Opinion ID: 2548772
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: District Court's Reliance on Father's Drug Conviction After Hearing

Text: [¶ 36] Father maintains the district court committed reversible error because it relied on evidence concerning Father's guilty plea to a felony drug charge that was entered after the termination hearing. The State did not address this argument. Although Father provides no support for his contentions on this issue, we will briefly address his concerns. [¶ 37] The district court's findings stated Father is currently released on bond, pending sentencing after an April 28, 2003[,] plea of guilty to a felony charge of delivery of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) within this district. Although the guilty plea took place after the termination of parental rights hearing, Father failed to explain how the district court's judicial notice of Father's criminal file was improper. This Court has held that a court may take judicial notice of its own records in cases closely related to the one before it. State in Interest of C v. Platte County Department of Public Assistance and Social Services, 638 P.2d 165, 172 n. 10 (Wyo.1981). See also State ex rel. Romsa v. Grace, 43 Wyo. 454, 5 P.2d 301 (1931); Ellis v. Cauhaupe, 71 Wyo. 475, 260 P.2d 309 (1953); Weber v. Johnston Fuel Liners, Inc., 540 P.2d 535 (Wyo.1975) (we do not deem it improper to take notice of the judgment, temporary restraining order, and opinion in the earlier case because of the identity of the parties and the interrelationship of these actions). While the guilty plea in this case was entered after the termination hearing, the district court was well aware of the pending charges at the time of the hearing and of Father's repeated failure of the drug tests required by the case plan. [¶ 38] Whether or not Father pled guilty to a drug-related charge was of minor importance in the face of the overwhelming evidence of abuse and neglect. The court made multiple and detailed findings of fact which demonstrated neglect. We fail to see how the reference to the guilty plea that occurred after the hearing prejudiced Father. See In the Matter of A.C.B., 598 N.E.2d 570, 573 (Ind.Ct.App.1992) (where Father alleged the district court improperly took judicial notice of a paternity test in its findings of fact, the appellate court failed to see the prejudice that resulted).