Opinion ID: 1149593
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Interim Procedure For Courts

Text: The juvenile court correctly concluded that a part of the statutory scheme for effecting surrenders for private adoptions is unconstitutional. The constitutional deficiencies are in the statute allowing termination of the father's rights, La.R.S. 9:422.8, however, rather than in the birth certificate statute, La.R.S. 34:40, as found by the juvenile court. Based on this unconstitutional termination, the private adoption statutes allow adoptions to go forward against the wishes of the natural father, without affording him either notice or an opportunity to be heard by a neutral decision maker. Having determined that this statutory termination method is unconstitutional insofar as it may be used to deprive an unwed father of his child in whom he has a protected interest, this court cannot simply stop abruptly without supplying a temporary constitutional procedure by which the surrender of children for private adoptions may be continued. As noted above, establishing a procedure for terminating parental rights is ultimately a matter for the Legislature. In the interim, however, this court must formulate minimum safeguards to be followed by the courts in order to avoid due process violations. Until the legislature adopts some kind of constitutionally acceptable procedure, the courts must observe certain minimum safeguards in administering the present private adoption system. An unwed father's right to veto the adoption of his child cannot be terminated or declared forfeited without prior notice and a hearing on this issue. However, provisional transfer of custody of the child to the prospective adoptive parents may be made upon surrender of the child by the natural mother for adoption in accordance with the present statutory scheme. We do not believe that due process requires that the transfer of temporary physical custody await the pre-deprivation procedure except in the unlikely event that the father has actual custody. If the natural father, in response to notice of the proposed termination of his rights, makes known his possible constitutional interest in the child and his opposition to the adoption, the trial court must decide whether the natural father has lost, waived or otherwise had his constitutional rights terminated. This decision must be rendered rapidly to prevent the defeat of his potential rights by the law's delay. See In re J.M.P., supra. If the natural father does not respond or cannot be located within a reasonable time, then the court may terminate his parental rights and continue with the adoption proceedings. On the other hand, if the father appears and demonstrates that he is fully committed to his parental responsibilities and has grasped the opportunity to commence a relationship with his child, the court must uphold his parental rights, vacate the surrender and dismiss the adoption. A related problem is whether the courts should give this declaration of unconstitutionality retroactive effect to invalidate prior terminations of parental rights under La.R.S. 9:422.8. Numerous private adoptions have occurred in this state since the statute at issue was enacted. In those proceedings, the parties relied upon the statute as enacted by the legislature in attempting to create stable family relationships for children. Indeed, a lower court had previously held a similar statutory procedure constitutional, albeit in a different context. Collins v. Division of Foster Care, 377 So.2d 1266 (La.App. 4th Cir. 1979). [4] In perhaps no other area of the law is the interest in finality and certainty greater than in the area of adoption. Consequently, if our holding were to be given full retroactive effect, it could lead to the disruption of established, settled families in favor of the placement of children with what now amount to strangers. Considering the interests of justice, stability of institutions and administrative convenience we conclude that our due process interpretation shall be applied prospectively only, except that it shall have retroactive effect in the case at bar and in any case pending below in which a natural father with a protected interest has filed a pleading asserting his interest in the child prior to an interlocutory decree of adoption.