Opinion ID: 1248788
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Appellate Procedures.

Text: Iowa Code section 232.133 governs appeals from juvenile court orders, including orders terminating parental rights. Prior to July 1, 2001, it stated that [t]he procedure for such appeals shall be governed by the same provisions applicable to appeals from the district court provided that when such order or decree affects the custody of a child the appeal shall be heard at the earliest practicable time. Iowa Code § 232.133(2). Effective July 1, 2001, this statute was amended to add the following sentence: The supreme court may prescribe rules to expedite the resolution of appeals from final orders entered pursuant to section 232.117. Iowa Code § 232.133(2) (Supp.2002); see also id. § 232.117 (addressing disposition of termination-of-parental-rights proceedings). The impetus for this amendment is a heightened concern at the federal level that permanency for children be accomplished as soon as feasible. The federal effort to encourage prompt resolution of termination proceedings was recently discussed by this court: Our laws relating to the welfare of children have been driven for the last twenty-five years by policies and laws generally developed at the national level. Under the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980, Public Law 96-272, 94 Statutes 500 (codified as amended in scattered sections of 42 U.S.C.), the concept of family preservation was established with a goal of reuniting children with their families after reasonable efforts by social services. Congress mandated services for families and children under the threat of ineligibility for federal matching funds to accomplish this goal.... . . . . Recently, the reasonable efforts requirement has undergone some transformation. This is because the family preservation concept [that] guided our federal national policy for the last two decades was found to be detrimental to children in some cases. Consequently, the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997, Public Law 105-89, 111 Statutes 2115 (codified as amended in scattered sections of 42 U.S.C.), now broadens the focus of reunification to place greater emphasis on the health and safety of the child, and mandates a permanent home for a child as early as possible. See 42 U.S.C. § 675(5)(C) ... In response, our legislature recently enacted amendments to our comprehensive juvenile justice act to permit waiver of reasonable efforts when aggravating circumstances exist. These amendments ... recognize a child's right to appropriate custodial care and the important element of time. In re C.B., 611 N.W.2d 489, 493 (Iowa 2000) (citations omitted) (emphasis added). Thus, the new federal law shifted the focus from family reunification to time-limited family reunification services. See 42 U.S.C. § 629(a)(7). In response to these developments, the Iowa Supreme Court adopted amendments to the Iowa Rules of Appellate Procedure to expedite the disposition of termination appeals. In relevant part, the rules now provide that the appellant in a termination case has fifteen days within which to file a notice of appeal, as opposed to thirty days in other appeals. See Iowa R.App. P. 6.5(2). In addition, the amended rules require the appellant's trial counsel to prepare a petition raising issues for appeal rather than arguing issues in a traditional appellant's brief. See Iowa Rs. App. P. 6.6(4), 6.151. [2] The petition on appeal must be filed within fifteen days of filing the notice of appeal, see Iowa R.App. P. 6.6(4), and the opposing party then has fifteen days to serve a response, see Iowa R.App. P. 6.152(1). Relying on the appellant's petition on appeal, any response to the petition, the juvenile court record, and the trial transcript, the appellate court then conducts a de novo review of the trial court's termination order. Iowa R.App. P. 6.154(1). At that point, the appellate court may affirm the juvenile court decision, reverse the juvenile court decision, remand the case to the juvenile court, or set the case for full briefing pursuant to rules 6.13 and 6.17 or as directed by the court. Iowa R.App. P. 6.154(1). Thus, full briefing becomes available only at the option of the reviewing court. Moreover, refusal by the court of appeals to grant full briefing is not grounds for further review by this court. Iowa R.App. P. 6.154(2).