Court Opinion

ID: 9678392
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 06:18:35.121733+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:17:04.014414
License: Public Domain

Krivosha, C.J.,
dissenting.
I must respectfully dissent. I do not believe that the evidence in this case clearly and convincingly establishes that the parental rights of the parents must be terminated. Admittedly, the evidence discloses that the parents are chronic alcoholics and have not been very successful in attempting to rehabilitate themselves. I do not believe that a year is a sufficient period of time in which to determine that the condition of the parents is such that it cannot be corrected. To be sure, there are never any perfect solutions in cases of this nature. The courts are always confronted with deciding whether it is better to terminate after a brief time and find permanent homes for children, or to wait awhile in hopes that the natural parents may rehabilitate themselves and once again have custody of their children. If the *8mother in this case was afflicted with a physical ailment which caused these problems, we are not likely to terminate parental rights so quickly as we are because of the emotional problems related to drinking.
The majority notes that the court warned the parents of the consequences of their acts and gave them nearly 90 days to comply with certain conditions, none of which were met except visitation with the children. One who is familiar with the problems of alcoholics might recognize that imposing a 90-day time frame on an alcoholic might only tend to drive him further to drink. The majority notes that because of the lack of rehabilitation after 1 year, the trial court entered an order terminating the parental rights. I believe that under the circumstances 1 year was inadequate. I would continue foster care for some additional time in hopes that the rights of the parents could be permanently restored. It appears to me that there will be adequate time to terminate parental rights if no other alternative exists.