Court Opinion

ID: 9554344
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-08 18:11:23.518734+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:33:38.512711
License: Public Domain

J-A13041-23

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT O.P. 65.37

 IN THE INTEREST OF: X.N.M.R., A      :   IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
 MINOR                                :        PENNSYLVANIA
                                      :
                                      :
 APPEAL OF: D.W., MOTHER              :
                                      :
                                      :
                                      :
                                      :   No. 52 MDA 2023

           Appeal from the Decree Entered December 16, 2022
  In the Court of Common Pleas of York County Orphans' Court at No(s):
                              2022-0141a

 IN THE INTEREST OF: E.M.G., A        :   IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
 MINOR                                :        PENNSYLVANIA
                                      :
                                      :
 APPEAL OF: D.W., MOTHER              :
                                      :
                                      :
                                      :
                                      :   No. 53 MDA 2023

            Appeal from the Order Entered December 16, 2022
  In the Court of Common Pleas of York County Orphans' Court at No(s):
                               2022-0142

 IN THE INTEREST OF: A.L.R., A        :   IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
 MINOR                                :        PENNSYLVANIA
                                      :
                                      :
 APPEAL OF: D.W., MOTHER              :
                                      :
                                      :
                                      :
                                      :   No. 54 MDA 2023

           Appeal from the Decree Entered December 16, 2022
  In the Court of Common Pleas of York County Orphans' Court at No(s):
                              2022-143A
J-A13041-23

 IN THE INTEREST OF: X.R., A          :   IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
 MINOR                                :        PENNSYLVANIA
                                      :
                                      :
 APPEAL OF: D.W., MOTHER              :
                                      :
                                      :
                                      :
                                      :   No. 86 MDA 2023

           Appeal from the Order Entered December 21, 2022
 In the Court of Common Pleas of York County Juvenile Division at No(s):
                       CP-67-DP-0000233-2021

 IN THE INTEREST OF: A.R., A          :   IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
 MINOR                                :        PENNSYLVANIA
                                      :
                                      :
 APPEAL OF: D.W., MOTHER              :
                                      :
                                      :
                                      :
                                      :   No. 87 MDA 2023

            Appeal from the Order Dated December 21, 2022
 In the Court of Common Pleas of York County Juvenile Division at No(s):
                       CP-67-DP-0000234-2021

 IN THE INTEREST OF: E.G., A          :   IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
 MINOR                                :        PENNSYLVANIA
                                      :
                                      :
 APPEAL OF: D.W., MOTHER              :
                                      :
                                      :
                                      :
                                      :   No. 88 MDA 2023

            Appeal from the Order Dated December 21, 2022
 In the Court of Common Pleas of York County Juvenile Division at No(s):
                       CP-67-DP-0000313-2021

                                  -2-
J-A13041-23

BEFORE:      BOWES, J., LAZARUS, J., and STEVENS, P.J.E.*

MEMORANDUM BY STEVENS, P.J.E.                       FILED AUGUST 08, 2023

       D.W. (“Mother”), appeals from the December 14, 2022 decrees

involuntarily terminating her parental rights to X.N.M.R. a/k/a X.R., born in

July 2019, E.M.G. a/k/a E.G., born in October 2012, and A.L.R. a/k/a A.R.,

born in December 2020 (collectively, “the Children”).1 Mother also appeals

from the December 20, 2022 orders changing Children’s permanency goals

from reunification to adoption and establishing a concurrent goal of placement

with a legal custodian. In addition, Mother’s appointed counsel, Thomas W.

Gregory, Jr., Esquire (“Counsel”), has filed a petition to withdraw and

accompanying brief, pursuant to Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967),

and Commonwealth v. Santiago, 602 Pa. 159, 978 A.2d 349 (2009). Based

on the following, we deny Counsel’s petition and direct Counsel to file either a

compliant Anders brief or an advocate’s brief.

       We glean the following factual and procedural history of this matter from

the certified record. The family came to the attention of the York County

Offices of Children, Youth and Families (“the Agency”) in March 2021 due to a

____________________________________________

* Former Justice specially assigned to the Superior Court.

