Title: MATTER OF M G M
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: 81-523
State: Montana
Issuer: Montana Supreme Court
Date: December 9, 1982

No. 81-523 IPJ THE SUJ?REME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA 1982 IN THE MATTER OF M.G.M., YOUTH IN NEED OP CARE. Appeal from: District Court of the Thirteenth ~udicial District, In and for the County of Yellowstone Honorable Charles Luedke, Judqe presiding. Counsel of Record: For Appellant: Patten and Renz, Billings, Montana Jeffrey Renz argued, Billings, Montana For Respondent: Olsen, Christensen and Gannett, Billinqs, Montana Damon Gannett arqued, Billings, Montana Harold F. Hanser, County Attorney, Billinqs, Montana Stephen Rowinski arqued, Deputy County Attorney, Billings, Montana Submitted: September 17, 1982 Decided: December 9, 1982 Clerk- I . ~ u s t i c e Frank B. M o r r i s o n . Jr., d e l i v e r e d t h e Opinion of t h e C o u r t . Frank F i t z g e r a l d , t h e n a t u r a l f a t h e r of t h e c h i l d , M.G.M., a p p e a l s from a judgment i s s u e d by t h e D i s t r i c t Court of t h e T h i r t e e n t h J u d i c i a l District, Yellowstone County, t e r m i n a t i n g h i s p a r e n t a l r i g h t s . The c h i l d , M.G.M., was born o u t of wedlock on J u n e 1 0 , 1972. She l i v e d s o l e l y w i t h h e r mother u n t i l 1979, when t h e Department o f S o c i a l and R e h a b i l i t a t i o n S e r v i c e s (SRS) placed h e r i n a f o s t e r home. I n A p r i l 1980, t h e m o t h e r ' s p a r e n t a l r i g h t s were t e r m i n a t e d . When a p p e l l a n t d i s c o v e r e d t h e p r o c e e d i n g s t o t e r m i n a t e t h e m o t h e r ' s p a r e n t a l r i g h t s , he f i l e d an acknowledgement of pa ter- n i t y of t h e c h i l d and s o u g h t u n s u c c e s s f u l l y to i n t e r v e n e i n t h e p r o c e e d i n g s . On May 28, 1980, SRS f i l e d a p e t i t i o n f o r temporary i n v e s t i - g a t i v e a u t h o r i t y and p r o t e c t i v e s e r v i c e s , c l a i m i n g t h a t M.G.M. was i n danger of being abused and n e g l e c t e d by t h e a p p e l l a n t . The District Court g r a n t e d t h e p e t i t i o n . A p p e l l a n t was n o t allowed c o n t a c t w i t h t h e c h i l d e x c e p t by recommendation of mental h e a l t h worker and p s y c h i a t r i c n u r s e , Mary Honaker . The D i s t r i c t C o u r t also o r d e r e d a p p e l l a n t t o undergo a p s y c h o l o g i c a l evalua- t i o n . I n J u l y 1980, a p p e l l a n t was allowed t o meet w i t h h i s c h i l d f o r t h e f i r s t t i m e . Two one-hour s e s s i o n s were h e l d under t h e s u p e r v i s i o n of Mary Honaker . The m e e t i n g s were t h e n d i s c o n t i n u e d because t h e c h i l d appeared u p s e t and f r i g h t e n e d by h e r f a t h e r . On September 11, 1980, t h e g u a r d i a n ad l i t e m f o r t h e c h i l d f i l e d a p e t i t i o n to d e t e r m i n e p a t e r n i t y and to d e t e r m i n e whether a p p e l l a n t ' s p a r e n t a l r i g h t s should be t e r m i n a t e d under t h e p r o v i - s i o n s of t h e Uniform P a r e n t a g e A c t s p e c i f i c a l l y s e c t i o n 40-6-130, MCA. On September 23, 