Opinion ID: 6331522
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: analysis

Text: The Decision of the Trial Justice The trial justice issued a written decision on October 18, 2019. She initially provided an extensive and comprehensive recounting of the relevant trial testimony. The trial justice then began her discussion by noting that DCYF was required to prove its allegations by clear and convincing evidence. She stated that she was “mindful of the fact that the termination of a parent’s right to their child is without question the most difficult decision a Family Court judge will have to make” and that it was “an awesome and permanent decision that [she took] tremendous responsibility for.” Nonetheless, she added that “the safety and protection of [the] child” was the “utmost concern   .” After reviewing the testimony of the witnesses and the other evidence in the record, the trial justice noted that the “entire trial testimony of [Kaitlyn] was the denial and rejection” of the medical evidence. She added that, despite seeing a videotape of her husband’s police interview in which he admitted to abusing their son and despite hearing the opinions of the doctors about what caused Lucas’s injuries, Kaitlyn still “insisted that [Lucas’s] injuries were caused by some medical or genetic issue.” The trial justice found that Kaitlyn’s “lack of awareness and - 15 - insight” with respect to Anthony’s confession and her “crusade” and “grasping at straws” to find a reason other than Anthony’s actions for the injuries to her son showed a lack of protective capacity. She noted that Kaitlyn and Anthony had remained married and, despite a “short period of time apart, continued to live together.” She added that she found Kaitlyn’s testimony to be “self-serving and not credible.” The trial justice additionally noted that testimony at trial indicated that Lucas was bonded with his pre-adoptive family, which was willing to offer him permanency. The trial justice then made specific findings, which included a finding that Kaitlyn had “allowed to be committed cruel and abusive conduct towards Lucas” and had continued to “support and stand by” Anthony despite the evidence in the case. She also found that Kaitlyn continued to reject the uncontradicted medical testimony that Lucas’s injuries were the result of child abuse and the “overwhelming evidence” that Anthony caused Lucas’s injuries. The trial justice accordingly found Kaitlyn unfit to parent Lucas, and she terminated her parental rights. - 16 -