He admitted picking up Nancy from the vehicle because, in his opinion, Nancy was unable to leave the vehicle on her own. Ronald A. Beech, a captain at Pontiac, testified that the respondent's interaction with the guards was positive and respectful and he had not received any disciplinary citations. After hearing all testimony, the trial court found the respondent to be an unfit parent. The trial court subsequently found that it was in A.L. and R.L.'s best interest to terminate the respondent's parental rights. On appeal, the respondent argues that the trial court erred in finding him to be an unfit parent on depravity grounds.
Depravity is defined as an inherent deficiency of moral sense and rectitude.
A single criminal conviction, without more, will not support a finding of unfitness based on depravity. The statutory ground of depravity requires the trier of fact to closely scrutinize the character and credibility of the parent and the reviewing court will give such a determination deferential treatment. A finding of parental unfitness must be supported by clear and convincing evidence. On review, the trial court's decision regarding the fitness of a parent should not be reversed unless it is contrary to the manifest weight of the evidence. Here, there was ample evidence of depravity sufficient to find the respondent an unfit parent.