Opinion ID: 2275396
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: Representation Was Required

Text: When the Family Court granted the dependency petition and awarded custody of the children to DFS, it ordered the Mother to be evaluated for substance abuse and mental health problems. The Mother was unemployed at the time of the initial dependency and neglect proceedings. She was still in the midst of an abusive relationship with her ex-husband. In addition, she had just been arrested and pled guilty to a drug-related charge. At the inception of the dependency/neglect proceedings, the Mother admitted to abusing alcohol and drugs. Both DFS and the Family Court were aware of her drug and alcohol problems. DFS was also aware of the Mother's mental health problems because of her erratic behavior towards caseworkers as well as her prior psychiatric services and treatment. DFS made these facts known to the Family Court. The Mother was in no condition to effectively and intelligently defend herself against the knowledge and experience of the State. She did not have the proper state of mind to effectively voice her case due to her mental health and substance abuse problems. The Mother was indigent and could not afford a lawyer. Without the assistance of counsel to act as an intermediary on her behalf with DFS and as her advocate in the Family Court, it was impossible for her to receive either mental health or substance abuse treatment and a fortiori impossible for her to make any progress in being reunited with her children. The Mother's inability to comply with the Family Court's directives, without the assistance of counsel is reflected on the record in the periodic reports to the Family Court from DFS that eventually changed the permanency plan for these children from reunification to a termination of parental rights. When counsel was finally appointed for the Mother, six months into the termination proceeding, the factual basis for that petition had been established. The Mother asserts that her rights to due process under both the United States Constitution and the Delaware Constitution required the appointment of counsel at State expense to represent her when the dependency and neglect petition was filed, if justice was to be administered in accordance with the right of the cause. We agree. The record reflects that when the Mother appeared for the dependency hearing, the Family Court was aware that she had a history of mental health problems and had been recently arrested for drug offenses as a result of continuing substance abuse. Considering the Eldridge factors, in the context of the Mother's condition at the time of the inception of the dependency and neglect proceedings, her due process rights under both the United States Constitution and the Delaware Constitution were violated when the Family Court did not appoint an attorney to represent her at State expense.