Opinion ID: 1127387
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Parent as Respondent

Text: (1) The father argues that he is entitled to counsel under section 7895 even though he is a respondent and the trial court refused to declare the child free from his custody and control. We disagree. The statute specifically refers to a judgment freeing a child ... from parental custody and control, and uses the word appellant to describe the person entitled to counsel no fewer than four times. Generally, the expression of some things in a statute implies the exclusion of others not expressed. ( Gikas v. Zolin (1993) 6 Cal.4th 841, 852 [25 Cal. Rptr.2d 500, 863 P.2d 745].) Here, the statute impliedly excludes the right to counsel to a respondent. The court in Appellate Defenders, supra, 35 Cal. App.4th 1819, examined the legislative history of former Civil Code section 237.7 and found no intent by the Legislature to abrogate or restrict the right to appellate counsel established by Jacqueline H. Rather, the Senate and Assembly Committees on the Judiciary analyzed the legislation as codifying Jacqueline H., requiring reviewing courts to appoint counsel for any indigent parent whose parental rights were terminated. (Assem. Com. on Judiciary, Analysis of Sen. Bill No. 1912 (1983-1984 Reg. Sess.) as amended Mar. 19, 1984, at pp. 1-2 (Assembly Analysis); Legislative Analyst, Analysis of Sen. Bill No. 1912 (1983-1984 Reg. Sess.) as amended June 14, 1984, at p. 2 (Senate Analysis).) The stated need for codification was that `confusion and delays result when rights are extended by the courts rather than by statute.' (Sen. Analysis, supra, at p. 3.) Moreover, the Assembly analysis explained support for the legislation as follows: `[T]he fundamental nature of parental rights mandates protection by the state of familial rights throughout all phases of termination proceedings. Such protection is critical where indigency might preclude any appeal, or any effective appeal, by an impoverished parent. ...' (Assem. Analysis, supra, at p. 3.) ( Appellate Defenders, supra, 35 Cal. App.4th at pp. 1824-1825, first italics in original, second italics added.) The court found no situation where an indigent person is entitled to appointed trial counsel and denied counsel on appeal from an adverse judgment.... If skilled counsel is needed to protect the indigent parent's rights at trial and preserve issues for appeal, it follows skilled appellate counsel should examine that record for claims of error. ( Appellate Defenders, supra, 35 Cal. App.4th at p. 1826.) Father has asked us to judicially notice legislative materials concerning the bill that led to the enactment of what is today section 7895, including those considered in Appellate Defenders, supra, 35 Cal. App.4th 1819. We grant the motion. (Evid. Code, §§ 452, subds. (c) & (h), 459, subd. (a); Ford & Vlahos v. ITT Commercial Finance Corp. (1994) 8 Cal.4th 1220, 1226 [36 Cal. Rptr.2d 464, 885 P.2d 877].) As the court in Appellate Defenders, supra, 35 Cal. App.4th 1819, found, the materials, including analyses of both the Senate and Assembly Committees on the Judiciary, show an intent to codify the rule of Jacqueline H., supra, 21 Cal.3d 170. They do not, however, evidence an intent to expand that rule. The legislative language and history both demonstrate an intent to require counsel for appellants, but not necessarily for respondents. Substantial reasons explain and justify a statute granting counsel to all appellants whose parental rights have been terminated but not to all respondents whose rights have not been terminated. An appellant whose rights have been terminated has the burden to perfect the appeal, and to identify and argue points of error to try to overturn a presumptively valid judgment. (See, e.g., In re Brittany H. (1988) 198 Cal. App.3d 533, 549 [243 Cal. Rptr. 763] [stressing the presumptions in favor of factual findings by the trial court].) The rationale of Jacqueline H., supra, 21 Cal.3d at page 177, was that indigent parents should have the right to an effective appeal, not just any appeal, which requires an attorney. (Italics in original.) The quoted language was also quoted in the bill analyses of both the Senate and Assembly Committees on the Judiciary. Although counsel is certainly useful, and sometimes vital, to a respondent, this argument has less force when the parent is defending a favorable judgment, and the presumptions favor the respondent. The differing positions of appellant and respondent are illustrated in the Rules of Court. If an appellant fails to file a brief, the appeal may be dismissed entirely. (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 17(a).) By contrast, if the respondent fails to file a brief, the judgment is not automatically reversed. Rather, the reviewing court may accept as true the statement of facts in the appellant's opening brief and, unless the appellant requests oral argument, may submit the case for decision on the record and on the appellant's opening brief. (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 17(b).) Although some courts have treated the failure to file a respondent's brief as in effect a consent to a reversal, it has been said that the better rule ... is to examine the record on the basis of appellant's brief and to reverse only if prejudicial error is found. ( Votaw Precision Tool Co. v. Air Canada (1976) 60 Cal. App.3d 52, 55 [131 Cal. Rptr. 335]; accord, Carboni v. Arrospide (1991) 2 Cal. App.4th 76, 80, fn. 2 [2 Cal. Rptr.2d 845].) Certainly, if the respondent in an appeal from a judgment refusing to terminate parental rights is unrepresented, the appellate court should reverse only if prejudicial error is found. Because of the general presumptions favoring the judgment, many can and should be affirmed even absent a brief or other appearance by the respondent. (We, of course, express no opinion regarding the merits of this appeal.) In those cases, at least, counsel might be unnecessary. For these reasons, we conclude that when the Legislature decreed that counsel must be appointed for appellants from a judgment freeing the child from parental custody and control, it impliedly withheld the absolute right to counsel to respondents whose rights have not been terminated. Because father, as a respondent, is not entitled to counsel as of right, and because, as discussed below, appellate courts have discretion to appoint counsel in any appeal in which parental rights are at stake, we need not decide the additional question whether the child must be a dependent child of the court for counsel to be required. That issue can await a case, should one arise, in which the appellate court refuses, in its discretion, to appoint counsel for an appellant parent.