1980, SRS f i l e d a p e t i t i o n under s e c t i o n 41-3-401, MCA, a s k i n g t h a t M.G.M. be d e c l a r e d dependent and n e g l e c t e d , and r e q u e s t i n g permanent c u s t o d y and a u t h o r i t y to a s s e n t to a d o p t i o n . Over o b j e c t i o n s by a p p e l l a n t , t h e District C o u r t c o n s o l i d a t e d t h e p r o c e e d i n g s brought by t h e g u a r d i a n and t h e SRS. On November 1 4 , 1980, p u r s u a n t to s e c t i o n 40-6-111, MCA, t h e D i s t r i c t Court d e c l a r e d t h a t a p p e l l a n t w a s t h e n a t u r a l f a t h e r of M.G.M. A series of h e a r i n g s were t h e n h e l d . N e a r l y a l l of t h e e v i - dence a t t h e s e h e a r i n g s p e r t a i n e d to t h e mental h e a l t h of t h e c h i l d and h e r f a t h e r . Based on t h e t e s t i m o n y a t t h e h e a r i n g s , t h e D i s t r i c t Court made t h e f o l l o w i n g s i g n i f i c a n t f i n d i n g s of f a c t : "5. That t h e n a t u r a l mother of M.G.M. was diagnosed as an u n d i f f e r e n t i a t e d schizophre- n i c , and t h a t M.G.M. s p e n t t h e f i r s t f i v e y e a r s of h e r l i f e l i v i n g i n h e r custody. During t h a t t i m e , M.G.M. f a i l e d to develop n o r m a l l y as a c h i l d , and e x h i b i t e d some of t h e c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s found i n s c h i z o p h r e n i a . She also s u f f e r e d from a f a i l u r e to d e v e l o p s e l f - i d e n t i t y , having adapted to a role- r e v e r s a l w i t h h e r mother. During such f i v e y e a r s , Frank [ a p p e l l a n t ] was r e j e c t e d by t h e mother i n a l l c o n t a c t s ; and M.G.M. knew him o n l y through t h e m o t h e r ' s r e v u l s i o n to him and h e r i d e n t i f i c a t i o n of him as t h e 'kook. ' " 6 . That t h e r e is a s t a t i s t i c a l l y - e s t a b l i s h e d r e l a t i o n s h i p between s c h i z o p h r e n i a i n p a r e n t s and consequent development of s c h i z o p h r e n i a i n c h i l d r e n , based upon g e n e t i c and environmental f a c t o r s . "7. That because of M.G.M. I s g e n e t i c background, as w e l l as t h e environment i n which she l i v e d f o r t h e f i r s t f i v e y e a r s of h e r l i f e , she is ' a t r i s k ' t o develop t h e men- t a l i l l n e s s of s c h i z o p h r e n i a . "8. M.G.M., i n a d d i t i o n , is a v e r y i n t e l l i - g e n t and p a r t i c u l a r l y s e n s i t i v e , f r a g i l e and chameleon-like young l a d y , f o r whom it is e x t r e m e l y i m p o r t a n t t o p r o v i d e a s t r o n g , s t a b l e a d u l t female r o l e model i n o r d e r t h a t s h e may d e v e l o p normally from a g i r l i n t o a young woman. "9. Frank is s k i l l e d i n t h e f i e l d of e l e c t r o - n i c s and is r e g u l a r l y employed w i t h a good work r e c o r d . H e g e t s along w i t h h i s f e l l o w employees and is f i n a n c i a l l y sound. H e is a law-abiding c i t i z e n . H e h a s n e v e r been m a r r i e d , and t h e l o n g e s t p e r i o d of close asso- c i a t i o n w i t h a woman h a s been seven months. "10. That Frank h a s a medical h i s t o r y which i n c l u