Opinion ID: 2025283
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Consideration of Nebraska's Grandparent Visitation Statutes Under the Principles in Troxel and as Compared to the Washington Statute in Troxel

Text: As noted above, appellant brings a substantive due process challenge to the Nebraska grandparent visitation statutes under both the U.S. and the Nebraska Constitutions. Substantive due process relates to the content of the statute specifying when a right can be lost or impaired. In re Adoption of Baby Girl H., 262 Neb. 775, 635 N.W.2d 256 (2001). Appellant argues in effect that when considered under the principles outlined in Troxel and when compared to the Washington statute in Troxel, the Nebraska grandparent visitation statutes show the same weaknesses as the Washington statute and that, therefore, the Nebraska statutes impermissibly impair her parental rights. The federal and state Constitutions contain similar due process language, and both provide that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. U.S. Const. amend. XIV; Neb. Const. art. I, § 3. In the context of a right to privacy, we have effectively stated that the due process provision of the Nebraska Constitution is congruent with the federal Constitution and that the Nebraska Constitution does not contain any rights broader than the federal Constitution. See State v. Senters, 270 Neb. 19, 699 N.W.2d 810 (2005) (stating that due process clause of Nebraska Constitution does not contain right of privacy broader than that recognized under federal Constitution). We extend the foregoing principle of congruence to the present context involving a parent's substantive due process rights, and accordingly, we do not distinguish between the two constitutions in our analysis. Appellant raises both a facial and an as applied due process challenge, and as explained in the last section of our analysis, we conclude that the grandparent visitation statutes are constitutional as applied to appellant, and it therefore follows that the statutes at issue are not facially invalid. The U.S. Supreme Court has stated that [a] facial challenge to a legislative Act is . . . the most difficult challenge to mount successfully, since the challenger must establish that no set of circumstances exists under which the Act would be valid. United States v. Salerno, 481 U.S. 739, 745, 107 S.Ct. 2095, 95 L.Ed.2d 697 (1987). See, also, State v. Sanders, 269 Neb. 895, 697 N.W.2d 657 (2005) (describing facial challenge as asserting no valid application of statute exists because statute is unconstitutional on its face). A facial challenge is contrasted to a challenge to a statute as applied to the individual. See State v. Sanders, supra . In considering the constitutionality of Nebraska's grandparent visitation statutes, we are guided by certain well-established principles and presumptions. The burden of establishing the unconstitutionality of a statute is on the one attacking its validity. Chase v. Neth, 269 Neb. 882, 697 N.W.2d 675 (2005); State ex rel. Stenberg v. Omaha Expo. & Racing, 263 Neb. 991, 644 N.W.2d 563 (2002). A statute is presumed to be constitutional, and all reasonable doubts will be resolved in favor of its constitutionality. Chase v. Neth, supra . See, also, Pony Lake Sch. Dist. v. State Committee for Reorg., 271 Neb. 173, 710 N.W.2d 609 (2006). It is the duty of a court to give a statute an interpretation that meets constitutional requirements if it can reasonably be done. State ex rel. Stenberg v. Moore, 258 Neb. 199, 602 N.W.2d 465 (1999). The unconstitutionality of a statute must be clearly demonstrated before a court can declare the statute unconstitutional. Chase v. Neth, supra ; Ponderosa Ridge LLC v. Banner County, 250 Neb. 944, 554 N.W.2d 151 (1996). At common law in Nebraska and elsewhere, `grandparents lacked any legal right to visitation and communication with their grandchildren if such visitation was forbidden by the parents. . . . Indeed, the parents' obligation to allow such visitation was a moral, not a legal obligation.' Pier v. Bolles, 257 Neb. 120, 124, 596 N.W.2d 1, 4 (1999) (quoting Ex Parte Bronstein, 434 So.2d 780 (Ala.1983)). In part due to changing demographics and the presence of single-parent households in which grandparents and other persons outside the nuclear family are called upon with increasing frequency to assist in the everyday tasks of child rearing, Troxel v. Granville, 530 U.S. 57, 64, 120 S.Ct. 2054, 147 L.Ed.2d 49 (2000), and in part due to a recognition of the importance of the grandparent-grandchild relationship in the lives of children, Moriarty v. Bradt, 177 N.J. 84, 97, 827 A.2d 203, 210 (2003), cert. denied 540 U.S. 1177, 124 S.Ct. 1408, 158 L.Ed.2d 78 (2004) (citing Chrystal C. Ramirez Barranti, The Grandparent/Grandchild Relationship: Family Resource in an Era of Voluntary Bonds, 34 Fam. Rel. 343 (1985)), every state has adopted a statutory