Court Opinion

ID: 9638843
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 15:56:01.48007+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:10:10.169046
License: Public Domain

CATHELL, Judge,
concurring.
I concur with the result reached by the majority. I write separately, however, to respectfully express my belief that the majority does not go far enough in addressing the central issue in this case.
It is my view that a parent convicted of murdering one of his or her children should be presumed an unfit parent, without the necessity of any evidence other than the murder conviction. In such circumstances, there should be a rebuttable presumption that the child’s best interests lie elsewhere.
This Court has the power to modify the common law, so long as such modification does not conflict with constitutional or valid legislative provisions. Although the General Assembly has extensively promulgated legislation in the field of child custody, I know of no legislation that defines “best interest” in a manner that would conflict with what I believe the Court should do in the case at bar. In the case before us today, the Court should exercise its collective common sense and modify the common law to afford additional protection to the surviv*241ing children of a parent who has been convicted of murdering a sibling.
The majority opinion holds that on remand, the trial court “will have to determine from all of the evidence whether, in light of Ms. Pixley’s murder ... of Nakya, there is any likelihood of her abusing or neglecting Cornilous.” I would hold that there should be a rebuttable presumption that there is a likelihood of neglect, abuse, or worse of surviving children when a parent has a history of murdering his or her children. In my view, to hold otherwise, as the majority opinion invites the trial court to consider doing, is to replace hard facts and common sense with the inherently uncertain opinions of those in the mental health industry. Any such opinion that there is no likelihood of future neglect or abuse when a parent has a history of murdering his or her own child should be, I respectfully suggest, rejected unless very strong evidence exists to the contrary. If there is to be error in determining custody in a situation such as this, it should be on the side of protecting the children, not protecting the interests of the parent.