Court Opinion

ID: 9391940
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-05-03 18:08:54.479851+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:18:43.658882
License: Public Domain

J-S05004-23
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NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37

 IN THE INTEREST OF: R.S., A         :   IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
 MINOR                               :        PENNSYLVANIA
                                     :
                                     :
 APPEAL OF: T.S., MOTHER             :
                                     :
                                     :
                                     :
                                     :   No. 1111 WDA 2022

      Appeal from the Dispositional Order Entered September 7, 2022
 In the Court of Common Pleas of Westmoreland County Criminal Division
                    at No(s): CP-65-DP-0000088-2022

 IN THE INTEREST OF: D.S., A         :   IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
 MINOR                               :        PENNSYLVANIA
                                     :
                                     :
 APPEAL OF: T.S., MOTHER             :
                                     :
                                     :
                                     :
                                     :   No. 1113 WDA 2022

      Appeal from the Dispositional Order Entered September 7, 2022
 In the Court of Common Pleas of Westmoreland County Criminal Division
                    at No(s): CP-65-DP-0000142-2020

 IN THE INTEREST OF: D.S., A         :   IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
 MINOR                               :        PENNSYLVANIA
                                     :
                                     :
 APPEAL OF: T.S., MOTHER             :
                                     :
                                     :
                                     :
                                     :   No. 1115 WDA 2022

      Appeal from the Dispositional Order Entered September 7, 2022
 In the Court of Common Pleas of Westmoreland County Criminal Division
                    at No(s): CP-65-DP-0000070-2016

 IN THE INTEREST OF: J.S., A MINOR   :   IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
                                     :        PENNSYLVANIA
J-S05004-23
J-S05005-23

                                     :
 APPEAL OF: T.S., MOTHER             :
                                     :
                                     :
                                     :
                                     :
                                     :   No. 1118 WDA 2022

      Appeal from the Dispositional Order Entered September 7, 2022
 In the Court of Common Pleas of Westmoreland County Criminal Division
                    at No(s): CP-65-DP-0000143-2020

 IN THE INTEREST OF: Z.S., A         :   IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
 MINOR                               :        PENNSYLVANIA
                                     :
                                     :
 APPEAL OF: T.S., MOTHER             :
                                     :
                                     :
                                     :
                                     :   No. 1120 WDA 2022

      Appeal from the Dispositional Order Entered September 7, 2022
 In the Court of Common Pleas of Westmoreland County Criminal Division
                    at No(s): CP-65-DP-0000069-2016

 IN THE INTEREST OF: R.S., A         :   IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
 MINOR                               :        PENNSYLVANIA
                                     :
                                     :
 APPEAL OF: C.S., FATHER             :
                                     :
                                     :
                                     :
                                     :   No. 1112 WDA 2022

      Appeal from the Dispositional Order Entered September 7, 2022
 In the Court of Common Pleas of Westmoreland County Criminal Division
                    at No(s): CP-65-DP-0000088-2022

 IN THE INTEREST OF: D.S, A MINOR    :   IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
                                     :        PENNSYLVANIA
                                     :
 APPEAL OF: C.S., FATHER             :
                                     :

                                 -2-
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                                     :
                                     :
                                     :
                                     :   No. 1114 WDA 2022

      Appeal from the Dispositional Order Entered September 7, 2022
 In the Court of Common Pleas of Westmoreland County Criminal Division
                    at No(s): CP-65-DP-0000142-2020

 IN THE INTEREST OF: D.S., A         :   IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
 MINOR                               :        PENNSYLVANIA
                                     :
                                     :
 APPEAL OF: C.S., FATHER             :
                                     :
                                     :
                                     :
                                     :   No. 1116 WDA 2022

      Appeal from the Dispositional Order Entered September 7, 2022
 In the Court of Common Pleas of Westmoreland County Criminal Division
                    at No(s): CP-65-DP-0000070-2016

 IN THE INTEREST OF: J.S., A MINOR   :   IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
                                     :        PENNSYLVANIA
                                     :
 APPEAL OF: C.S., FATHER             :
                                     :
                                     :
                                     :
                                     :
                                     :   No. 1117 WDA 2022

      Appeal from the Dispositional Order Entered September 7, 2022
 In the Court of Common Pleas of Westmoreland County Criminal Division
                    at No(s): CP-65-DP-0000143-2020

 IN THE INTEREST OF: Z.S., A         :   IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
 MINOR                               :        PENNSYLVANIA
                                     :
                                     :
 APPEAL OF: C.S., FATHER             :
                                     :
                                     :
                                     :
                                     :   No. 1119 WDA 2022

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J-S05005-23

         Appeal from the Dispositional Order Entered September 7, 2022
    In the Court of Common Pleas of Westmoreland County Criminal Division
                       at No(s): CP-65-DP-0000069-2016

BEFORE: BENDER, P.J.E., LAZARUS, J., and McLAUGHLIN, J.

MEMORANDUM BY BENDER, P.J.E.:                               FILED: MAY 3, 2023

         T.S. (“Mother”) and C.S. (“Father”) appeal from the dispositional orders,

dated August 26, 2022, and entered on September 7, 2022, in which R.S (born

in January of 2022), J.S. (born in November of 2019), D.S. or DZ.S. (born in

February of 2018), D.S. (born in October of 2014), and Z.S. (born in October

of 2013) (collectively “Children”) were adjudicated dependent together with a

finding of aggravated circumstances and were to remain in their current

placement.1 These orders were the result of the dependency actions brought

by the Westmoreland County Children’s Bureau (“WCCB” or “Agency”). After

review, we affirm.