scheme permitting grandparent visitation under varying circumstances. Pier v. Bolles, supra (citing 3 Family Law and Practice § 32.09[7][b][ ii ] (Arnold H. Rutkin ed., 1999)). The circumstances under which grandparents can seek and retain visitation differ widely from state to state. Id. Nebraska was the last state in the nation to grant grandparent visitation. Judiciary Committee Hearing, L.B. 105, 89th Leg., 1st Sess. 91 (Mar. 25, 1985). In 1986, the grandparent visitation statutes, 1986 Neb. Laws, L.B. 105, were enacted by the Nebraska Legislature, setting forth the grandparents' statutory visitation scheme. See, §§ 43-1801 to 43-1803; Pier v. Bolles, supra . The circumstances in which a grandparent can seek visitation are covered by § 43-1802 of the grandparent visitation statutes, which provides in relevant part as follows: (1) A grandparent may seek visitation with his or her minor grandchild if: (a) The child's parent or parents are deceased; (b) The marriage of the child's parents has been dissolved or petition for the dissolution of such marriage has been filed, is still pending, but no decree has been entered; or (c) The parents of the minor child have never been married but paternity has been legally established. (2) In determining whether a grandparent shall be granted visitation, the court shall require evidence concerning the beneficial nature of the relationship of the grandparent to the child. The evidence may be presented by affidavit and shall demonstrate that a significant beneficial relationship exists, or has existed in the past, between the grandparent and the child and that it would be in the best interests of the child to allow such relationship to continue. Reasonable rights of visitation may be granted when the court determines by clear and convincing evidence that there is, or has been, a significant beneficial relationship between the grandparent and the child, that it is in the best interests of the child that such relationship continue, and that such visitation will not adversely interfere with the parent-child relationship. Synthesizing the requirements of § 43-1802(2), we have stated that under the Nebraska grandparent visitation statutes, a court is without authority to order grandparent visitation unless a petitioning grandparent can prove by clear and convincing evidence that `(1) [t]here is, or has been, a significant beneficial relationship between the grandparent and the child; (2) it is in the best interests of the child that such relationship continue; and (3) such visitation will not adversely interfere with the parent-child relationship.' Nelson v. Nelson, 267 Neb. 362, 369, 674 N.W.2d 473, 479 (2004) (quoting Eberspacher v. Hulme, 248 Neb. 202, 533 N.W.2d 103 (1995)). Although the Nebraska grandparent visitation statutes allow court intrusion upon the parent-child relationship, it is important to note that as part of its legislative findings, the Nebraska Legislature recognized that [t]he state presumes the critical importance of the parent-child relationship and the child-parent relationship in the welfare and development of the minor child . . . . Neb.Rev.Stat. § 43-2902 (Reissue 2004). So, too, with regard to the importance of the parent-child relationship, this court has stated that parents and their children have a recognized unique and legal interest in, and a constitutionally protected right to, companionship and care as a consequence of the parent-child relationship, a relationship that, in the absence of parental unfitness or a compelling state interest, is entitled to protection from intrusion into that relationship. In re Guardianship of D.J., 268 Neb. 239, 246, 682 N.W.2d 238, 244 (2004) (quoting Uhing v. Uhing, 241 Neb. 368, 488 N.W.2d 366 (1992)). The importance of the parent-child relationship is reflected in the language of § 43-1802(2), which requires that a grant of grandparent visitation not adversely interfere with the parent-child relationship and that any such grant be proved by clear and convincing evidence, which burden is higher than that in conventional civil cases. See, Schuelke v. Wilson, 255 Neb. 726, 587 N.W.2d 369 (1998); In re Kindra S., 14 Neb.App. 202, 705 N.W.2d 792 (2005). See, also, Beal v. Endsley, 3 Neb.App. 589, 529 N.W.2d 125 (1995). In connection with appellant's challenge to the constitutionality of the Nebraska grandparent visitation statutes due to their purported intrusion into her parent-child relationship, she urges us to utilize a strict scrutiny review of the grandparent visitation statutes. Under strict scrutiny review, the law must be justified by a compelling governmental interest and must be narrowly tailored to advance that interest. Douglas Cty. v. Anaya, 269 Neb. 552, 556, 694 N.W.2d 601, 605 (2005). As noted above, in concluding that the Washington nonparent visitation statute was unconstitutional as applied, the plurality opinion in Troxel