Opinion ID: 2057155
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: A. Factual and Procedural Background

Text: De.H. (adopted child) was born to appellant on November 24, 1999. Four months later, on March 22, 2000, the Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) received a report that De.H.'s four siblings were playing in an alley without shoes, appropriate clothing, or adult supervision. CFSA learned that appellant's residence was roach-infested, its carpet was covered in feces, its interior reeked of stale urine, and the refrigerator was broken, without any food inside. Responding to these conditions, CFSA transferred the children to their mother's sister, P.H., on August 25, 2000. On May 1, 2001, the trial court adjudicated De.H. and the other children as neglected. Two years later, De.H. was removed from P.H.'s home as a result of the deplorable living conditions there. De.H. was 3½ years old when she was placed in foster care with N.N.N. on May 21, 2003. After De.H. was placed with N.N.N., appellant made no effort to contact De.H. or provide for her financial support. Nor did appellant contact CFSA seeking reunification, and when N.N.N. initiated phone contact between De.H. and appellant, appellant often cut short the calls. The court suspended appellant's visitation rights in September 2004 because she did not show up for visits on a consistent basis. Appellant did not challenge the suspension of her visitation rights. On August 6, 2004, N.N.N. filed a petition to adopt De.H. While De. H.'s father consented to the adoption, appellant apparently did not. [1] On August 23, 2004, the court issued a Notice to Mother of Pending Adoption Proceeding and Order to Show Cause and sent copies, inter alia, to appellant and her trial counsel. The August 23, 2004 Order directed appellant to appear on September 21, 2004 for a show cause hearing, pursuant to Super. Ct. Adoption R. 4(a)(1), so the court could determine whether appellant's consent to the adoption should be waived. Appellant was not personally served with the August 23, 2004 Order and she failed to appear on September 21, 2004. The show cause hearing was rescheduled for December 17, 2004. On September 27, 2004, N.N.N. filed a motion to provide notice to appellant by posting, which included an affidavit of Mr. Heslep  an investigator from Child and Family Services  that detailed his efforts to locate appellant and serve notice on her. The magistrate judge, finding that diligent efforts had been made to locate appellant, granted the motion on September 29, 2004 and notice was posted in the Domestic Relations Clerk's Office in accordance with Super. Ct. Adoption R. 4(e)(3) on October 4, 2004. Appellant did not show up for the rescheduled show cause hearing on December 17, 2004 either, but her lawyer made an appearance on her behalf and moved to quash service by posting. Magistrate Judge Johnson denied appellant's motion and proceeded with the hearing. Counsel for appellant participated in the hearing and argued on the merits against waiving appellant's consent to the adoption. Thirteen days later, Magistrate Judge Johnson issued a written decision waiving appellant's consent to the adoption, finding that she abandoned De.H. and, alternatively, that the waiver was in De.H.'s best interest.