Court Opinion

ID: 9544100
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 16:51:59.858817+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:12:00.393506
License: Public Domain

Finley, J.
(concurring) — This is a troublesome case. My primary concern is that in the court proceedings in Arizona and here in Washington the best interests of the child were never fully considered, evaluated, and judicially determined, with all parties presenting evidence and argument as to which custodian would be most suitable for the child. The original guardianship proceeding was decided essentially by default and the subsequent habeas corpus proceeding apparently did not review the merits of the guardianship award but determined only that the pertinent Arizona guardianship statutes had been complied with. And under the majority opinion, Washington cannot consider the question of which custodian would be in the best interests of the child because the mother violated the “clean hands” doctrine in illegally removing the child from Arizona.
Effectuating the best interests of the child should be the primary concern in child custody cases and this cannot be determined in a one-sided proceeding. Thus, it is obvious that some opportunity should be afforded to the mother to *662present evidence on the issue. The crux of this case is whether Arizona or Washington is the appropriate forum to do so.
There is likely to be pertinent evidence in Arizona, but also in Washington, since the mother and child have now been here in excess of 1 year. But regardless of which forum is chosen to hear the matter, either the mother or grandmother will be forced to suffer some financial hardship in traveling to a foreign state to present her case. Yet this was all caused by the mother’s actions in illegally removing the child from Arizona. The mother could have appealed from the adverse habeas corpus decision. Alternatively she may now file a petition in Arizona to remove the grandmother as guardian. Arizona thus affords an ample opportunity for the best interests of the child to be fully considered with all parties presenting evidence on the issue.
Therefore I agree, although somewhat reluctantly, with the majority that the mother should pursue her remedy in Arizona and should not have indulged in the illegal action of removing the child from that state. Although perhaps an understandable action on the part of a concerned mother, in the long run such “snatchings” may disrupt and impair the child’s education and social environment, particularly if the situation degenerates into a round robin “snatching” contest between opposing parties — leaving the unfortunate child caught in the middle. Accordingly, such actions should not be encouraged. It is realized that unfortunately, but apparently unavoidably, a change in actual physical custody and environment at the present time, as the result of the majority decision in this case, may have a disruptive effect as to the minor child in this case.
For the foregoing reasons, I have signed and concur with the majority opinion.
Hunter and Brachtenbach, JJ., concur with Finley, J.