Court Opinion

ID: 9844619
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 03:05:30.98713+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:15:39.028474
License: Public Domain

McFADDEN, Chief Justice,
with whom SMITH, Justice, concurs (dissenting) :
It is my conclusion that the judgment quashing the writ of habeas corpus in this action should be reversed and the cause remanded for a new trial, for the following reasons.
The trial court concluded that appellant is “unsuitable for the custody of the minor children,” and that he “had abandoned, waived, surrendered, transferred, or forfeited his right to demand the custody of said children.”
In the first instance there was no proof adduced that at the time of the hearing in this cause appellant was “unsuitable” to be awarded the custody of the minor children. Moss v. Vest, 74 Idaho 328, 335, 262 P.2d 116; Nelson v. Standefer, 87 Idaho 83, 390 P.2d 838. No evidence was presented by either party as to his suitability, other than his financial condition. The trial: court in its findings of fact recited that appel*600lant was the only witness to testify on his behalf; also that while appellant’s wife was present to testify as to her attitude, she did not do so. Thus it would seem that the trial court must have been under the impression that the burden of proof was on the appellant to establish his suitability. This is not the law. In Moss v. Vest, supra, this court stated:
“As a general rule, parents have a natural and legal right to the custody of their minor children. When such relationship is established a prima facie case has been made and the burden is then upon the other party to overcome such prima facie case by showing that the natural parent or parents have forfeited such right, or at least that such parent or parents are not fit and proper persons to have custody. Schiller v. Douglas, 48 Idaho 803, 285 P. 1021; Jain v. Priest, 30 Idaho 273, 164 P. 364; In re Crocheron’s Estate, 16 Idaho 441, 101 P. 741, 33 L.R.A. N.S., 868; Andrino v. Yates, 12 Idaho 618, 87 P. 787; Sec. 15-1805, I.C.; 67 C.J.S., Parent and Child, §§ 11(a), 11(c), and 13(f), pp. 634, 640, and 673.”
As to the question presented by the conclusion that appellant had abandoned his children, discussed in the majority opinion, the trial court did not make any finding that appellant had wilfully or intentionally intended any relinquishment of his rights to the custody of his minor children. Here again, the burden of proof in this regard was on the respondent. Moss v. Vest, supra. The only findings of fact tending to establish the basis for this conclusion of law are the finding that appellant had failed to make any support payments since July, 1963, and that he did not visit the children since October, 1963, and the finding that appellant had the ability to provide for the minor children and to furnish adequate support and maintenance for them, but wilfully refused to do so.
The record shows that appellant had the children in his home in Idaho Falls for a period of six weeks following settlement with his former wife of past due payments for their support. (See: Andersen v. Andersen, 89 Idaho 551, 407 P.2d 304, which held that as between the parties, a former wife may, for sufficient consideration, release the former husband from the obligation to make support payments previously decreed.) During this six week period, respondent and his wife, the mother of the children, had them on week-ends only. During this six week period when the children were with appellant, he was providing them with support. Whether the decree of divorce required payment of support moneys during the periods when the children were with their father is unknown, for while a copy of the decree of divorce, was offered into evidence as an exhibit, no ruling was made on it, and in any event no copy of the decree was submitted to this court as an exhibit. The record also shows *601that shortly after appellant had the children with him, respondent, a member of the United States Navy, assigned to submarine duty, was transferred to the submarine base at Groton, Connecticut, and that his wife and the children, went to Connecticut, without any notice to appellant as to their whereabouts. It is contended that appellant could have ascertained where the children were, had he inquired of his former wife’s father or other relatives, but the record shows without refutation that a broad schism arose between appellant and his former father-in-law and the other members of his former wife’s family. It is also contended that appellant’s relatives were advised as to the whereabouts of appellant’s children, but even so, the record shows appellant did not get notice of their whereabouts until the untimely death of his former wife, Mrs. Jelinek, in July, of 1965. If appellant is to be charged with constructive notice of the whereabouts of the minor children and failure to support or to visit with them, during that time, the trial court should have established a time when appellant would have been chargeable with this information. It is not to be inferred that the author of this opinion in any way condones the failure of appellant to make the payments for the support of his minor children during this period of time,-but it has been stated by this court that non-support is not synonymous with abandonment. Atmiller v. Forsman, 76 Idaho 521, 285 P.2d 1064. In Smith v. Smith, 67 Idaho 349, 353, 180 P.2d 853, this court quoted with approval from In re Kelly, 25 Cal.App. 651, 145 P. 156, 158, as follows:
* * If the rule were otherwise ■ — that is, if an adjudication of abandonment could legally be predicated on the mere failure by the parent to support their minor children — the result, in innumerable instances, would be to work a manifest wrong upon parents. It is not difficult to conceive of circumstances wholly beyond the control of parents having the deepest affection for their children which would render it impossible for them to support their children or care for them in a proper way. It would, indeed, be a harsh rule which would, under such circumstances, authorize a judicial determination by which the natural right of the parents to the custody and control of their children would be forever severed.”
