Court Opinion

ID: 9642177
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 17:51:04.778454+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:10:44.057658
License: Public Domain

NORVELL, Justice
(dissenting).
This Court, the Court of Civil Appeals and, seemingly, the trial court have turned this case upon a distinction between “visitation rights” and “custody rights”. In my opinion, this distinction is elusive at best and wholly immaterial to- the true issue in the case which is the best interest of the child1. There is a well recognized distinction often encountered in cases involving the custody of children or the right to visit them which is clearly pointed out in our venue cases. In Leonard v. Leonard, 358 S.W.2d 721 (Tex.Civ.App.1962, no writ), the Amarillo Court of Civil Appeals said:
“Appellee takes the position that this suit is one to enforce the original divorce judgment, and that the District Court of Bailey County is the only Court that can enforce its judgment. To support this contention appellee principally relies on Ex Parte Gonzalez, 111 Tex. 399, 238 S.W. 635, and Carlson v. Johnson (Tex.Civ.App.) 327 S.W.2d 704 (no writ history). These cases do hold that the Court granting the divorce is the *703only Court which can properly hear the contempt motion. However, it is equally well settled that venue in actions for change of custody of minors lies in the county of the residence of the person having legal custody. Lakey v. McCarroll, 134 Tex. 191, 134 S.W.2d 1016; Ellington v. Floyd (Tex.Civ.App.) 255 S.W.2d 948 (no writ history); Taylor v. Taylor (Tex.Civ.App.) 348 S.W.2d 226 (no writ history). It is therefore apparent this case must turn on the question of what is the true nature of the case as viewed from appellee’s motion and the judgment entered thereon. If the case is one to enforce the original divorce judgment by contempt, venue is properly in Bailey County. On the other hand, if the case is one to attempt to relitigate and readjudicate some feature of the custody of the child, it comes under the holding of Lakey v. McCarroll, supra, and venue would lie in Lubbock County”.
See also, Nemec v. Degelia, 285 S.W.2d 411 (Tex.Civ.App.1955, no writ), Goodman v. Goodman, 236 S.W.2d 641 (Tex.Civ.App. 1951, no writ), Quick v. Lindsay, 208 S.W. 2d 910 (Tex.Civ.App.1948, no writ).
I would say that for a plaintiff to prevail in a suit which involved a change in the provisions of a decree as distinguished from one to enforce the provisions of a decree as written must show a change in conditions since the entry of the first decree in order to escape the bar of res ju-dicata. For example, in this case, the original decree was entered by the Supreme Court of Arizona. If no change of conditions had taken place since the entry of that decree, a Texas court would be precluded from modifying such decree by the full faith and credit clause of the Constitution of the United States. A change of conditions being essential to effect a modification of the decree, why confuse the issue by attemping to draw a distinction between visitation rights and custody rights? Yet, the trial judge seems to have proceeded upon the theory that he could substitute a two week period of visitation in California for a number of single day visits in Arizona or Illinois under some different rule or standard if visitation rights only as distinguished from custody rights were at issue. And, despite the pleadings of the parties, he insisted that he was trying a “visitation” case and not one involving custody. However, the decree entered reduced the custody period of Mrs. Plass from 52 weeks to 50 weeks. And here we might inquire, when would visitation become custody — in a period of two, twenty-two or forty-two weeks ?
To me, this case is what is generally referred to as a split custody case. Most courts that have been called upon to decide cases of this character place no emphasis upon a distinction between custody and visitation. The distinction, if any there be, has no place in the problem. Under certain conditions where the welfare of the child is involved, the privilege of access to the child may be denied. “This privilege (of visitation) must yield to the good of the child, and may be denied to either, or both, parents where the best interests of the child will be served thereby”. 27B C.J.S. Divorce § 312, p. 480. The welfare of the child should have been the controlling criterion of the trial court’s decision, and not a distinction between visitation and custody rights. I cannot say with confidence that said trial court applied the correct standard or policy in rendering its judgment. It is argued most forcibly that this is not a case for divided custody, but one in which the petitioner should be denied all access to the child.
The minor here is an adopted child. The feeling between the adoptive parents, the contending parties here, is extreme in its bitterness. I shall not elaborate as to details. I would like to feel certain that the trial judge exercised his best judgment without reference to spurious and immaterial distinctions.
