Opinion ID: 1298495
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Pertinent Requirements of Abuse and Neglect Litigation

Text: Abuse and neglect cases are undoubtedly among the most difficult cases with which our court structure must grapple. The lives of the parties are irretrievably altered by the court rulings, and the people most fundamentally affected are blameless young children. Moreover, as the Supreme Court of the United States recently underlined in Troxel v. Granville, 530 U.S. 57, 120 S.Ct. 2054, 147 L.Ed.2d 49 (2000), the state's involvement with children's and parental rights and privileges implicates substantial liberty interests that enjoy constitutional guarantees of due process of law which must be respected by the state, its legislature, and the courts. Similarly, this Court long ago recognized the constitutional dimensions of abuse and neglect proceedings under both the federal and state constitutions. In syllabus point one of In re Willis, 157 W.Va. 225, 207 S.E.2d 129 (1973), this Court explained: In the law concerning custody of minor children, no rule is more firmly established than that the right of a natural parent to the custody of his or her infant child is paramount to that of any other person; it is a fundamental personal liberty protected and guaranteed by the Due Process Clauses of the West Virginia and United States Constitutions. Id. at 225, 207 S.E.2d at 130-31; see also Syl. Pt. 1, State ex rel. W. Va. Dep't of Human Servs. v. Cheryl M., 177 W.Va. 688, 356 S.E.2d 181 (1987). In clear recognition of these critical interests, and by steadfastly adhering to the polar star test of looking to the best interests of our children and their right to healthy, happy productive lives, this Court, over a substantial period of time, has expressed an unwavering interest in providing comprehensive and fair procedures for the consideration of abuse and neglect cases. As this most important area of the law has expanded, this Court has insisted that the directives of applicable rules and legislative enactments must be carefully identified, respected, and incorporated within our court system. The Rules of Procedure for Child Abuse and Neglect Proceedings and the related statutes detailing fair, prompt, and thorough procedures for child abuse and neglect cases are not mere general guidance; rather, they are stated in mandatory terms and vest carefully described and circumscribed discretion in our courts, intended to protect the due process rights of the parents as well as the rights of the innocent children. Procedurally, these various directives also provide the necessary framework for appellate review of a circuit court's action. Where a lower court has not shown compliance with these requirements in a final order, and such cannot be readily gleaned by this Court from the record, the laudable and indispensable goal of proper appellate review is thwarted. As the Supreme Court of Wisconsin emphasized in In re T.R.M., 100 Wis.2d 681, 303 N.W.2d 581 (1981), [a]dequate findings must be made in order to protect the rights of litigants and to facilitate review of the record by an appellate court. Id. at 583. The Wisconsin court also emphasized that the trial court's findings are also deficient with respect to a lack of a specific and formal determination regarding the best interests of ... [the child] and noted that the trial court was under an obligation to make findings with regard to the best interests of the child in relation to the evidence adduced. Id; see also In re Welfare of M.M., 452 N.W.2d 236 (Minn.1990) (holding trial court's findings of fact inadequate to facilitate effective appellate review and reversing decision after independent review of record). In In re Adoption/Guardianship No. 87A262, 323 Md. 12, 590 A.2d 165 (1991), the Maryland court explained as follows: [The] legislative requirement of consideration of the factors itemized in [the statute] demonstrates the intent that the utmost caution should be exercised in any decision to terminate parental rights. In cases where parental rights are terminated, it is important that each factor be addressed specifically not only to demonstrate that all factors were considered but also to provide a record for review of this drastic measure. Id. at 168. Clear and complete findings by the trial judge are essential to enable us properly to exercise and not exceed our powers of review. Nicpon v. Nicpon, 9 Mich. App. 373, 157 N.W.2d 464, 467 (1968); see In re Denzel A., 53 Conn.App. 827, 733 A.2d 298 (1999) (holding that trial court mandated to consider and make written findings of fact regarding statutory factors in dispositional phase of termination of parental rights hearing).