         Mother’s brief contains the following list of issues:

    I.      Whether the trial court erred as a matter of law and abused its
            discretion in finding clear and convincing evidence existed to
            support [that] the children were without proper care or control,
            subsistence, education as required by law, or other control
            necessary for the child’s physical, mental or emotional health,
            or morals?
____________________________________________

1 This Court by order dated October 27, 2022, consolidated Father’s five
appeals identified at Nos. 1112 WDA 2022, 1114 WDA 2022, 1116 WDA 2022,
1117 WDA 2022 and 1119 WDA 2022. This Court by order dated November
9, 2022, consolidated Mother’s five appeals identified at 1111 WDA 2022,
1113 WDA 2022, 1115 WDA 2022, 1118 WDA 2022 and 1120 WDA 2022.
Additionally, this Court now consolidates both Father’s and Mother’s appeals
in that these appeals involve related parties and issues. See Pa.R.A.P. 513.

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   II.      Whether the trial court abused its discretion in admitting
            evidence of Mother’s prior bad acts to allow the Agency to show
            that Mother acted in accordance with the character or trait?

   III.     Whether the [t]rial [c]ourt erred in finding the Agency made
            reasonable efforts to prevent the removal of the children from
            their home?

Mother’s brief at 4.

   Father’s brief contains the following list of issues:

         1. Did the [t]rial [c]ourt commit an error of law or abuse[] its
            discretion in finding that the five (5) children were without
            proper care or control, subsistence, education as required by
            law, or other care or control necessary for the children’s
            physical, mental or emotional health, or morals; and did the
            [t]rial [c]ourt commit an error of law in finding children, D.S.
            (No. 1114 WDA 2022), J.S. and R.S. each met the definition in
            42 Pa.C.S. § 6302, of “Dependent Child” (10), as the
            termination of Father’s parental rights pursuant to 23 Pa.C.S.
            § 2511 was not within three years immediately preceding the
            dates of birth of these children?

         2. Did the [t]rial [c]ourt abuse it discretion in admitting evidence
            of Father’s[] prior bad acts and other wrongs to allow the
            Agency to prove that Father acted in accordance with the
            character or trait of neglect of children?

         3. Did the [t]rial [c]ourt err in finding that the Westmoreland
            County Children’s Bureau made Reasonable Efforts to prevent
            the removal of the five (5) children from the Father’s home?

Father’s brief at 4.

         Mother’s and Father’s issues are essentially comparable and a single

opinion provided by the trial court sets forth its response to both parents’

issues on appeal.       However, in Father’s first issue he adds an argument

involving subsection (10) of the definition of a “Dependent Child,” which he

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did not include in his Pa.R.A.P. 1925(a)(2)(i) statement. Nor did he indicate

where in the record he raised this issue with the trial court.    Thus, Father

waived that portion of his first issue. See Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b)(4)(vii) (“Issues

not included in the [s]tatement … are waived.”); Pa.R.A.P. 302(a) (“Issues

not raised in the lower court are waived and cannot be raised for the first time

on appeal.”). Notably, the trial court specifically acknowledged that Father

raised his first issue in conjunction with subsection (1) of the definition of a

“Dependent Child.” See 23 Pa.C.S. § 6302(1). Father made no reference to

subsection (10). Thus, it is evident that both parents are raising the same

issues.

      Our scope and standard of review in dependency cases is as follows:

      We must accept the facts as found by the trial court unless they
      are not supported by the record. Although bound by the facts, we
      are not bound by the trial court’s inferences, deductions, and
      conclusions therefrom; we must exercise our independent
      judgment in reviewing the court’s determination, as opposed to
      its findings of fact, and must order whatever right and justice
      dictate. We review for abuse of discretion. Our scope of review,
      accordingly, is of the broadest possible nature. It is this Court’s
      responsibility to ensure that the record represents a
      comprehensive inquiry and that the hearing judge has applied the
      appropriate legal principles to that record. Nevertheless, we
      accord great weight to the court’s fact-finding function because
      the court is in the best position to observe and rule on the
      credibility of the parties and witnesses.

In the Interest of A.N., 39 A.3d 326, 330 (Pa. Super. 2012) (quoting In re

C.M.T., 861 A.2d 348, 351 (Pa. Super. 2004) (citations omitted)).           “The

burden of proof in a dependency proceeding is on the petitioner to

demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that a child meets that

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statutory definition of dependency.” In re G., T., 845 A.2d 870, 872 (Pa.

Super. 2004). Moreover, “the dependency of a child is not determined ‘as to’

a particular person, but rather must be based upon two findings by the trial

court: whether the child is currently lacking proper care and control, and

whether such care and control is immediately available.” In re J.C., 5 A.3d

284, 289 (Pa. Super. 2010).

      The trial court directly addressed the three issues raised by the parties,

providing facts testified to by various witnesses.      We have reviewed the

certified record, the briefs of the parties, the applicable law, and the thorough,

well-written opinion authored by the Honorable Justin M. Walsh of the Court

of Common Pleas of Westmoreland County, dated November 9, 2022. We

conclude that Judge Walsh’s opinion accurately disposes of the issues

presented by Mother and Father on appeal, and we discern no abuse of

discretion or error of law. Accordingly, we adopt Judge Walsh’s opinion as our

own and affirm the September 7, 2022 orders on that basis.

      Orders affirmed.

Judgment Entered.

Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq.
Prothonotary

Date: 5/3/2023

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Circulated 04/13/2023 10:21 AM