1 By separate decrees the same date, the orphans’ court terminated the
parental rights of the putative father of X.N.M.R. and A.L.R., R.R. The court
further terminated the parental rights of the father of E.M.G., G.G. Neither
R.R. nor G.G. filed notices of appeal, and neither were participating parties to
these appeals.

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General Protective Services (“GPS”) referral related to Mother’s substance

abuse. Specifically,

      On March 21, 2021, the Agency received a [GPS] referral for
      substance abuse for Mother. Allegations received were that
      Mother had suffered a seizure and when admitted to the hospital
      she was found to be positive for THC and cocaine. The Agency
      made contact with Mother via phone on March 22, 2021. Mother
      agreed to meet with the worker but would not allow the worker to
      see [X.N.M.R. and A.L.R.] as both parents were very upset. When
      the caseworker met with Mother, she admitted to cocaine use at
      a party over the weekend and was agreeable to drug testing. She
      also agreed to allow the worker to meet the children and this
      occurred on May 6, 2021. A referral was made to Averhealth[,]
      but Mother failed to report for testing. On May 10, 2021, the
      Agency met with Mother due to her lack of testing; she stated she
      tried to call in but gets busy and forgets. Mother stated she had
      spoken with an attorney and understood the Agency cannot force
      her to test. Mother denied being an everyday user of cocaine; she
      stated it has been in social situations without the children. Mother
      admitted to daily THC use. On May 14, 2021, the Agency received
      allegations that Mother had plans to purchase cocaine; Mother
      denied the allegations. A Safety Plan was initiated[,] and Mother
      was agreeable to the plan; the Safety Plan provided that Mother’s
      cousin and brother were appropriate supervisors and would
      supervise her contact. Mother stated to the Agency that [R.R.]
      had physically assaulted her at the end of April and she had
      intentions to file a Protection From Abuse Order PFA against
      [R.R.]; she also alleged [R.R.] used cocaine with her in the past.
      On May 24, 2021, Mother contacted the Agency and advised that
      she was no longer in agreement with the Safety Plan; she did not
      feel her children were in danger. Mother stated she had been
      calling into Averhealth since the Safety Plan was put into place[]
      but had not reported for a test. Mother was a no show for testing
      on May 21, 2021; Mother claimed she called in but was not told
      to report. A referral was made for [Families United Network
      (“FUN”)] and two attempts were made. On May 24, 2021, Mother
      tested positive for cocaine and THC, Mother denied cocaine use to
      the tester.

Stipulations of Counsel, 11/7/22, at ¶ 6; see also Orders of Adjudication and

Disposition, 6/7/21, at 1-2. As a result, the Agency obtained emergency

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protective custody of X.N.M.R. and A.L.R. on May 24, 2021, and placed them

in kinship foster care with family friends. See Stipulations of Counsel,

11/7/22, at ¶ 7. Subsequently, the court adjudicated X.N.M.R. and A.L.R.

dependent on June 7, 2021, and established a permanency goal of

reunification.2 See Stipulations of Counsel, 11/7/22, at ¶ 10; see also Notes

of Testimony (“N.T.”), 12/14/22, at 18-19.

       Thereafter,

       [o]n July 20, 2021, the Agency received a [GPS] referral regarding
       substance abuse by parent, lack of supervision, and
       homelessness. Allegations received were that [E.M.G.] resides
       with [G.G.] and they [were] to be evicted on July 31, 2021.
       Further allegations received are that [E.M.G.] is left home alone
       for unknown amounts of hours and/or days. Other allegations
       received are that crack was being used in the home.. . . On July
       22, 2021, the Agency caseworker was conducting a home visit at
       the foster home of [E.M.G.’s] siblings, where the minor child was
       visiting. The Agency caseworker was informed that [E.M.G.] had
       stated that she has seen [G.G.] smoke cocaine. Furthermore,
       [E.M.G.] stated that when she had been living with her [m]other,
       Mother would give her “food with marijuana in it” or “blow
       marijuana in her face to make her go to sleep[.”] The Agency
       caseworker attempted to contact [G.G.] and traveled to three
       different places in attempts to locate him. When [G.G.] called the
       caseworker, he hung up multiple time[s], became angry, and
       stated there was no reason for the Agency to be involved with his
       family. [E.M.G. was] to return to [G.G.]’s care on July 23, 2021.

