Opinion ID: 4561130
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: Cameo S. and Aaron S. were married on July 15, 2018. Approximately 10 months later, Cameo gave birth to a daughter. Aaron was present for the birth and was listed as the father on the child’s birth certificate. 1 Genetic testing performed a few months later showed Ian K. was the child’s biological father. Based on the test results, the State filed a complaint in the district court for Lancaster County seeking to establish Ian’s paternity. On the State’s motion, the action was transferred to the separate juvenile court, which already had jurisdiction over the child due to an abuse/neglect adjudication 2 involving Cameo but not Aaron. 3 1 See Neb. Rev. Stat. § 71-640.01 ((Reissue 2018) (when mother married at time of conception or birth, name of husband entered on birth certificate as child’s father unless court establishes paternity in another or mother and husband execute affidavits attesting husband is not father). 2 See Neb. Rev. Stat. § 43-247(3)(a) (Reissue 2016). 3 See, § 43-247(10) (juvenile court has jurisdiction over “[t]he paternity or custody determination for a child over which the juvenile court already has jurisdiction”); Neb. Rev. Stat. § 43-1411.01 (Cum. Supp. 2018) (county court or separate juvenile court may determine paternity if already has jurisdiction over child). - 374 - Nebraska Supreme Court Advance Sheets 306 Nebraska Reports STATE ON BEHALF OF MIAH S. v. IAN K. Cite as 306 Neb. 372 State’s Paternity Action The State’s complaint alleged that during the marriage of Cameo and Aaron, a child was born, but the child’s biological father was Ian, not Aaron. The State prayed for an order “finding that [Aaron] is not the biological father of said minor child [and] that [Ian] is the biological father of said child.” It is undisputed that at the time the child was born, and at the time of trial in this matter, Cameo and Aaron were married. At trial, a caseworker from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) testified the child became a ward of the State immediately after birth, and the child had never lived with Cameo or Aaron. The DHHS caseworker testified that Aaron had always expressed a desire to be the child’s father and had visited the child regularly while she was in foster care. According to the caseworker, Aaron stopped visiting for a time after he learned of the genetic test results, but he had resumed visitation with the child by the time of trial. The caseworker testified that Ian had no contact with the child and had “strenuously advocated” to be allowed to relinquish whatever rights he may be found to have with respect to the child. The caseworker did not consider either Aaron or Ian an “ideal father,” but she testified that if Aaron remained the legal father after the hearing, DHHS would provide him serv­ ices to address “whatever issues” he may be found to have. Aaron testified he wanted to remain the child’s father and was willing to participate in any services DHHS could offer him. He expressly stated he was willing to take full responsibility for the child, including financial responsibility. Aaron testified that he no longer wished to be married to Cameo and had commenced divorce proceedings that morning. Our appellate record does not contain any other information regarding the status of the dissolution proceeding. At the conclusion of the evidence, the State asked the court to “dis-establish” Aaron as the child’s legal father and to establish Ian as the child’s father so he could effectively relinquish his rights. The State acknowledged that Aaron wanted to - 375 - Nebraska Supreme Court Advance Sheets 306 Nebraska Reports STATE ON BEHALF OF MIAH S. v. IAN K. Cite as 306 Neb. 372 remain the child’s father, but it suggested without elaboration that Aaron’s goal was to “circumvent the adoption process.” Ian’s counsel asked the court to dismiss the State’s paternity action, arguing that despite the results of the genetic testing, Ian had not signed an acknowledgment of paternity and Aaron remained the child’s legal father. Aaron’s counsel agreed, arguing that at the time of trial, Aaron was the child’s legal father and wanted to remain so. Court’s Order The separate juvenile court entered an order which purported to disestablish Aaron as the child’s father and to establish Ian as the child’s biological father. As to Aaron, the court found: While he was the legal father of [the child] at her birth, the evidence clearly and convincingly shows that, when considering her age [and] her previous relationship with [Aaron] there is no significant evidence that [the child] could benefit from establishing paternity with [Aaron and] it is in the best interest of [the child] to disestablish [Aaron] as her legal father. And as to Ian, the court found “he is also not a very appealing choice to be the legal and/or biological father” of the child. But the court found the genetic test results clearly established Ian as the child’s biological father, and it granted the State the relief sought in its complaint. Aaron timely appealed, and we moved the case to our docket on our own motion. ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR Aaron assigns, summarized, that the juvenile court erred in disestablishing his paternity and in establishing Ian as the child’s father.