Opinion ID: 1914265
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: factors to be considered by the district court

Text: This is the first opportunity for this court to address the question of what factors are to be considered by the district court in evaluating requests for consent to adoption. It is the duty of this court, as far as practicable, to give effect to the language of a statute and to reconcile the different provisions of it so they are consistent, harmonious and sensible. Malone v. Benson, 219 Neb. 28, 361 N.W.2d 184 (1985). As a series or collection of statutes pertaining to a certain subject matter, statutory components of an act may be conjunctively considered and construed to determine the intent of the Legislature so that different provisions of the act are consistent, harmonious, and sensible. Indian Hills Comm. Ch. v. County Bd. of Equal., 226 Neb. 510, 412 N.W.2d 459 (1987); Wounded Shield v. Gunter, 225 Neb. 327, 405 N.W.2d 9 (1987). In construing the statutes involved in this appeal, we are not restricted to tunnel vision focused on one statute isolated from its related statutory companions. Rather, we read the various sections of the adoption statutes in conjunction with, and in light of, one another. Indian Hills, supra . Neb.Rev.Stat. § 24-517(8) (Reissue 1989) provides that the county courts shall have exclusive, original jurisdiction over all adoption matters. The consent of the district court means only that the [opposing parent] must defend against the adoption sought in the county court. Klein v. Klein, supra, 230 Neb. at 387, 431 N.W.2d at 647. Should an adoption be granted by the county court, the opposing parent would then be free to appeal that decision as provided by law. It is not appropriate that the district court, in order to determine consent, consider abandonment, the children's best interests, and other issues outside of the dissolution proceeding and other issues that are within the province of the county court. Requiring proof of abandonment and best interests at the district court level, prior to county court resolution of the same issues, runs afoul of judicial economy and eviscerates the exclusive jurisdiction of the county court on adoption matters. The Legislature has delegated that responsibility to the county court, and allows review of the county court's decision in the district court upon appeal. While appellant would have us hold that § 43-104 is therefore only a bookkeeping device intended to keep the district court informed of the status of parties over which it has jurisdiction, we do not believe that to be the case either. Rather, we hold that the statute gives the district court two opportunities to influence an adoption proceeding. First, the district court may have already made determinations within the dissolution proceedings which are decisive on the issue of adoption or the fitness of a parent. If such is the case, it would be unnecessary for the county court to rehear these issues and the district court may deny consent based upon such findings. It should be understood, however, that a determination of custody is not, on its face, determinative as to later petitions for adoption made by either the custodial or non-custodial parent. See, Stanley v. Illinois, 405 U.S. 645, 92 S.Ct. 1208, 31 L.Ed.2d 551 (1972); Quilloin v. Walcott, 434 U.S. 246, 98 S.Ct. 549, 54 L.Ed.2d 511 (1978); Smith v. Organization of Foster Families, 431 U.S. 816, 97 S.Ct. 2094, 53 L.Ed.2d 14 (1977). Second, the district court may be in the position to make a significant contribution to the determination of the county court based on its experience from the parties' dissolution proceedings. In addition to considering jurisdictional factors and prior determinations in deciding whether to grant consent to an adoption proceeding, the district court may, at its volition, make a written recommendation to the county court concerning the resolution of the proceedings in the context of knowledge obtained through the dissolution proceedings. This recommendation should be accompanied by, whenever possible, a reference to the record of the dissolution action. Such a recommendation would only be necessary when the district court has granted consent to the adoption proceedings.