d e s a d i a g n o s i s by t h e Veterans A d m i n i s t r a t i o n i n 1963, as: " ' . . . s c h i z o p h r e n i c r e a c t i o n , u n d i f f e r e n - t i a t e d t y p e , i n a good p a r t i a l r e m i s s i o n , m a n i f e s t e d by some b l u n t i n g of emotions, r e s t r i c t e d i n t e r e s t s , m e n t a l l y competent 1 . . . " f o r which he r e c e i v e s a 70% d i s a b i l i t y pen- s i o n . "11. That Frank has a l s o been diagnosed a s a s c h i z o p h r e n i c by D r . Ned T r a n e l a c l i n i c a l p s y c h o l o g i s t , a s of J u l y 3Oth, 1980. T h a t c o n c l u s i o n is echoed by t h e p s y c h i a t r i c n u r s e , Mary Honaker, who h a s had p a s t c o n t a c t w i t h Frank i n t h e course of working w i t h M.G.M. and M.G.M. I s mother over t h e y e a r s s i n c e p r i o r to M.G.M. 's b i r t h . "12. Frank has a l s o been diagnosed a s having a s c h i z o t y p a l p e r s o n a l i t y d i s o r d e r by D r . Stephen Wagner, a n o t h e r c l i n i c a l p s y c h o l o g i s t . T h i s is a c o n d i t i o n which is s a i d to make him less than i d e a l a s a p a r e n t , b u t n o t to r e n d e r him completely i n a d e q u a t e making p o s s i b l e a t r i a l p e r i o d of c l o s e l y monitored v i s i t a t i o n between Frank and M.G.M. a s a n evidence- g a t h e r i n g d e v i c e f o r a l a t e r d e t e r m i n a t i o n a s t o custody. "15. E f f o r t s a t accomplishing v i s i t a t i o n be- tween Frank and M.G.M. were r e c e n t l y made, and t w o meetings d i d o c c u r . The r e s u l t s were d e s c r i b e d a s a Ismothering' by Frank of M.G.M., w i t h an a d v e r s e e f f e c t upon M.G.M. i n t h e form o f extreme f r i g h t , a five-pound w e i g h t loss, stress, and a r e g r e s s i o n i n r e a l i t y t e s t i n g . A s a consequence, v i s i t a t i o n e f f o r t s were t e r m i n a t e d . "16. That on t h e b a s i s of t h e t o t a l i t y of t h e p s y c h i a t r i c and p s y c h o l o g i c a l examinations conducted o f Frank, t o g e t h e r w i t h t h e o t h e r e v i d e n c e adduced, it is c l e a r t h a t p l a c i n g c u s t o d y of M.G.M. w i t h Frank would i n c r e a s e t h e r i s k of h e r becoming m e n t a l l y ill by a p r o b a b i l i t y g r e a t e r than 50% a t a minimum, i n t h e view of one w i t n e s s , and to an almost cer- t a i n t y i n t h e view of o t h e r s . Because of t h e demonstrated a d a p t i v e c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s of M . G . M . , it is c l e a r t h a t a placement of h e r w i t h Frank w i l l c l e a r l y r e s u l t i n a l o s s of h e r own i d e n t i t y and development, and t i p t h e a l r e a d y heavily-weighted s c a l e of M.G.M. I s f u t u r e a g a i n s t h e r normal development. " 17. Under t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s e x i s t i n g , it would be d e t r i m e n t a l to t h e best i n t e r e s t s of M.G.M. to d e f e r a f i n a l d e c i s i o n w i t h r e s p e c t t o h e r c u s t o d y pending t h e implementation of f u r t h e r v i s i t s w i t h Frank a s a n evidence- g a t h e r i n g measure, s i n c e t h e a d a p t i v e charac- teristics