Opinion ID: 2226627
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: placement pending disposition

Text: The only matter left for determination is the placement of Jeffrey prior to the time of the dispositional hearing. The department asserts that the juvenile court erroneously found that reasonable efforts had been made to keep Jeffrey in the home prior to ordering an out-of-home placement. Juvenile cases are reviewed de novo on the record, and an appellate court is required to reach a conclusion independent of the trial court's findings; however, where the evidence is in conflict, the appellate court will consider and may give weight to the fact that the trial court observed the witnesses and accepted one version of the facts over another. In re Interest of Jorius G. & Cheralee G., 249 Neb. 892, 546 N.W.2d 796 (1996); In re Interest of Todd T., 249 Neb. 738, 545 N.W.2d 711 (1996). Jeffrey was properly adjudicated under § 43-247(3)(b). The evidence revealed that Jeffrey, his mother, and his father all testified that Jeffrey had been unable to abide by the family rules between the October 11, 1995, detention hearing and the October 18 adjudication hearing. Further, all three individuals testified that Jeffrey was not likely to abide by the household rules, that he was disruptive to the entire family, and that an out-of-home placement was in his best interests pending disposition. In the absence of evidence to the contrary, we conclude that reasonable efforts were made to keep the juvenile in his home prior to ordering an out-of-home placement and that the juvenile court did not err in ordering that the juvenile be placed in the custody of the department for temporary foster care placement pending disposition.