Court Opinion

ID: 9794246
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 03:01:59.721811+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:13:22.435351
License: Public Domain

RABINOWITZ, Justice,
with whom MATTHEWS, Chief Justice, joins dissenting in part.
I dissent from the affirmance of the superior court’s denial of Paul Nelson’s motion to re-establish visitation with his minor daughter T. In my view the superior court abused its discretion in predicating re-establishment of parental visitation upon Paul’s admission of sexual abuse. Thus I would reverse the superior court’s denial of visitation and direct the entry of an order allowing closely supervised visitation with T conditioned upon, and in conjunction with, continuing psychiatric and psychological treatment of Paul.
The majority notes that “[a] more difficult question is whether, in light of its finding of abuse, the trial court abused its discretion in conditioning further visitation by Paul upon his admission that he abused T.” Conceding that the superior court’s denial order is “severe,” the court nonetheless concludes that its severity is justified by “the overriding need to protect T from further harm.” The absence of evidence demonstrating the likelihood of harm to T persuades me that the superior court abused its discretion in denying Paul visitation with his minor daughter.
Admittedly, visitation by an abuser in denial can potentially be harmful to the abused child and abusive conduct can occur even during carefully supervised visitations. On the other hand, Loretto Jones’ expert witness had examined neither Paul Nelson nor T, and had not reviewed the psychological records in the case. Further, Paul’s expert evidence tended to show that T had not experienced any harmful reactions from supervised visitations with her father.1

. I also disagree with the court's affirmance of the superior court’s award of attorney’s fees against Paul in connection with its denial of Paul's motion for modification. Given my conclusion that the superior court abused its discretion in denying Paul’s motion to re-establish visitation (the modification motion) it follows that Paul's motion was not made in bad faith. In the absence of bad faith on Paul’s part an award of attorney’s fees to Loretto Jones is not authorized. L.L.M. v. P.M., 754 P.2d 262, 264-65 (Alaska 1988).