of M.G.M. would r e n d e r t h e r e s u l t s u n t r u s t w o r t h y and, a l s o because of F r a n k ' s d e t e r m i n a t i o n to reject any r e s u l t s n o t f a v o r a b l e t o h i s d i s p o s i t i o n s i n any and a l l e v e n t s . The s t a t u s of t h e evidence c l e a r l y a d v i s e s t h a t t h e p r o c e s s of a t t e m p t i n g E u r t h e r t r i a l v i s i t a t i o n would i n i t s e l f be a d e s t r u c - t i v e one from M.G.M. I s s t a n d p o i n t . " 18. Under t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s e x i s t i n g , it would a l s o be d e t r i m e n t a l to t h e b e s t i n t e r e s t o f M.G.M. t o be p l a c e d i n t h e permanent c u s t o d y of Frank." The D i s t r i c t Court t h e n concluded as a matter of law t h a t it would be i n M.G.M. 's b e s t i n t e r e s t to p l a c e h e r i n t h e c u s t o d y of SRS, and t h a t a p p e l l a n t ' s p a r e n t a l r i g h t s be t e r m i n a t e d . A p p e l l a n t h a s r a i s e d t h e f o l l o w i n g i s s u e s f o r review: (1) Whether t h e District Court e r r e d by a p p l y i n g t h e " b e s t i n t e r e s t s of t h e c h i l d " test i n s e c t i o n 40-6-130(1), MCA, i n s t e a d o f t h e "abuse and n e g l e c t " s t a n d a r d s i n s e c t i o n s 41-3-401, MCA, e t seq.? ( 2 ) Whether t h e r e is clear and convincing e v i d e n c e to sup- p o r t e i t h e r t h e " b e s t i n t e r e s t s of t h e c h i l d " test or t h e "abuse and n e g l e c t " t e s t ? ( 3 ) Whether p s y c h i a t r i c n u r s e , Mary Honaker, was q u a l i f i e d t o g i v e an e x p e r t o p i n i o n and d i a g n o s i s of a p p e l l a n t ' s mental h e a l t h ? A p p e l l a n t claims t h a t s e c t i o n s 40-6-128 and 40-6-130, MCA, s h o u l d n o t have been a p p l i e d to him, and t h a t t h e D i s t r i c t Court t h e r e f o r e e r r e d by t e r m i n a t i n g h i s p a r e n t a l r i g h t s a b s e n t any f i n d i n g s of abuse or n e g l e c t . W e a g r e e and remand f o r f u r t h e r f i n d i n g s . Here, t h e District C o u r t a p p a r e n t l y a p p l i e d t h e " b e s t i n t e r e s t s of t h e c h i l d " s t a n d a r d from s e c t i o n 40-6-130(1), MCA. S e c t i o n 40-6-130 ( 1) , MCA, p r o v i d e s i n p a r t : " I f t h e c o u r t f i n d s it would n o t be i n t h e b e s t i n t e r e s t s of t h e c h i l d to g r a n t c u s t o d y to t h e p u t a t i v e f a t h e r , t h e c o u r t s h a l l t e r m i n a t e h i s r i g h t s t o t h e c h i l d . " S e c t i o n 40-6-128(1), MCA, d e s c r i b e s when t h e " b e s t i n t e r e s t s of t h e c h i l d " test should be a p p l i e d to a p u t a t i v e f a t h e r : " I f a c h i l d is born o u t of wedlock and t h e mother e x e c u t e s o r proposes to e x e c u t e a r e l e a s e t e r m i n a t i n a h e r r i a h t s to t h e c h i l d o r - - i f t h e c h i l d o t h e r w i s e becomes t h e s u b j e c t c f - - --- ---- . - - - - -- - a n a d o p t i o n p r o c e e d i n g , t h e agency person to -- - - - - - whom t h e c h i l d has- been or is to be r e l i n q u i s h e d or t h e mother or p e r s o n having c u s t o d y of t h e c h i l