Opinion ID: 1842608
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: larry millien's appeal

Text: Larry Millien has appealed from a decree sustaining a general demurrer to his Petition For Leave to File a Bill of Review. It is not necessary to address the error assigned by Larry Millien because we have concluded that the decree terminating the parental rights against him was null and void. The petition to terminate the parental rights of appellants named both of appellants as defendants. At that time, and at all times up until the hearing on June 10, 1980, appellants lived together as husband and wife. When Larry Millien failed to file an answer to the petition to terminate parental rights, the court entered a final decree on October 19, 1978 based on a decree pro confesso entered the previous day. This case was then in this unusual posture; the parental rights of the father had been terminated but no hearing had been held on whether the parental rights of the mother should be terminated, and the mother and father were living together in the same house. Section 93-15-7 Mississippi Code Annotated (1972) provides that the parental rights of one parent may be terminated in the following language: After hearing all the evidence in regard to such petition, if the court or chancellor is satisfied that the parent or parents have abandoned or deserted said child, or are mentally, morally, or otherwise unfit to rear and train said child, then the court may terminate all the parental rights of said parent or parents, including the right of inheritance, and the right of the child to inherit from such parent or parents. The termination of the parental rights of one (1) parent may be made without affecting the parental rights of the other parent should circumstances and evidence ever so warrant. In this case one petition was filed against appellants, but instead of hearing the petition against both appellants, who were then living together as husband and wife, one chancellor heard the petition against the father and another against the mother. The parental rights of Larry Millien were terminated before all of the evidence in regard to the petition was heard. This procedure was contrary to the clear provisions of the statute which prohibits termination of parental rights before hearing all the evidence in regard to such petition. This was in derogation of the statute and makes the decree of October 19, 1978 terminating the parental rights of Larry Millien null and void. We therefore set aside the decree terminating the parental rights of Larry Millien. REVERSED AND RENDERED. PATTERSON, C.J., SMITH and ROBERTSON, P. JJ., and WALKER, BROOM, LEE, BOWLING and HAWKINS, JJ., concur.