Stipulation of Counsel, 11/7/22, at ¶ 6 (ellipsis added); see also Order of

Adjudication and Disposition, 8/3/21, at 1. Therefore, the Agency obtained

____________________________________________

2 The court additionally established a concurrent goal of adoption. See Orders

of Adjudication and Disposition, 6/7/21, at 3.

                                           -5-
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emergency protective custody of E.M.G. on July 22, 2021, and placed her in

kinship foster care with her siblings, where all three children have remained.

See Stipulation of Counsel, 11/7/22, at ¶ 7; N.T., 12/14/22, at 29, 36. The

court adjudicated E.M.G. dependent August 3, 2021, and established a

permanency goal of reunification.3 See Stipulation of Counsel, 11/7/22, at ¶

10; see also N.T., 12/14/22, at 19.

       In furtherance of reunification, the Agency issued family service plans

on July 13, 2021, March 18, 2022, May 18, 2022, and November 17, 2022.

These plans were forwarded to Mother, and the objectives essentially

remained consistent. See N.T., 12/14/22, at 19-22; see also Stipulations of

Counsel, 11/7/22, at ¶ 13. Corresponding to the services and conditions set

forth by the court at the time of adjudication, Mother was required to address,

inter alia, her substance abuse, housing, and cooperate with services. See

Orders of Adjudication and Disposition, 8/3/21 & 6/7/21, Appendix of Court

Ordered Services & Conditions; N.T., 12/14/22, at 21; Exhibits 1, 2, 3, and 5.

       Throughout the ensuing dependency proceedings, the court conducted

regular review hearings at which it found Mother to be noncompliant with the

permanency plan and not progressing toward alleviating the circumstances

necessitating placement. See N.T., 12/14/22, at 20-21; see also Stipulations

____________________________________________

3 The court additionally established a concurrent goal of adoption. See Order

of Adjudication and Disposition, 8/3/21, at 3.

                                           -6-
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of Counsel, 11/7/22, at ¶¶ 14, 15, 16. Moreover, the court maintained the

Children’s commitment and placement.

       The Agency filed petitions for the involuntary termination of parental

rights pursuant to 23 Pa.C.S.A. § 2511(a)(1), (2), (4), (5), (8), and (b) on

August 19, 2022, as well as petitions to change the Children’s permanency

goals from reunification to adoption. The court held a combined hearing on

the petitions on December 14, 2022. Children, who were three, ten, and two

years old, respectively, were represented by both a guardian ad litem (“GAL”)

and legal counsel.4 Mother was represented by counsel but did not appear.5

The Agency presented the testimony of Lindsay Keller, a supervised bail

probation officer with York County Adult Probation; and Vickie Weaver,

ongoing caseworker. The Agency additionally proffered Exhibits 1 through 5,

which were admitted without objection. See N.T., 12/14/22, at 9-10.

       The court placed its determination and reasoning on the record at the

conclusion of the hearing. See N.T., 12/14/22, at 120-34. By separate decrees

dated December 14, 2022, and entered December 16, 2022, the court

involuntarily terminated Mother’s parental rights to Children. In addition, by

____________________________________________

4 In lieu of separate briefs, both the GAL and legal counsel submitted letters

joining the Agency’s brief. See Letters, 3/8/23 & 3/9/23.

5 The court recognized notice via publication for the December 14, 2022
hearing. See N.T, 12/14/22, at 7-9, 122. Notably, Mother’s whereabouts were
unknown. See id. at 8. It was reported that her bail was revoked and that
there was an outstanding warrant with respect to pending criminal matters.
See id. at 8, 14.

                                           -7-
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separate orders dated December 20, 2022, and entered December 21, 2022,

the court changed Children’s permanency goals from reunification to adoption

and instituted a concurrent goal of permanent legal custody.6

        On January 9, 2023, Mother, through Counsel, filed timely notices of

appeal and concise statements of errors complained of on appeal pursuant to

Pa.R.A.P. 1925(a)(2)(i) and (b) with respect to the termination decrees. She

likewise filed timely notices of appeal and concise statements of errors

complained of on appeal with respect to the goal change orders on January

10, 2023. This Court consolidated Mother’s appeals sua sponte on February 3,

2023.

