Opinion ID: 848764
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: the trial court's application of the statute

Text: Although I believe that the grandparent visitation statute is valid, the visitation order must be overturned because it unduly infringes Mrs. Seymour's constitutionally protected interest in raising her children. The record indicates that the order far exceeded the discretion that the Legislature gave the trial court. The basis for the order was the court's conclusion that grandmothers are very important. This statement shows that the trial court's decision involved nothing more than a simple disagreement between the [trial court and Theresa DeRose] concerning her children's best interests. Troxel, 530 U.S. at 72, 120 S.Ct. 2054 (opinion of O'Connor, J.); Parham, 442 U.S. at 603, 99 S.Ct. 2493. [10] Moreover, this case is less difficult than was Troxel. Here, Mrs. Seymour not only made a legitimate decision concerning her child, she demonstrated that she made the decision to protect the integrity of her family. Had Mrs. DeRose been allowed to continue visitation with Mrs. Seymour's daughter, she could have continued to tell the child that Mrs. Seymour's ex-husband was not guilty of sexually abusing the child's sister. The potential harm to both children is a legitimate concern. Mrs. DeRose has failed to demonstrate that Mrs. Seymour's decision was not in the best interests of her children. The evidence demonstrated that Mrs. Seymour's concern for the integrity of her family motivated her decision. This concern is the basis of the liberty interest at stake in this case. See Caban v. Mohammed, 441 U.S. 380, 397, 99 S.Ct. 1760, 60 L.Ed.2d 297 (1979); Lehr v. Robertson, 463 U.S. 248, 260-261, 103 S.Ct. 2985, 77 L.Ed.2d 614 (1983); Michael H. v. Gerald D., 491 U.S. 110, 123, 109 S.Ct. 2333, 105 L.Ed.2d 91 (1989). Accordingly, I would hold that the visitation order is an unconstitutional abuse of the discretion granted it by the Michigan grandparent visitation statute.