Opinion ID: 885900
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Termination of Michael's Parental Rights

Text: ¶ 33 The District Court terminated Michael's parental rights because he did not complete any of his treatment plans, he has a history of violent behavior, and he continues to exhibit excessive use of intoxicating liquor or of a narcotic drug that affects his ability to care for his children. Michael admits he did not complete his treatment plans, but he questions the need for a treatment plan when he was not the abuser of his children; his parenting skills or lack thereof did not place the children in harm's way; and he could not afford to do the tasks asked of him on the treatment plan. ¶ 34 Michael focuses on the problems stemming from the 1998 incidents of abuse involving Gerald, however, Michael's problems involving his ability to parent his children go back to the 1997 incident when drugs were discovered in his home, pornography was discovered on the floor in full view of S.M., and the house was filthy. In that incident, both Michael's and Michelle's use of drugs in the home and lack of parenting skills placed S.M. in harm's way. After Michelle completed her treatment plans stemming from that incident, S.M. was returned only to her care. S.M. was not returned to Michael's care following the 1997 incident because Michael refused to complete any of his treatment plans. Michael's noncompliance was not a factor in returning S.M. to Michelle because Michael was no longer residing with Michelle, and they subsequently divorced. ¶ 35 Michael has a long history of failing to complete the requirements of his treatment plans. Michael was evaluated by a chemical dependency counselor on June 14, 1999, who recommended that he undergo intensive outpatient treatment and attend regular AA meetings. Michael did not follow through with these recommendations. ¶ 36 Michael was scheduled to provide 20 urine samples for testing between July and September 1999. He refused to provide any samples even though he was warned in writing that a failure to provide a sample would be considered a positive test. ¶ 37 Although Michael's treatment plan required him to refrain from any criminal activity, Michael spent August and September of 1998 in jail for disorderly conduct. He was also arrested for a theft charge in May 1999. ¶ 38 At the January 7, 2000 termination hearing, Michael testified that he was currently homeless and unemployed. He acknowledged that he had not completed his treatment plans and he testified that he would never attend counseling. ¶ 39 In summary, the unrefuted evidence produced at the hearings in this matter revealed that Michael failed to complete the following requirements of his treatment plan: (1) maintaining a safe home; (2) maintaining a stable financial situation; (3) establishing and following a monthly budget; (4) completing individual/family therapy; (5) completing a psychological evaluation and following the recommendations; (6) completing anger management counseling; (7) following the recommendations of his chemical dependency evaluation; (8) attending three AA meetings per week; (9) submitting to random UA's; and (10) visiting regularly with the children. ¶ 40 In addition, although Michael testified that he had concerns about his children while Michelle was living with Gerald, Michael did not attempt to obtain custody. Furthermore, during the 1997 action and initially during this action, S.M. and P.L.M. were placed with Michael's father and step-mother. The children had to be removed from this home in April 1999, due to physical abuse by Michael's step-mother. It was not until after the children were removed from this home that Michael and Michelle disclosed that they did not feel that Michael's father and step-mother were appropriate caretakers due to abusive incidents towards Michael when he was a child. Certainly, a non-custodial parent cannot stand by and allow his or her children to be abused. See In the Matter of M.W. (1988), 234 Mont. 530, 534, 764 P.2d 1279, 1282. ¶ 41 Michael's refusal to take responsibility for his own actions; his refusal to appropriately address his inadequacies as a parent; and his failure to cooperate over the course of this case supports the District Court's conclusion that the conduct or condition rendering Michael unfit is unlikely to change within a reasonable time. As this Court has stated, Regrettably, we do not have a crystal ball to look into to make this determination, so it must, to some extent, be based on a person's past conduct. In the Matter of C.A.R. (1984), 214 Mont. 174, 187, 693 P.2d 1214, 1221. ¶ 42 Accordingly, we hold that the District Court did not err in terminating Michael's parental rights.