The argument that the principle of Martin v. Martin, 132 S.W.2d 426 (Tex.Civ. *704App.1939, no writ),2 has no application to this case is wholly untenable. By referring to a two week sojourn in California as a “visitation” does not avoid the evil that is discussed in Martin v. Martin. The child is being “hawked about from one parent to the other”. “Putting a saddle on a duck does not make it a horse”. Smith v. Morgan, 235 S.W.2d 938, 1. c. 942 (Tex.Civ.App.1950, wr. dis.). In McDermott v. McDermott, 192 Minn. 32, 255 N.W. 247 (1934), the Supreme Court of Minnesota applied the same reasoning as that set forth in Martin v. Martin in a case wherein the wife had been awarded a divorce and custody of a minor child. Subsequently, the custody decree was modified over the mother’s objection and the father was allowed to have the child for one week each month. The Supreme Court of Minnesota reversed the modifying decree and in the course of its opinion said:
“There should be here an end to the disturbances of this child and mother by the shifting of the child back and forth between the two homes, and an end to repeated motions and court proceedings in reference to the child’s custody. So long as the mother is able to and does properly care for the child, she should be left in undisturbed custody.”
In the recent case of Paynter v. Janca, 331 S.W.2d 814 (Tex.Civ.App.1960, no writ), the San Antonio Court of Civil Appeals had before it a situation similar to that disclosed by the record here in that the divorced parents lived in different states. The court said:
“Appellee argues that because his visiting privileges will necessarily be hampered on account of appellant’s present residence in Norfolk, Virginia, the divided custody is justified. We overrule this contention. Judge Alexander in Martin v. Martin, Tex.Civ.App., 132 S. W.2d 426, 428, the leading and most often cited case concerning divided custody of children, said:
“ ‘In our opinion, the original decree awarding the child part time to each of the parents was unwise. Certainly, no child could grow up normally when it is hawked about from one parent to the other with the embarrassing scene of changing homes at least twice each year. Such decrees are usually prompted by a laudable desire to avoid injuring the feelings of the parents, but the net result is a permanent injury to the child without any substantial benefit to the parents. In addition to the lack of stability in his surroundings, the child is constantly reminded that he is the center of a parental quarrel. It is readily apparent that such practices are calculated to arouse serious emotional conflicts in the mind of the child and are not conducive to good citizenship. Moreover, the parents are continuously pitted against each other in the unenviable contest of undermining the child’s love for the other parent. Each parent is afraid to exercise any sort of discipline for fear of losing out in the contest. As a result, the child is reared without parental control. Such decrees by which the child is awarded part time to each of the parents have been condemned by numerous decisions. 19 C.J. p. 344, sec. 797, and authorities cited in Note 27; Swift v. Swift, Tex.Civ.App., 37 S.W.2d 241.’
“This statement of the rule has consistently been followed: Carter v. Carter, Tex.Civ.App., 318 S.W.2d 471; Alexander v. Alexander, Tex.Civ.App., 309 S.W.2d 886; Cluck v. Parchman, Tex. Civ.App., 303 S.W.2d 526; Bartlett v. Bartlett, Tex.Civ.App., 293 S.W.2d 508; Milim v. Mayfield, Tex.Civ.App., 285 S. *705W.2d 852; Tedder v. Bloyd, Tex.Civ. App., 283 S.W.2d 409; Bronner v. Bronner, Tex.Civ.App., 278 S.W.2d 530; Anderson v. Martin, Tex.Civ.App., 257 S.W.2d 347; Byrd v. Byrd, Tex.Civ.App., 195 S.W.2d 822. In our opinion, the rule is particularly applicable where the parents reside in distant states.”
Can it reasonably be said that a child’s mind may escape the feelings and expressions of ill will and bad feeling with their consequent emotional disturbance by designating the adoptive father’s two week period of possession of the child as a “visitation” rather than a “custody” right? The controlling issue in this case — the best interest of the child — should not be “named” away. The trial judge should determine the issue without reference to how the father’s two week possession of the child may be classified.3
I would affirm the judgment of the Court of Civil Appeals reversing the judgment of the trial court and remanding the cause. (There is no prayer for rendition of judgment for respondents.) Upon retrial, however, all issues made by the pleadings should be tried and the case should not be arbitrarily limited to an issue of so-called “visitation rights” and the paramount issue of the welfare of the child should be determined without regard to the elusive distinction between “visitation” and “custody” rights.
I respectfully dissent from the order reversing the judgment of the Court of Civil Appeals and affirming that of the trial court.
SMITH and HAMILTON, JJ., join in this dissent.

