Opinion ID: 1880763
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Admitting the Memorandum of Agreement

Text: On November 8, 2000, Strickland and CPS signed a Memorandum of Agreement. The Agreement required Strickland to: (1) find suitable housing with three bedrooms and working utilities; (2) appropriately furnish the house; (3) establish appropriate daycare for the children; (4) maintain employment; (5) apply for all available benefits for the children; (6) undergo random drug and alcohol screens; and (7) make appointments for family and individual counseling and attend each appointment. The Agreement also required that Strickland comply with all obligations under the service plans in effect. The Agreement stated that if Strickland complied with all of the requirements, then her children would be returned to her. A paragraph on the first page of the Agreement reads: PURSUANT TO SECTION 154.071, TEXAS CIVIL PRACTICE AND REMEDIES CODE; RULE 11, TEXAS RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE; AND SECTION 153.0071 TEXAS FAMILY CODE, THE PARTIES HAVE AGREED TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS CONTAINED HEREIN (AS INDICATED BY THE APPLICABLE SECTIONS WHICH ARE MARKED BELOW) AND, AS FURTHER EVIDENCED BY THEIR SIGNATURES APPEARING BELOW. THEY HAVE FURTHER AGREED THAT THIS MEMORANDUM SHALL BECOME BINDING UPON THE PARTIES WHEN IT HAS BEEN SIGNED BY ALL PARTIES TO THE AGREEMENT AND THEIR RESPECTIVE ATTORNEY [sic]. The Agreement contains another paragraph, which reads: NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT THE ABOVE TERMS AND CONDITIONS HAVE BEEN AGREED TO BY THE UNDERSIGNED PARTIES AND CONSTITUTE A BINDING AGREEMENT PURSUANT TO RULE 11 OF THE TEXAS RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE REDUCED TO WRITING OR ATTACHED AS AN EXHIBIT TO AN ORDER TO BE PRESENTED TO THE PRESIDING JUDGE WITHIN SEVEN (7) DAYS OF THIS AGREEMENT FOR APPROVAL BY THE COURT. THE COURT MAY REVOKE AND/OR ALTER THE AGREEMENT ONLY WITH A DETERMINATION THAT IT IS NOT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CHILD(REN). On November 13, 2000, the Agreement was signed by the judge, and entered in the court records. A copy of this Agreement was admitted into evidence at the termination hearing, over Strickland's objections. Strickland claims that admitting the Agreement into evidence violates Texas Rules of Evidence 605 and 802, and the confidentiality provision of the ADR statute. These claims are without merit. This Agreement did not contain fact-findings by the judgeor any fact-findings at all. It merely listed the actions Strickland was required to take in order to have her children returned to her. The Agreement does not amount to judicial testimony, and therefore its admission does not violate Rule 605. Neither does the Agreement's admission violate Rule 802.`Hearsay' is a statement, other than one made by the declarant while testifying at the trial or hearing, offered in evidence to prove the truth of the matter asserted. [22] Here, the Agreement was not offered as proof of Strickland's inability to care for her children, or as proof that her parental rights should be terminated, or as proof that termination was in the children's best interest. Rather, the Agreement was offered to show that an agreement had been made and what its terms were. The Agreement was not hearsay. Nor does the Agreement violate the confidentiality provisions of the ADR statute. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code section 154.073 states that a communication relating to the subject matter of any civil or criminal dispute made by a participant in an alternative dispute resolution procedure ... is confidential, is not subject to disclosure, and may not be used as evidence against the participant in any judicial or administrative proceeding. [23] The Agreement, however, was not a communication, but rather an agreement between the parties. In fact, the Agreement clearly stated in two places that it was subject to Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 11. Rule 11 of our rules of civil procedure requires agreements between attorneys or parties concerning a pending suit to be in writing, signed and filed in the record of the cause to be enforceable. [24] Additionally, the Agreement specifically noted that it could be attached to an order of the court as an exhibit. The Agreement was not a confidential communication protected by section 154.073. Strickland's second point is overruled.