i n t a i n s t h a t e v e n t h o u g h s h e w a s

i n c a r c e r a t e d p a r

t o f t h e t i m e b e c a u s e o f h e r d r u g u s e

, s h e c o r r e s p o n d e d w i t h t h e c h i l d r e n

a n d s p o k e w i t h t h e m b y p h o n e. She also points out that she was unable to support her

children because of her incarceration.

¶ 1 1 S e c t i o n 4 2

- 2

- 6 0 8

, M C A

, s e t s f o r t h t h e f i n d i n g s n e e d e d t o d e c l a r e a p a r e n t u n f i t :

( 1 ) T h e c o u r t m a y t e r m i n a t e p a r e n t a l r i g h t s f o r p u r p o s e s o f m a k i n g

a c h i l d a v a i l a b l e f o r a d o p t i o n o n t

h e g r o u n d s o f u

n f i t n e s s i f : ( a ) t h e c o u r t m a k e s a d e t e r m

i n a t i o n t h a t t h e p a r e

n t h a s b e e

n j u d i c i a l l y d e p r i v

e d o f c u s t o d y o f t h e c h i l d o n a c c o u n t o f a b u s e o r n e g

l e c t

t o w a r d t h e c h i l d ; ( b ) t h e p a r e n t h a s w

i l l f u l l y a b a n d o n e d t h e c h i l d

, a s d e f i n e d i n

4 1

- 3

- 1 0 2

, i n M o n

t a n a o r i n a n y o t

h e r j u r i s d i c t i o n o f t h e U

n i t e d S t a t e s ; ( c ) i t i s p r o v

e n t o t h e s a t i s f

a c t i o n o f t h e c o u r t t

h a t t h e p a r e

n t

, i f a b l e

, h a s n o t c o n t

r i b u t e d t o t h e s u p p o r t o f t h e c h i l d f o r a n a g g r e g a t e p e r i o d o f

1 y e a r b e f

o r e t h e f i l i n g o f a p e t i t i o n f

o r a d o p t i o n ; ( d ) i t i s p r o v

e n t o t h e s a t i s f

a c t i o n o f t h e c o u r t t h a t t h e p a r e n t i s i n

v i o l a t i o n o f a c o u r t o r

d e r t o s u p p o r t e i t h e

r t h e c h i l d t h a t i s t h e s u b

j e c t o f

t h e a d o p t i o n p r o c e e d

i n g s or other children with the same bir th mother . . . .

[Emphasis added.]

And, for purposes of § 42

- 2

- 6 0 8 ( 1 ) ( b )

, M C A

, “ a b a n d o n m e n t ” i s d e f

i n e d i n

§ 4 1

- 3

- 1 0 2 ( 1 ) ( a )

, M C A

, a s

( i ) l e a v i n g a c h i l d u

n d e r c i r c u m s t a n c e s t h a t m a k e r e a s o n a b l e t h e

b e l i e f t h a t t

h e p a r e n t d o e s n o t i n

t e n d t o r e s u m e c a r e o f t h e c h i l d i n t

h e

f u t u r e ;

( i i ) w i l l

f u l l y s u r r e n d e r i n g p h

y s i c a l c u s t o d y f o r a p e r i o d o

f 6 m o n t h s

a n d d u r i n g t h a t p e r i o d n o t m a n i f e s t i n g t o t

h e c h i l d a n d t h e p e r s o n h a v i n g

p h y s i c a l c u s t o d y o f t h e c h i l d a f i r m i n t e n t i o n t o r e s u m e p h y s i c a l c u s t o d y o r

t o m ake permanent legal arrangements for the care of th e child . . . .

[ Emphasis added.]

¶ 1 2 I t i s m a n i f e s t o n t h e f

a c e o f t h e b r i e f

s a n d t h e r e c o r d b e f

o r e u s t h a t t

h i s a p p e a l i s

w i t h o u t m e r i t b e c a u s e t h e f i n d i n g s o f f

a c t a r e s u p p o r

t e d b y s u b s t a

n t i a l e v i d e n c e

, t h e l e g

a l

i s s u e s a r e c l e a r l y c o n t r o l l e d b y s e t t l e d M o n t a n a l a w w h i c h t h e D i s t r i c t C o u r t c o r r e c t l y5

interpreted, and the record supports the District Court’s conclusion that M.C.M. is an

unfit parent and that she abandoned her children.

¶ 1 3 Accordingly, we affirm the District Court’s Order terminating M.C.M.’s parental

rights and approving the adoption of her two minor children by M.C. and T.G.C.

¶ 1 4 A f f i r m e d

.

/ S / J A M E S C

. N E L S O N

W e C o n c u r :

/ S / M I K E M c G R A T H

/ S / J I M R I C E

/ S / P A T R I C I A C O T T E R

/ S / B R I A N M O R R I S