Court Opinion

ID: 9676978
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 05:39:50.144866+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:16:52.815968
License: Public Domain

J IM HANNAH, Justice, concurring. I concur in the holding that the Grandparent Visitation Act is unconstitutional as applied in this case because the trial court failed to consider Becky’s right to raise her child as set out in prior decisions of this court, and because the trial court failed to consider the presumption that a parent is acting in the best interest of his or her child in making decisions concerning the child as discussed in Troxell v. Granville, 530 U.S. 57 (2000). However, for the same reasons set out in my dissent to Linder v. Linder, 348 Ark. 322, 72 S.W.3d 841 (2002), I would argue that where a trial court takes these matters into consideration in deciding visitation, the statute may be constitutional as applied. The majority states, “Because Becky offers no new arguments that would require a different outcome in this case, we decline to expand Linder’s holding with respect to the Act’s facial invalidity.” However, then in a footnote, the majority provides that the holding in this case leaves but one clause of the statute constitutional, Ark. Code Ann. § 9-13-103 (c)(2) (Repl. 2002), whereby grandparent visitation is granted when a child is not in the custody of either parent. It is apparent that the entire statute, excepting paragraph (c)(2), is now declared facially unconstitutional, or at least is being treated as being unconstitutional. The apparent main purposes behind the Grandparent Visitation Act are now frustrated, and it is up the Legislature to draft a new act. I again reiterate my concern, as I stated in Linder, supra, that this case not be read too broadly. This case only involves grandparent visitation granted under the GPVA. In this case, Jerry and Darlene Price were also included in the order regarding visitation with Jeff Price, which is unaffected by this decision. Under that order, Jerry and Darlene are to supervise Jeff s visitation. If this were not so, then Jeff would be left with visitation without supervision. Jeffs visitation was not appealed and remains valid, subject to the conditions set out by the trial court, which include supervision by Jerry and Darlene. Finally, I must question why this case is being remanded. The Act is unconstitutional as applied, and the majority in a footnote states that the holding in this case leaves but one clause of the statute constitutional. Because Ashley is in the custody of a parent, the grandparents cannot be awarded visitation under the statute. Jeffs visitation has not been appealed, and he retains his visitation subject to supervision by his parents. There is nothing for the court to do upon remand.