Opinion ID: 2172815
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Sufficiency of Evidence for Termination

Text: Appellant's first point on appeal is that there was insufficient evidence to support the trial court's decision to terminate her parental rights. In cases involving the termination of parental rights, there is a heavy burden placed upon the party seeking to terminate the relationship. Camarillo-Cox v. Arkansas Dep't of Human Servs., 360 Ark. 340, 201 S.W.3d 391 (2005); Trout v. Dep't of Human Servs., 359 Ark. 283, 197 S.W.3d 486 (2004). This is because termination of parental rights is an extreme remedy in derogation of the natural rights of the parents. Id. Nevertheless, parental rights will not be enforced to the detriment or destruction of the health and well-being of the child. Id. Thus, parental rights must give way to the best interest of the child when the natural parents seriously fail to provide reasonable care for their minor children. Id. Arkansas Code Annotated § 9-27-341(b)(3) (Repl.2002) requires that an order terminating parental rights be based upon clear and convincing evidence. See also id; Dinkins v. Arkansas Dep't of Human Servs., 344 Ark. 207, 40 S.W.3d 286 (2001). Clear and convincing evidence is that degree of proof that will produce in the factfinder a firm conviction as to the allegation sought to be established. Id. It is well settled that when the burden of proving a disputed fact is by clear and convincing evidence, the question that must be answered on appeal is whether the trial court's finding that the disputed fact was proven by clear and convincing evidence was clearly erroneous. Id. In making this determination, we review the case de novo, but we give a high degree of deference to the trial court, as it is in a far superior position to observe the parties before it and judge the credibility of the witnesses. Id. A finding is clearly erroneous when, although there is evidence to support it, the reviewing court on the entire evidence is left with a definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been made. Id. With this standard in mind, we turn to the particulars of this case. Appellant argues that DHS initially took custody of P.J. due to Appellant's hospitalization for a heart attack, and that, accordingly, the child should have been returned to her once she had recuperated. She argues that DHS did not allege as reasons for removing the child Appellant's poor hygiene, lack of progress in her health care, unstable home, combative behavior, and psychological problems. Yet she asserts that these were the reasons that the trial court cited as supporting termination. Appellant's argument misses the mark. It is of no consequence that P.J. was initially removed due to Appellant's emergency medical condition. One of the statutory grounds for termination of parental rights is that other factors arose subsequent to the filing of the original petition for dependency-neglect that demonstrate that return of the juvenile to the custody of the parent is contrary to the juvenile's health, safety, or welfare and that, despite the offer of appropriate family services, the parent has manifested the incapacity or indifference to remedy the subsequent issues or factors or rehabilitate the parent's circumstances that prevent return of the juvenile to the custody of the parent. See Ark.Code Ann. § 9-27-341(b)(3)(B)(vii)(a) (Repl.2002). DHS listed this ground in its petition for termination. Thus, the trial court was correct to consider events and conditions that occurred after P.J. had been removed from the home, such as Appellant's health and lack of mobility, her lack of food and a stable place to live, her combative behavior, and her failure to follow her doctor's recommendations and the court's orders. Appellant also argues that there was never any evidence presented regarding her mental state and that it was therefore error for the trial court to consider her poor judgment and psychological issues. However, Appellant acknowledges her own testimony that she was seeing a doctor for depression and that he had prescribed two medications for her, Paxil and Valium. Moreover, this argument ignores the vast evidence showing that Appellant had repeatedly exercised poor judgment, especially with regard to her own health. She refused to see the dietician that Dr. Howard had recommended; she repeatedly missed her appointments with her various doctors, including her cardiologist; she could not budget her money, such that she routinely ran out of food in the middle of the month, but she maintained cable TV; she allowed her grown son back into her home, even though she had indicated to others that she was fearful of him and that he had stolen money from her; she did not get rid of her cat, as advised by Dr. Howard, even though it had scratched her, causing an infection for which she was hospitalized; she did not show up to a meeting with her apartment