. The right of visitation is generally equated with the parent’s right of access to his child. 27B C.J.S. Divorce § 312, p. 477. In Corpus Juris Secundum, it is also said that, “A decree which merely permits visitation does not authorize the visiting parent to transport the child away from its home”. 27B C.J.S. Divorce § 312, p. 483, and also that it has been held “that the right of visitation should not be extended to a point where it becomes a divided custody or the equivalent thereof”. In Patrick v. Patrick, 17 Wis.2d 434, 117 N.W.2d 266 (1962), the Wisconsin Supreme Court departed from the usual concept of the right of visitation and for the purposes of the particular ease adopted a different classification. That Court said:
“Ruth’s (the wife’s) counsel argues that the judgment provides for dual custody (sometimes referred to as divided, or split custody) even though it specifically refers to James’ (the husband’s) right as ‘visitation.’ In the most restricted sense, a parent’s right to visit his child while in the custody of another, means a right of access to the child.
“When custody has been awarded to one parent or a third party, and the other parent is awarded the right, for the purpose of visitation, to remove the child from the immediate care of the one having custody, the parent who exercises such right obtains a measure of authority over the child which would not be involved in mere access to it. In the nature of things the parent who removes the child and keeps it during a visit has an obligation to care for its immediate welfare and safety, and must control the child so far as is necessary to fulfill his obligation. His authority and obligation are not, however, equivalent to the authority and obligations of the one to whom the court has awarded custody.
“ ‘ * * * “Custody”, in the sense we use it connotes, among other things, the right of the legal custodian to establish the legal domicile for the child, whereas such right does not abide with the parent who enjoys only the occasional right of visitation, i. e., the right to visit the child wherever it is, at certain time, or to have the child visit the parent for stipulated periods. * * * ’ [McFadden v. McFadden (1956), 206 Or. 263, 292 P.2d 795, 799]
“ ‘Custody embraces the sum of parental rights with respect to the rearing of a child, including its care. It includes the right to the child’s services and earnings, Civ.Code, § 197, and the right to direct his activities and make decisions regarding his care and control, education, health, and religion.’ [Burge v. City and County of San Francisco (1953), 41 Cal.2d 608, 262 P.2d 6, 12]”

. Martin v. Martin must be considered a leading ease in Texas. It has been cited with approval some thirty times by the Texas appellate courts. See also, Annotation, 92 A.L.R.2d 695.
It might be remarked here that if the classification set forth in the Wisconsin case of Patrick v. Patrick, mentioned in the first footnote, be accepted, no difference in ruling or principle is suggested.

. Under the Arizona decree, Mrs. Plass received custody of the minor subject to the rigidly regulated privilege of Louis C. Leithold to visit the child at the place of residence of the adoptive mother. When this privilege is changed so as to allow Leithold to take the child out of the State of Texas where the mother now resides to the State of California for a two week period, a substantial change was effected in the terms of the original decree rendered by the Arizona court and it makes no difference in principle whether this change is called a change in visitation rights or a change of custody.