d s h a l l f i l e a p e t i t i o n i n t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t to t e r m i n a t e t h e p a r e n t a l r i g h t s of t h e f a t h e r , u n l e s s t h e f a t h e r ' s r e l a t i o n s h i p to t h e c h i l d h a s been p r e v i o u s l y t e r m i n a t e d o r determined n o t to e x i s t by t h e c o u r t . The c o u r t s h a l l hold a h e a r i n g as soon as p r a c t i c a l to d e t e r m i n e t h e i d e n t i t y of t h e f a t h e r and to d e t e r m i n e or t e r m i n a t e t h e r i g h t s of t h e f a t h e r as provided i n t h i s s e c t i o n and 40-6-129 and 40-6-130 . . ." ( Emphasis added. ) The key language h e r e is " o r i f t h e c h i l d o t h e r w i s e becomes t h e s u b j e c t of an a d o p t i o n proceeding." Respondents claim t h a t when t h e m o t h e r ' s r i g h t s were t e r m i n a t e d , t h e c h i l d became sub- ject t o a " p o t e n t i a l a d o p t i v e proceeding." Admittedly, however, SRS is s e e k i n g temporary c u s t o d y on t h e grounds t h a t M.G.M. is a y o u t h i n need of care and n e g l e c t e d o r abused w i t h i n t h e meaning o f s e c t i o n 41-3-401, e t s e q . , MCA. A s such, t h e p r o v i s i o n s governing a "youth i n need of c a r e " proceeding must be c o n t r o l l i n g . Moreover, s e c t i o n 40-6-128, MCA, d i d n o t g i v e t h e g u a r d i a n of t h e c h i l d t h e r i g h t to p e t i t i o n f o r t e r m i n a t i o n of t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s p a r e n t a l r i g h t s . Only " t h e agency, p e r s o n to whom t h e c h i l d h a s been or is r e l i n q u i s h e d or t h e mother or t h e p e r s o n having c u s t o d y " may f i l e a p e t i t i o n f o r d e t e r m i n a t i o n of a puta- t i v e f a t h e r ' s r i g h t s . The District Court e r r e d by c o n s o l i d a t i n g t h e g u a r d i a n ' s p e t i t i o n with t h a t of SRS. I t is w e l l - e s t a b l i s h e d t h a t a b s e n t f i n d i n g s of abuse or n e g l e c t based upon clear and convincing e v i d e n c e , p a r e n t a l r i g h t s may n o t be t e r m i n a t e d . Matter of G u a r d i a n s h i p of Doney ( 1 9 7 7 ) , 174 Mont. 282, 570 P.2d 575; I n re t h e Matter of J.L.B. ( 1 9 7 9 ) , 182 Mont. 100, 594 P.2d 1127; and S t a n l e y v. I l l i n o i s ( 1 9 7 2 ) , 405 U.S. 645, 92 S.Ct. 1208, 3 1 L.Ed.2d 551. These c o n s t i t u t i o n a l l y p r o t e c t e d p a r e n t a l i n t e r e s t s i n t h e c h i l d are n o t weakened by t h e f a c t t h a t a c h i l d is born o u t of wedlock. Matter of J.L.B., 594 P.2d a t 1136, r e f e r r i n g to S t a n l e y v. I l l i n o i s , 405 U.S. 651-652, 92 S.Ct. a t 1213, 3 1 L.Ed.2d a t 559. F u r t h e r , t h i s Court h a s h e l d t h a t a f i n d i n g of a b u s e , n e g l e c t , or dependency " is t h e j u r i s d i c t i o n a l p r e r e q u i s i t e f o r any c o u r t o r d e r e d t r a n s f e r of custody." . I n re Gore ( 1 9 7 7 ) , 174 Mont. 321, 570 P.2d 1110, 1113. Only a f t e r a showing of dependency, a b u s e , o r n e g l e c t , is t h e " b e s t i n t e r e s t s of t h e c h i l d " test t h e a p p r o p r i a t e b a s i s f o r d e t e r m i n i