manager to discuss the complaints about her son, even though she knew that her eviction would likely result; and finally and perhaps most significantly, Appellant refused to follow her doctor's recommendations regarding her need to lose weight and manage her diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Appellant also argues that the trial court erred in finding that she had willfully failed to provide significant material support or to maintain meaningful contact with P.J., under section 9-27-341(b)(3)(B)(ii)(a). She asserts that the evidence showed that she had consistent, regular visitation with her daughter. She asserts further that she was under no court order to provide financial support for her daughter and that the court itself recognized that she was not financially able to provide such support, as she was found to be indigent. The problem with this argument is that the trial court did not make the finding that Appellant claims. Although the order of termination reflects the trial court's citation to the foregoing statutory provision, there is nothing in the order showing that the decision to terminate was based on this provision. Accordingly, there is no issue to review on this point. Finally, Appellant argues that the trial court erred in failing to recognize the progress that she had made since she was appointed new counsel, namely that she had lost forty pounds and was cooperating with DHS's requests and with the court's orders. She contends that her prior counsel gave her bad advice in telling her not to comply with the court's orders, especially that regarding the home study of her apartment. She argues that in light of the fact that she had been appointed new, less combative counsel, and in light of the testimony of the adoption specialist, to the effect that she doubted if an additional three to six months would make any difference in securing an adoptive home for P.J., the trial court should have granted her request for more time. We cannot say that the trial court's denial of additional time for Appellant to comply, given her past performance, was clearly erroneous. Consistent with this court's observation in Trout, 359 Ark. 283, 197 S.W.3d 486, to agree with Appellant's claim that the court should have given her more time to comply with its orders ignores the fact that she had consistently failed to comply with the court's orders for more than two years. It would also require us to ignore the fact that regardless of whether her first attorney told her to refuse to cooperate with the court's orders regarding the home study, Appellant herself was aware of this requirement, as the trial court spoke directly to her about the need for the home study. Moreover, this court has repeatedly held that evidence that a parent begins to make improvement as termination becomes more imminent will not outweigh other evidence demonstrating a failure to comply and to remedy the situation that caused the children to be removed in the first place or, as in this case, that caused the child to continue to remain outside of the parental home after the initial removal. See, e.g., Camarillo-Cox, 360 Ark. 340, 201 S.W.3d 391; Trout, 359 Ark. 283, 197 S.W.3d 486; Jefferson v. Arkansas Dep't of Human Servs., 356 Ark. 647, 158 S.W.3d 129 (2004). Based on the foregoing evidence, even considering Appellant's eleventh-hour attempt to remedy the situation, we conclude that there is clear and convincing evidence to support the trial court's decision to terminate Appellant's parental rights. In ruling as we do, we are mindful that the stated purpose of the termination process is to provide permanency for the child when it appears from the evidence that a return to the family home cannot be accomplished in a reasonable period of time. See section 9-27-341(a)(3). When these proceedings began, P.J. was six years old. When termination was granted, she was nearly nine. She is now ten. We agree with the trial court that Appellant was given ample time to correct her situation and that it is in P.J.'s best interests to be placed for adoption. On a somewhat related point, Appellant claims that she was never included in the case plan preparation and never allowed the opportunity to participate in any of the DHS staffings that involve case plan development, and that she never signed a case plan prepared by DHS. She asserts that this is contrary to the law set forth in Ark.Code Ann. § 9-27-402(a)(1)(A) (Repl.2002). However, that is as far as her argument goes; she does not develop any legal argument as to why this entitles her to relief on appeal and she does not allege how she was prejudiced, assuming arguendo that her claims are true. We will not consider on appeal assignments of error unsupported by convincing argument or authority, unless it is apparent without further research that the point is well taken. Rodriguez v. Arkansas Dep't of Human Servs., 360 Ark. 180, 200 S.W.3d 431 (2004).