v. Granville, 530 U.S. 57, 120 S.Ct. 2054, 147 L.Ed.2d 49 (2000), refrained from announcing the level of scrutiny it was applying. Since Troxel, state courts have debated the level of scrutiny to apply to challenges to nonparent visitation statutes. Some states have elected to apply the heightened level of analysis of strict scrutiny. See, Roth v. Weston, 259 Conn. 202, 789 A.2d 431 (2002); Blixt v. Blixt, 437 Mass. 649, 774 N.E.2d 1052 (2002), cert. denied 537 U.S. 1189, 123 S.Ct. 1259, 154 L.Ed.2d 1022 (2003); Rideout v. Riendeau, 761 A.2d 291 (Me.2000); Moriarty v. Bradt, 177 N.J. 84, 827 A.2d 203 (2003), cert. denied 540 U.S. 1177, 124 S.Ct. 1408, 158 L.Ed.2d 78 (2004); Harrold v. Collier, 107 Ohio St.3d 44, 836 N.E.2d 1165 (2005), cert. denied ___ U.S. ___, 126 S.Ct. 1474, 164 L.Ed.2d 248 (2006). Other states have opted to apply a lower level of review such as a rational basis analysis. See, Crafton v. Gibson, 752 N.E.2d 78 (Ind.App.2001); Blakely v. Blakely, 83 S.W.3d 537 (Mo. 2002). We conclude that given the fundamental nature of the parental rights that are claimed to have been intruded upon by the grandparent visitation statutes, a strict scrutiny level of analysis is appropriate. We read appellant's argument as claiming that the provisions of Nebraska's grandparent visitation statutes are sufficiently broad as to be comparable to the Washington statute that was disapproved in Troxel. Such an argument naturally invites a comparison of Nebraska's statutes to the provisions of the Washington statute, an approach we note that numerous other state courts have utilized when considering constitutional challenges to their respective grandparent visitation statutes. See, Rideout v. Riendeau, supra ; Blakely v. Blakely, supra ; Moriarty v. Bradt, supra ; Harrold v. Collier, supra ; Glidden v. Conley, 175 Vt. 111, 820 A.2d 197 (2003); State ex rel. Brandon L. v. Moats, 209 W.Va. 752, 551 S.E.2d 674 (2001). Comparing Nebraska's statutes to the Washington statute in Troxel, we conclude that contrary to appellant's assertion, Nebraska's statutes are more narrowly drawn than the Washington statute and explicitly protect parental rights while taking the child's best interests into consideration. Unlike the Washington statute that allowed [a]ny person to petition the court for visitation rights at any time, the Nebraska grandparent visitation statutes limit the parties who can petition the court for visitation. Section 43-1802 permits only grandparents to seek visitation, and a grandparent is defined under § 43-1801 to include only the biological or adoptive parent of a minor child's biological or adoptive parent. Further, a Nebraska grandparent can seek visitation only under certain circumstances. Under § 43-1802(1), a grandparent may seek visitation if the grandchild's parent or parents are deceased, divorced or in the process of seeking a divorce, or have never been married but paternity has been legally established. We further note that the Nebraska grandparent visitation statutes, unlike the Washington statute at issue in Troxel, provide that the grandparent seeking visitation must prove by clear and convincing evidence that there is, or has been, a significant beneficial relationship between the grandparent and the child, that it is in the best interests of the child that such relationship continue, and that such visitation will not adversely interfere with the parent-child relationship. § 43-1802(2). We believe that unlike the Washington statute, these provisions satisfy the Troxel principles that a fit parent is presumed to act in the best interests of his or her child, and although special weight is to be accorded a fit parent's decision regarding visitation, the presumption in favor of a parent's decision is rebuttable. Thus, although the Nebraska grandparent visitation statutes recognize the interests of the child in the continuation of the grandparent relationship, under Nebraska's grandparent visitation statutes as a whole, the best interests of the child consideration does not deprive the parent of sufficient protection, because visitation will not be awarded where such visitation would adversely interfere with the parent-child relationship. See Troxel v. Granville, 530 U.S. 57, 70, 120 S.Ct. 2054, 147 L.Ed.2d 49 (2000) (citing with approval § 43-1802(2) as providing protection for [the parent's] fundamental constitutional right to make decisions concerning the rearing of [the parent's own children]). In view of the foregoing comparison, we reject appellant's assertion that Nebraska's grandparent visitation statutes fail to meet the principles in Troxel and suffer from the weaknesses of the Washington statute, which weaknesses led the U.S. Supreme Court to disapprove of the Washington statute. We therefore proceed to an examination of the record in this case and an assessment of the grandparent visitation statutes as they were applied to appellant.