Court Opinion

ID: 9774391
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 18:18:49.989672+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:32:07.859841
License: Public Domain

STERNBERG, Justice,
dissenting.
The record reflects that the trial judge heard the testimony of 17 witnesses, consisting of 94 pages, before awarding temporary custody of the infant to her father. The trial court was favored with the depositions of 17 witnesses, consisting of 182 pages, before making an award of permanent custody to the father.
Linda and Phillip lived and operated a restaurant in Mount Washington, Kentucky. The testimony pertinent to the issue discloses, and the trial judge was entitled to believe, that a year or two prior to the filing of this action Linda spent some time in a motel room with a male companion, after which he and she went on a date with another couple; that on one occasion Linda was seen kissing Tommy Haney in the restaurant and on at least two occasions they were in the men’s restroom of the restaurant for 15 to 20 minutes with the lights out; that for several months Linda had become careless in the preparation of meals for Danielle; that the respondent inflicted unusual and painful discipline on Danielle by pulling her hair and with a hair brush to her buttocks; that on one occasion respondent took Danielle with her and left movant for a week or so, with only a letter to movant saying she had to get away for awhile; that on the Saturday night of her recent venture she wrote movant that she was going to French Lick, Indiana, and didn’t know when she would be back, knowing at that time that she was not going to French Lick but to the Smokey Mountains. So while Danielle was spending the night with her maternal grandmother and mov-*615ant was at home, the respondent closed the restaurant about midnight, took part of the receipts of the day and she and Tommy left town on his motorcycle. During the trip they spent each day and night together. Not once did she telephone home to inquire of the baby or of Phillip. Danielle is very fond of her father and he in turn shows the same affection for her.
Counsel for respondent argues as if the week-long motorcycle trip which his client made with Tommy was her only fault. If that were so, there would be no dissent on the part of this writer. That is not, however, the situation. The record reflects that the motorcycle escapade was only one of many acts of indiscretion which were brought to the attention of the trial court.
The concern of this court is the effect that the conduct of Linda will have on the welfare of her daughter. Danielle’s life is at stake. Argumentatively, it has been said that a prostitute mother can so conduct herself that her profession not only will not be known to her child but her conduct may be so inconspicuous and tactful as not to cast a reflection on the child. This argument, if applied indiscriminately, fails to take into account the social classes of our communities. In a metropolitan center it may be argued with some possibility of being true, but not in small communities where everyone knows of the “doings and carryings on” of everyone else. In other words, respondent may get by with it in a large town, but not in a small town. It doesn’t take much gossip about the clandestine conduct of a mother to affect and stigmatize her guiltless child. “As mother, as daughter” is not necessarily true. It is more likely to be true, however, where the wag is freely flowing.
Our review is limited to the question of whether the action of the trial judge in awarding custody of Danielle to Phillip was clearly erroneous. I do not think it was.
I would reverse the majority opinion of the Court of Appeals and affirm the judgment of the circuit court.
PALMORE, C. J., and AKER, J., join in this dissent.