Title: Steve P. v. Maegan F.
Citation: 2013 WI 89
Docket Number: 2011AP002887
State: Wisconsin
Issuer: Wisconsin Supreme Court
Date: November 8, 2013

2013 WI 89 
 
SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN 
 
 
 
 
 
CASE NO.: 
2011AP2887   
COMPLETE TITLE: 
In the matter of the guardianship of Giovanna P. 
 
Steve P. and Donna P., 
          Petitioners-Appellants-Petitioners, 
     v. 
Maegan F. and Noel G., 
          Respondents-Respondents.   
 
 
 
 
 
 
REVIEW OF A DECISION OF THE COURT OF APPEALS 
Reported at 345 Wis. 2d 847, 826 N.W.2d 123 
(Ct. App. 2012 – Unpublished)     
 
 
OPINION FILED: 
November 8, 2013   
SUBMITTED ON BRIEFS: 
        
ORAL ARGUMENT: 
        
 
 
SOURCE OF APPEAL: 
 
 
COURT: 
Circuit   
 
COUNTY: 
Milwaukee  
 
JUDGE: 
Marshall B. Murray   
 
 
 
JUSTICES: 
 
 
CONCURRED: 
        
 
DISSENTED: 
        
 
NOT PARTICIPATING: PROSSER, J., did not participate.    
 
 
 
ATTORNEYS: 
 
For 
the 
petitioners-appellants-petitioners, 
there 
were 
briefs by Renee E. Mura, and Renee E. Mura, S.C., Kenosha.   
 
For respondent-respondent Maegan F., there was a brief by 
Chris Velnetske and Velnetske Law Offices, LLC, Thiensville. 
 
For respondent-respondent Noel G., there was a brief by 
Laurence M. Moon, Milwaukee. 
 
There was a brief by guardian ad litem Shelia R. Hill-
Roberts and Legal Aid Society, Milwaukee; and Michael J. 
 
 
2
Aprahamian, Brian P. Keenan, Kristina J. Matic, Philip C. 
Babler, and Foley & Lardner LLP, Milwaukee, attorneys for 
guardian ad litem. 
 
An amicus curiae brief was filed by J.B. Van Hollen, 
attorney general, Maria S. Lazar, assistant attorney general, on 
behalf of Wisconsin Department of Children and Families.  
 
 
 
2013 WI 89
NOTICE 
This opinion is subject to further 
editing and modification.  The final 
version will appear in the bound 
volume of the official reports.   
No.   2011AP2887 
(L.C. No. 
2011JG304) 
STATE OF WISCONSIN  
 
 
   : 
IN SUPREME COURT 
 
 
In the matter of the guardianship of Giovanna 
P. 
 
Steve P. and Donna P., 
 
          Petitioners-Appellants-Petitioners, 
 
     v. 
 
Maegan F. and Noel G., 
 
          Respondents-Respondents. 
 
FILED 
 
NOV 8, 2013 
 
Diane M. Fremgen 
Clerk of Supreme Court 
 
 
 
 
REVIEW of a decision of the Court of Appeals.   Dismissed 
as improvidently granted. 
 
¶1 
PER 
CURIAM.   Petitioners-appellants-petitioners, 
Steve P. and Donna P., are the prospective adoptive parents of 
Giovanna P., born November 12, 2010.  Steve P. and Donna P. 
petitioned for review of an unpublished decision1 of the court of 
appeals, which affirmed the circuit court's order2 dismissing 
                                                 
1 Steve P. v. Maegan F., No. 2011AP2887, unpublished slip 
op. (Wis. Ct. App. Dec. 27, 2012). 
2 The Honorable Marshall B. Murray of Milwaukee County 
presided. 
No. 
2011AP2887   
 