        Thereafter, on February 17, 2023, Counsel filed a petition to withdraw,

as well as an Anders brief. When counsel seeks to withdraw pursuant to

Anders and its progeny,7 this Court may not review the merits of the appeal

without first addressing counsel’s request to withdraw. See In re Adoption

____________________________________________

6 The court placed its determination and reasoning on the record at the
conclusion of the hearing. See N.T., 12/14/22, at 120-34. This was
additionally transcribed and issued as separate orders dated December 14,
2022, and entered December 20, 2022 on the orphans’ court dockets, and
December 21, 2022 on the juvenile division dockets. The court issued Rule
1925(a) opinions incorporating and referencing these orders and the
reasoning therein.

7 This Court extended the Anders procedure to appeals from decrees
terminating parental rights involuntarily in In re V.E., 611 A.2d 1267, 1275
(Pa.Super. 1992). This Court further extended the Anders principles to
appeals involving goal change orders in In re J.D.H., 171 A.3d 903, 906
(Pa.Super. 2017).

                                           -8-
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of M.C.F., 230 A.3d 1217, 1219 (Pa.Super. 2020) (quoting Commonwealth

v. Daniels, 999 A.2d 590, 593 (Pa.Super. 2010)) (“We reiterate that ‘[w]hen

presented with an Anders brief, this court may not review the merits of the

underlying issues without first passing on the request to withdraw.’”). To

procedurally withdraw, counsel must:

      1) petition the court for leave to withdraw stating that, after
      making a conscientious examination of the record, counsel has
      determined that the appeal would be frivolous; 2) furnish a copy
      of the [Anders] brief to the [appellant]; and 3) advise the
      [appellant] that he or she has the right to retain private counsel
      or raise additional arguments that the [appellant] deems worthy
      of the court’s attention.

Commonwealth v. Cartrette, 83 A.3d 1030, 1032 (Pa.Super. 2013) (en

banc) (citation omitted). Counsel must also “attach to their petition to

withdraw a copy of the letter sent to their client advising him or her of their

rights.” Commonwealth v. Millisock, 873 A.2d 748, 752 (Pa.Super. 2005).

      Additionally,   our   Supreme    Court   has   set   forth   the   following

requirements for Anders briefs:

             [W]e hold that in the Anders brief that accompanies court-
      appointed counsel’s petition to withdraw, counsel must: (1)
      provide a summary of the procedural history and facts, with
      citations to the record; (2) refer to anything in the record that
      counsel believes arguably supports the appeal; (3) set forth
      counsel’s conclusion that the appeal is frivolous; and (4) state
      counsel’s reasons for concluding that the appeal is frivolous.
      Counsel should articulate the relevant facts of record, controlling
      case law, and/or statutes on point that have led to the conclusion
      that the appeal is frivolous.

Santiago, 602 Pa. at 178-79, 978 A.2d at 361.

                                      -9-
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       Instantly, Counsel filed a petition to withdraw, stating that the issues

raised on appeal are without merit and not supported by law and, upon review

of the record, there are no alternative appealable issues. See Application to

Withdraw as Counsel, 2/17/23, at ¶¶ at 5, 6. Counsel also attached a copy of

the Millisock letter that he sent to Mother, along with his petition and a copy

of the Anders brief.8 However, our review of Counsel’s petition and Anders

brief does not reflect the type of zealous review that Anders requires. See

Santiago, 602 Pa. at 169, 978 A.2d at 355-56 (“[C]ounsel must consistently

serve the client's interest to the best of his or her ability. Only after such an

evaluation has led counsel to the conclusion that the appeal is “wholly

frivolous” is counsel justified in making a motion to withdraw”). Critically,

counsel has failed to attest in either his petition or brief that “after making a

conscientious examination of the record, [he] has determined that the appeal

would be frivolous.” Cartrette, 83 A.3d at 1032.