Another fact deemed of importance is that neither the childrens’ mother, nor respondent, felt any necessity to call upon appellant for support. He testified:
“Q. Now, may I ask, do you know of any occasions since you have gone to Connecticut where Mrs. Jelinek made any demand upon Mr. Clark for support money?
A. No, I don’t.
*602Q. Isn’t it correct that as far as you know she never did make such a demand?
A. She never did. There was never any need to. I could support the children.
Q. And you concurred in that decision of hers not to make a demand, did you not?
A. To an extent, yes.
Q. You never asked her to, nor did you—
A. (interrupting) No.—
Q. ■ — expect her to, did you?
A. We never had any reason to.
Q. So, the arrangement that you lived under was something that you had decided was best and Mrs. Jelinek had decided was best for the children, isn’t that correct?
A. Yes, for the children.”
Moreover respondent recognized that appellant had not relinquished any claim to custody of his children, for respondent testified :
“I had — my wife and I had discussed the possibility of adoption, and I wanted to adopt the daughters, and I wanted to start adoption proceedings prior to this time. However, my wife and I both felt that Bob Clark would never give his permission for it.”
The majority opinion refers to Í.C. §Sj 16-1625(i) and 16-2005(a) as supporting the trial court’s conclusion that appellant abandoned his children. I.C. § 16-1625(i) defines the term “abandoned” for the purpose of the “Child Protective Act” (S.L. 1963, Ch. 321) only, for the definitions contained in I.C. § 16-1625 are all prefaced by the term “As used in this act”. I.C. § 16-2005(a) is part of the act (S.L.1963, Ch. 145), establishing in the probate court a proceeding for the termination of a parent and child relationship. The referred to subsection, I.C. § 16-2005(a), by its own terms states that it constitutes “prima facie evidence of abandonment under this section”. Thus in each instance the definitions of the term, “abandoned” or “abandonment” is by the statute limited to proceedings under the respective acts. Those standards should not be applied or considered in proceedings other than those wherein they are made specifically applicable.
Instead of applying provisions of the above referred to sections, in habeas corpus proceedings involving the custody of minor children, this court has stated the rule to be that the evidence must be satisfactory, decisive or convincing that the parent intended to abandon and desert his children. Moss v. Vest, supra.
I.C. § 15-1805 recognizes the right of a father to the guardianship of his children, if he is competent to transact his own business and is not otherwise unsuitable. I.C. *603§ 32-1007, provides in effect the parents of a minor child are equally entitled to the child’s custody, services and earnings. Those sections of the statutes are not to be lightly considered.
Appellant is the natural father of these children. When they came back to Idaho he sought to regain their custody. The writ of habeas corpus was served on respondent, and on the day set for the hearing, appellant for the first time was advised by respondent’s return to his petition for the writ as to respondent’s claims. The case went immediately to trial on July 30, 1965, and lasted only the one day. The trial court misapplied the law in this case as applied to facts; hence the judgment should be reversed. Justice, however, because of the lack of time for either party to adequately prepare for the hearing in this case, requires that a new trial be granted in order that the respective parties may properly frame the factual issues to be presented so as to bring before the court all the competent and material evidence they may desire in resolution of the factual issues.