2 
 
their petition under Wis. Stat. ch. 54 for guardianship of 
Giovanna P.  After examining the record and the briefs filed 
with this court, we conclude that the petition for review was 
improvidently granted. 
¶2 
The essential facts are as follows.3  As a result of a 
pre-adoptive placement by an adoption agency, Steve P. and 
Donna P. raised Giovanna P. from birth to about ten months old.  
During 
Giovanna 
P.'s 
time 
with 
Steve 
P. 
and 
Donna 
P., 
respondents-respondents Maegan F. and Noel G.——Giovanna P.'s 
biological parents——decided they wanted custody of Giovanna P.  
Both Maegan F.'s and Noel G.'s parental rights were intact; 
neither set of parental rights had been terminated.  Steve P. 
and Donna P. filed a petition for permanent guardianship of 
Giovanna P., which the circuit court dismissed on September 20, 
2011.  The court of appeals affirmed the circuit court.  This 
court granted review. 
¶3 
Giovanna P. currently resides in a foster home——her 
third placement since she was removed from Steve P.'s and 
Donna P.'s custody.4  Giovanna P. has never been in the custody 
                                                 
3 We take the essential facts of this case both from the 
record and from the parties' and the guardian ad litem's (GAL) 
periodic reports of developments in various ongoing circuit 
court 
proceedings 
addressing 
Giovanna 
P.'s 
custody 
and 
placement.  This court required the filing of these periodic 
reports in an earlier order. 
4 On September 20, 2011, immediately after the circuit court 
dismissed Steve P.'s and Donna P.'s petition for guardianship of 
Giovanna P., the circuit court placed Giovanna P. in a temporary 
licensed foster home for two days until a relative placement 
could be approved.  On September 22, 2011, Giovanna P. was 
placed with her maternal grandmother, with whom she lived for 
No. 
2011AP2887   
 
3 
 
of either of her biological parents:  Noel G. has been 
imprisoned since Giovanna P.'s birth, and Maegan F. has failed 
to 
satisfy 
the 
conditions 
established 
for 
Giovanna 
P.'s 
placement with her. 
¶4 
Giovanna P. is currently the subject of two pending 
cases in Milwaukee County Circuit Court.  First, Giovanna P. is 
the subject of a child in need of protection and services 
(CHIPS) case.  On January 19, 2012, the circuit court found 
Giovanna P. to be a child in need of protection and services 
pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 48.13(8).  A CHIPS extension order 
remains in effect.  Second, on July 8, 2013, the Milwaukee 
County District Attorney's Office filed a petition to terminate 
Noel G.'s and Maegan F.'s parental rights to Giovanna P.  A jury 
trial in the termination of parental rights (TPR) case is 
scheduled for January 13, 2014.   As required by statute, the 
circuit court has appointed a GAL to advocate for Giovanna P.'s 
best interests in the TPR case.  See Wis. Stat. §§ 48.235(1)(c); 
48.235(3)(a).  The circuit court has appointed a different GAL 
in the TPR case than the GAL involved in the guardianship matter 
currently before this Court. 
¶5 
Because it appears that the above-described circuit 
court proceedings may fully and finally resolve Giovanna P.'s 
                                                                                                                                                             
eleven months.  This placement ended after the Bureau of 
Milwaukee Child Welfare determined that the grandmother could 
not maintain a safe, appropriate, and stable living environment 
for Giovanna P.  On August 28, 2012, Giovanna P. was placed in 
the foster home where she currently resides. 
No. 
2011AP2887   
 
4 
 
custody and placement status in the coming few months, we 
dismiss the petition for review as improvidently granted.   
¶6 
We note that on September 6, 2013, Steve P. and 
Donna P. filed a "Motion for Clarification and Sanctions" 
regarding the GAL's retention of counsel and the brief-in-chief 
filed by counsel on the GAL's behalf.  Because we have 
determined that the petition for review should be dismissed as 
improvidently granted, we need not address this motion. 
¶7 
By the Court. The review of the decision of the court 
of appeals is dismissed as improvidently granted. 
¶8 
DAVID T. PROSSER, J., withdrew from participation. 
 
No. 
2011AP2887   
 
 
 
1