Opinion ID: 2067177
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: facts

Text: On January 27, 1994, the county attorney for Douglas County filed a petition alleging that the subject juvenile, being under the age of 18 years and lacking proper parental care by reason of the faults or habits of his mother, came within the court's jurisdiction under the provisions of Neb.Rev.Stat. § 43-247(3)(a) (Reissue 1993). An amended petition was filed on March 14, a second amended petition on July 15, and a third amended petition on August 2. Each amended petition continued to allege that the juvenile came within the purview of § 43-247(3)(a), but modified other allegations. Neither the petition, amended petition, nor second amended petition contained any support allegations, but each nonetheless prayed for orders concerning the care, custody, control and support of the juvenile as might be appropriate. The third amended petition contained no support allegations and prayed only for such orders as might be appropriate. The mother was personally served with a summons and copy of the petition and the second and third amended petitions. Each summons referred to the respective petition, but did not otherwise specify the relief sought. After the filing of the amended petition but before the filing of the second amended petition, the county attorney, on June 20, 1994, filed a motion for support. The motion was mailed to counsel representing the mother, together with a notice of hearing thereon. No summons was served on anyone with regard thereto. Although the hearing on the motion was originally scheduled to be heard on July 25, 1994, it was continued five times and was not held until March 9, 1995. In the meantime, on November 9, 1994, the juvenile court held a dispositional hearing, at which it ordered, inter alia, that the juvenile remain in the custody of the Nebraska Department of Social Services. The record does not reveal at whose behest or why the continuances on the support motion came about. In any event, a notice of the hearing to be held March 9, 1995, on the support motion was directed to counsel for the mother. At the hearing, counsel orally objected to the juvenile court's jurisdiction to order support on the ground that the mother had not been served with summons. No other matters were treated at the hearing, and the court took the jurisdictional issue under advisement. In its order dated April 17, 1995, the juvenile court determined that it had personal jurisdiction over the mother. It then held a hearing on May 15 to determine various issues, including support. Counsel for the mother continued to assert that the court lacked jurisdiction to order his client to pay support. The court nonetheless entered the subject support order.