Opinion ID: 901463
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Whether there was a full and fair opportunity to litigate the Morrell incident in the Lincoln County proceeding.

Text: [¶ 64.] To support its contention that there was no full and fair opportunity to litigate the motion for reconsideration, the State puts forth the same arguments it made pertaining to the final judgment on the merits. However, as mentioned above, the Lincoln County State's Attorney admitted that he could have pressed the issue and demanded a hearing on the State's motion. Moreover, the State had the opportunity to appeal the trial court's decision, but chose not to do so. [8] Instead, they filed a new petition in Minnehaha County, the day after Judge Caldwell signed her order dismissing the case. The State cannot argue now that it was deprived of a full and fair opportunity to litigate the Morrell incident. [¶ 65.] The doctrine of res judicata should bar the Minnehaha County proceeding. If the State believed the trial court's decision was in error, it should have appealed to this Court. When the State filed a new action in front of a different judge, it did precisely what the doctrine of res judicata seeks to avoid: forum shopping and relitigating issues and facts decided in a prior proceeding. [¶ 66.] The majority opinion does not apply the four factors of res judicata to determine if the Minnehaha County proceeding was barred. Rather than attempt to pound a square peg in a round hole, the majority opinion cuts an entirely new hole in order to reach the result it believes is in the best interest of the children. Remarkably, this is done sua sponte as the State never raised the issue of whether res judicata applies to termination cases. Instead, the State only argued that the four elements of res judicata were not met. [¶ 67.] The majority opinion cites several cases for the proposition that res judicata should not apply with full force in these types of proceedings. I agree. Children are not static and their lives are constantly changing. That is precisely why multiple abuse and neglect petitions can be filed when new facts come into existence after the disposition of a prior proceeding. The majority opinion quotes the Oregon Court of Appeals which noted: [It is clearly wrong] to contend that, if new substantial material facts come into existence which justify the filing of a new termination proceeding, evidence and facts which were or could have been considered in the earlier proceeding cannot be considered or reconsidered in the later one. Newman, 49 Or.App. 221, 619 P.2d 901, 904-05 (Or.Ct.App.1980) (emphasis added). I have no disagreement with the statement of the Oregon Court. However, the majority opinion cannot provide any new substantial material facts that came into existence after Judge Caldwell's order became final. The facts relied on by the State in the Minnehaha County proceeding were the same facts the State relied on in making its motion to reconsider in the Lincoln County proceeding. [¶ 68.] I appreciate the majority opinion's concern for the best interest of the children. Perhaps Judge Caldwell erred in failing to reconsider this case in light of the Morrell incident. However, this Court should not ignore the law in an attempt to reach a desired result. It is not relevant whether Judge Caldwell was correct at [that] time or not in determining whether her decision is res judicata. Moe, 496 N.W.2d at 595. Judge Caldwell's decision was never appealed and was final in the absence of new facts. [¶ 69.] I will not join an opinion that allows the State to fail to bring a hearing because it thought it was going to lose, fail to appeal, and then bring a new action in a different county, based on the same facts, the very next day. Judge Lieberman's decision should be reversed and vacated. [9]