Opinion ID: 2552144
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Chancery-Court Proceeding

Text: ¶ 6. On September 20, 2010, Bell's and Morse's attorney filed a motion to withdraw as counsel in the chancery-court proceeding. The chancellor granted the motion on October 13, 2010. Days later, Bell and Morse, assisted by new counsel, filed a motion to dismiss their petition for coguardianship. In their petition, Bell and Morse argued that the youth court had exclusive and priority jurisdiction over the matter; thus, the chancery court lacked subject-matter jurisdiction. During the hearing on the motion, the chancellor expressed his confusion and dissatisfaction with Bell's and Morse's motion to dismiss, noting that they had requested the transfer to chancery court. Finnegan's counsel also expressed that he was perplexed by Bell's and Morse's motion to dismiss, because Bell and Morse had requested the transfer. Because Finnegan had objected to the transfer in youth court, Finnegan's counsel joined the motion to dismiss the petition for coguardianship. ¶ 7. On October 19, 2010, the chancellor entered his final judgment, dismissing the petition for coguardianship with prejudice. In his judgment, the chancellor stated that the youth-court orders were no longer in effect, he deprived Bell of any authority over Baby Dennis, and he vested full custody of Baby Dennis in Finnegan as the natural mother. The chancellor also ordered Bell and Morse to pay sanctions in the amount of $750 to Finnegan for filing a frivolous lawsuit. Aggrieved, Bell and Morse timely filed their notice of appeal on November 17, 2010.