n g custody. See Doney, s u p r a ; Gore, s u p r a ; Henderson v. - - A -- Henderson ( 1 9 7 7 ) , 1 7 3 Mont. 429, 568 P.2d 177; and I n t h e Matter of t h e G u a r d i a n s h i p of Aschenbrenner ( 1 9 7 9 ) , 182 Mont. 540, 597 T h e r e f o r e , the District Court h e r e w a s o b l i g a t e d to f i n d t h a t t h e c h i l d w a s a "youth i n need of c a r e " and abused or n e g l e c t e d i n o r d e r to d e p r i v e a p p e l l a n t of c u s t o d y and t e r m i n a t e h i s r i g h t s . S e c t i o n 41-3-102, MCA, p r o v i d e s t h e a p p l i c a b l e d e f i n i t i o n s : " ( 2 ) An 'abused or n e g l e c t e d c h i l d ' means a c h i l d whose normal p h y s i c a l o r mental h e a l t h o r w e l f a r e is harmed or t h r e a t e n e d w i t h harm by t h e acts o r o m i s s i o n s of h i s p a r e n t o r o t h e r person r e s p o n s i b l e f o r h i s w e l f a r e . " ( 3 ) ' H a r m to a c h i l d ' s h e a l t h or w e l f a r e ' means t h e harm t h a t o c c u r s whenever t h e p a r e n t or o t h e r p e r s o n r e s p o n s i b l e f o r t h e c h i l d ' s w e l f a r e : " ( a ) i n f l i c t s or allows to be i n f l i c t e d upon t h e c h i l d p h y s i c a l or mental i n j u r y , i n c l u d i n g i n j u r i e s s u s t a i n e d as a r e s u l t of e x c e s s i v e c o r p o r a l punishment; " ( 5 ) 'Threatened harm' means imminent r i s k of harm. " ( 8 ) 'Mental i n j u r y ' means a n i d e n t i f i a b l e and s u b s t a n t i a l impairment of t h e c h i l d I s i n t e l l e c t u a l or p s y c h o l o g i c a l f u n c t i o n i n g . " During a p p e l l a t e argument, t h e g u a r d i a n f o r t h e c h i l d a d m i t t e d t h a t t h e D i s t r i c t Court had n o t made any f i n d i n g s t h a t t h e c h i l d w a s abused or n e g l e c t e d by a p p e l l a n t . The f i n d i n g s o n l y determined t h e c h i l d ' s b e s t i n t e r e s t s . More i m p o r t a n t l y , t h e s e f i n d i n g s do n o t p r o v i d e a s u f f i c i e n t basis on which to c o n c l u d e t h a t t h e c h i l d would be i n danger of "imminent r i s k of harm" i f she l i v e d w i t h o r v i s i t e d w i t h a p p e l l a n t . W e t h e r e f o r e remand t h i s case f o r f u r t h e r f i n d i n g s . On remand, t h e o p i n i o n of t h e p s y c h i a t r i c n u r s e t h a t a p p e l l a n t is s u f f e r i n g from s c h i z o p h r e n i a should n o t be admitted w i t h o u t f u r t h e r f o u n d a t i o n . W e a g r e e t h a t t h e d e t e r m i n a t i o n of a p e r s o n as an e x p e r t is w i t h i n t h e d i s c r e t i o n of t h e t r i a l c o u r t , and can be set a s i d e o n l y upon abuse of d i s c r e t i o n . Goodnough v. S t a t e ( 1 9 8 2 ) , -- - -- Mont . - - . - - - - , 647 P.2d 3 6 4 , 39 St.Rep. 1170. Rule 702, M.R.Evid. N e v e r t h e l e s s , n o t h i n g i n t h i s r e c o r d s u g g e s t s t h a t t h e n u r s e h a s had t h e t r a i n i n g , e x p e r i e n c e , or edu- c a t i o n t o d i a g n o s e s c h i z o p h r e n i a . See J e n k i n s v. U.S. ( 1 9 6 2 ) , 307 F.2d 637. The District C o u r t judgment is r e v e r s e d and remanded f o r f u r t h e r f i n d i n g s .