Opinion ID: 2196422
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: procedural requirements in child protective cases

Text: [¶ 2] Because the mother argues that the statutory process has worked to deprive her of her due process rights, we first review the process itself. When the Department has sought and obtained an emergency order of preliminary protection, a summary preliminary hearing must be held within ten days of the filing of the petition, unless the parent consents to the continuation of the order. See 22 M.R.S.A. § 4034(4). The parents are entitled to have an attorney represent them at the State's expense if they cannot afford counsel. See 22 M.R.S.A. § 4005(2). [¶ 3] At the summary hearing, the court may limit testimony and may admit evidence, including reports and records, that would ordinarily be inadmissible as hearsay evidence. 22 M.R.S.A. § 4034(4). This process allows both the petitioner, usually the Department, and the parents or guardian ad litem, to bring evidence to the court's attention in this expedited proceeding that would not otherwise be available. If, after hearing, the court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that there is an immediate risk of serious harm to the child, 22 M.R.S.A. § 4034(2), it may continue the preliminary protection order and may order that the Department or another person take custody of the child, see 22 M.R.S.A. § 4036(1)(F). [¶ 4] In the ordinary course, as soon as the child has entered foster care as a result of a court order, the Department is required to begin providing rehabilitation services to the parents. See 22 M.R.S.A. § 4041(1)(A). If, however, the court has found the presence of an aggravating factor, see 22 M.R.S.A. § 4002(1-B), the court may, but is not required to, relieve the Department of its statutory responsibility to commence or continue rehabilitation services under section 4041. See 22 M.R.S.A. § 4034(4). An aggravating factor is defined by statute, and includes circumstances such as sexual assault or chronic abuse of the child by the parent, conviction of the parent for certain violent crimes, a prior involuntary termination of the parent's parental rights to another child, and abandonment of the child. See 22 M.R.S.A. § 4002(1-B). [1] In order to assure that there are immediate plans made for the child's future when the Department has been relieved of its responsibility to work with the parents, a permanency planning hearing must be held within thirty days of the entry of the preliminary order. See 22 M.R.S.A. § 4034(4). [¶ 5] The preliminary protection order is intended to act as a short-term vehicle for providing safety to children in immediate risk of serious harm, not to establish the longer term goals for the parents or children. Thus, any determination of the court in the preliminary order is subject to change as a result of the jeopardy hearing, see 22 M.R.S.A. § 4035, and the facts found by the court at the summary hearing are not final for purposes of issue preclusion, see In re Misty B., 2000 ME 67, ¶ 7, 749 A.2d 754, 756. The preliminary order is interlocutory and is not appealable. See 22 M.R.S.A. § 4006. It automatically expires upon the issuance of a final protection order pursuant to 22 M.R.S.A. § 4035. See 22 M.R.S.A. § 4034(2); In re Misty B., 2000 ME 67, ¶ 7, 749 A.2d at 756. [¶ 6] The next step in the process requires the court to determine whether the child is in jeopardy. 22 M.R.S.A. §§ 4002(6), 4035. The jeopardy order must be issued within 120 days of the original filing of the petition unless good cause is shown for the delay. See 22 M.R.S.A. § 4035(4-A). Before issuing a final protection order, the court must hold a full adversarial hearing, unless hearing is waived by the parents. See 22 M.R.S.A. § 4035(1). Because the summary preliminary hearing and the jeopardy hearing are part of a unified process, the court is permitted to take judicial notice of evidence presented in the summary preliminary hearing. See In re David W., 568 A.2d 513, 515 (Me.1990). It may also take judicial notice of findings made in other jeopardy or termination of parental rights orders. In contrast, the factual findings included in the preliminary protection order are not final, and the parties may present additional evidence on facts relevant to the court's jeopardy and dispositional determinations. See 22 M.R.S.A. § 4034(2). [2] [¶ 7] Unless the parties have reached an agreement at the jeopardy hearing, if the court entered a cease reunification order after the summary hearing and if a parent challenges that order and presents additional evidence regarding the application of an aggravating factor to that parent's circumstances, the court must revisit the issues of whether an aggravating factor exists, and if it does, whether a cease reunification provision should be imposed, making use of the evidence presented at both the summary and jeopardy hearings. If, by a preponderance of the evidence, the court finds that the child is in circumstances of jeopardy to his health or welfare, it may issue a final order of child protection. See 22 M.R.S.A. § 4035(2). The court may order one or more of the dispositions in section 4036, including, if an aggravating factor is found, that the Department need not commence or continue reunification. See 22 M.R.S.A. § 4036(2).