       Specifically, Counsel’s framing of the potential issues in this matter

solely advances arguments that are explicitly in favor of the termination

decrees and goal change orders - arguments that are adverse to Mother’s

interests - rather than rendering a conclusion that any appeal would be wholly

____________________________________________

8 As required, Counsel advised Mother of her right to retain private counsel or

proceed pro se and raise any additional points that she deems worthy of this
Court’s attention. See Application to Withdraw as Counsel, 2/17/23, at Exhibit
A. Mother has not responded to this communication.

                                          - 10 -
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frivolous. See, generally Anders Brief at 15-18. This is in direct

contravention of Santiago, wherein our Supreme Court reiterated:

      To repeat, what the brief must provide under Anders are
      references to anything in the record that might arguably support
      the appeal. [Anders, 386 U.S. at 744; Commonwealth v.
      McClendon, 495 Pa. 467, 434 A.2d 1185 (1981)]. Indeed, we
      have recognized and emphasized the difference between an
      Anders brief, which offers an issue for a court’s consideration, but
      reflects counsel’s candid assessment of the complete lack of merit
      in his client’s case, and a merits brief, which implies that an issue
      is worthy of review and has some chance of succeeding. See
      [Smith v. Pa. Bd. of Prob. & Parole, 524 Pa. 500, 511, 574
      A.2d 558, 564 (1990)] (“By filing an Anders brief, a lawyer does
      not advocate arguments he believes are ‘wholly frivolous’; rather,
      he presents them for the court’s confirmation of his belief.”).

Santiago, 602 Pa. at 176, 978 A.2d at 359-60.

      In so doing, Counsel has focused exclusively upon the reasons that exist

for affirming the trial court’s holdings while declining to address the issues

that might support Mother’s appeal, e.g., the issues identified in her Rule

1925(a)(ii) and (b) statements. We discern that counsel has largely failed to

recognize the distinction between issues that may lack merit and truly

frivolous claims. See Commonwealth v. Hipps, 274 A.3d 1263, 1271 n.3

(Pa. Super. 2022) (“[F]rivolousness is a slightly higher standard than lack of

merit; an argument may be meritless, but not frivolous.”).

      Overall, our review of Counsel’s Anders submissions cannot confirm

that Counsel has conducted the kind of zealous review that would permit him

to conclude that Mother’s appeal is wholly frivolous. Compare Anders Brief

at 15-18 with Santiago, 602 Pa. at 177, 978 A.2d at 360 (“Without [referring

                                     - 11 -
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to anything in the record that Counsel believes arguably supports the appeal

or stating that there were no such references for him to make], we are not

assured, as Anders requires, that counsel fully performed his [or her] duty

as [the appellant’s] advocate to independently search the record as a trained

advocate with an eye to uncovering appealable error, before concluding that

[the appellant’s] appeal was frivolous.”). We therefore cannot determine that

Counsel fully performed his duty9 and that Mother’s right to counsel has been

properly vindicated. See id. at 177, 978 A.2d at 360 (“Under Anders, the

right to counsel is vindicated by counsel’s examination and assessment of the

record and counsel’s references to anything in the record that arguably

supports the appeal.”). Thus, Counsel’s brief does not substantially satisfy the

Anders procedure.

       Accordingly, we deny Counsel’s petition for leave to withdraw. Counsel

shall file either (1) another Anders brief that conforms to the requirements

set forth in Santiago, supra; or (2) an advocate’s brief on Mother’s behalf.

We grant Counsel 30 days from the date of this decision to file either an

Anders brief or an advocate’s brief. If Counsel files an advocate brief,

____________________________________________

9 As the Court stated in Santiago, “[a]lthough an indigent whose appeal is

frivolous has no right to have an advocate make his case to the appellate
court, such an indigent does, in all cases, have the right to have an attorney,
zealous for the indigent’s interests, evaluate his case and attempt to discern
nonfrivolous arguments.” Commonwealth v. Santiago, 602 Pa. 159, 173,
978 A.2d 349, 357-58 (2009) (quoting Smith v. Robbins, 528 U.S. 259
(2000)).

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Appellees shall have 30 days thereafter to file a supplemental response brief,

should they decide one is warranted.

      Petition denied with instructions. Panel jurisdiction retained.

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