Court Opinion

ID: 9607853
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 03:02:30.104864+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:02:40.963094
License: Public Domain

ESPINOSA Presiding Judge,
specially concurring.
I concur, but write separately to express some reluctance in doing so given Judge Hathaway’s strong dissent and the practical reality of removing these children from a nurturing environment of four years to a potentially abusive one. However, Arizona law does not give judges free rein to consider as paramount the best interests of the child when termination of the parental relationship is at stake. Moreover, while I agree with several points made by the dissent, whether the scope of parental abuse under AR.S. § 8-533 should include permanent fetal injury is more appropriately addressed by our state legislature than judicially legislated by the courts. It should also be noted that our decision does not foreclose severance proceedings in the future if warranted.