Court Opinion

ID: 9543097
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 16:42:05.732485+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:09:40.622526
License: Public Domain

Grady, J.
(dissenting)—I am not in accord with the view expressed that the court was interested primarily in punishing the mother rather than in the welfare of the child. The court was confronted with the all too frequent situation where it appeared that the mother, aided by her newly acquired husband, was resorting to ways and means whereby the visitation privileges of the father might be curtailed and hampered, with the ultimate objective of the alienation of the child’s affection for her father. The decree contained the usual rather elastic provision relative to visitation. The father was met with resistance by the use of subtle and ingenious excuses, conjured up to prevent association with his child. This was detrimental to her welfare. The father was obliged to seek the aid of the court to correct such conduct on the part of his former wife. She made a plausible witness in justification of her conduct, but the experienced trial judge could read between the lines and observed from *438her general attitude and conduct, both on and off the witness stand, that her intentions belied her words. In such cases it becomes necessary, in the promotion of the welfare of the child, to compel conduct on the part of an offending parent to the end that the child may have the opportunity to associate with the other parent, and an appellate court should not obstruct the trial court in achieving that objective.
We have before us only the printed record. It is apparent that the trial judge was prompted to express the views he did by events which transpired before him that the record does not show. This happens in nearly every contested case. When the court is called upon to exercise its discretion, such matters are of much assistance. We have recognized this when reviewing the action of the trial court in granting or denying motions for new trial. Coppo v. Van Wieringen, ante, p. 120 217 P. (2d) 294.
I believe the court was fully justified in fixing an extended visitation period and continuing the hearing for a later determination of more definite times and manner of the exercise of visitation privileges. The child is under school age and for about a year prior to the decree had been residing in the home of her grandmother.
The order should be affirmed.
Beals, Mallery, and Hill, JJ., concur with Grady, J.