Court Opinion

ID: 9621348
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 05:56:42.32757+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:05:02.830971
License: Public Domain

Andree Layton Roaf, Judge. Appellant Rolinda Eight appeals from the Faulkner County Circuit Court’s order terminating her parental rights to her two minor children, A.W. and L.M. For reversal, Eight argues that the trial court erred in terminating her parental rights because she had corrected the reasons causing removal of her children. We agree, and reverse and remand. DHS became involved with Eight after receiving information from a caller to its hotline that Eight could not supervise A.W., her six-month-old son, because she was getting high on crack and marijuana. This report came in September 2001 and DHS began its investigation, which revealed that Eight tested positive for cocaine and marijuana. A.W. was not removed from Eight’s custody at that time; instead, DHS developed a “safety plan” whereby Eight was to undergo drug treatment and submit to random drug tests. Eight was encouraged to participate in parenting classes and instructed to follow a case plan. On May 30, 2002, DHS filed a dependency neglect petition alleging that A.W. was neglected and that it was in his best interest to be removed from the home. The trial court granted a 72-hour hold on A.W. on July 8, 2002, “due to [Kight] testing positive for cocaine and THC,” and on July 16, 2002, the court entered an order adjudicating A.W. dependent/neglected and removing him from the home with the goal being reunification with his mother. During the pendency of A.W.’s case, DHS discovered that Kight was pregnant with another child. Kight was admitted to the Freedom House drug treatment center on July 12, 2002. Kight completed a thirty-day treatment program at the Freedom House and was released on August 12, 2002. The trial court held a review hearing on August 13, 2002. At the hearing, Kight took a drug test, and the result was negative. She was ordered to find and maintain stable employment and housing. Kight subsequently found housing in the Conway Housing Authority, but lost her job due to the dependency/neglected status of A.W. Kight’s August 28 and September 17 drug test results were also negative. On January 2, 2003, Kight gave birth to her daughter L.M. Both Kight and L.M. tested positive for cocaine at that time. L.M. could not be bottle-fed for five days, but other than that proved to be a healthy baby. DHS filed a petition for emergency custody of L.M., and the court entered its emergency order on January 10, 2003. On January 14, 2003, L.M. was adjudicated dependent/ neglected, with the goal being reunification with her mother. Kight was ordered to undergo long-term residential drug treatment and submit to random drug tests. The court ordered visitation to take place at the drug treatment facility. Kight entered Chance Sobriety residential drug treatment. CASA recommended a sixty to ninety day treatment, however, Kight underwent treatment for six months. At the March 18, 2003 review hearing, Ben Perkins testified that since arriving at Chance, Kight had not tested positive for drugs and had maintained stable employment. Kight had been cooperative and as a result received weekend passes. There was one incident where Kight “fraternized” with a male patient, but after being told that the conduct was impermissible, Kight stopped. The court stated that Kight’s supervised vitiations with her children could be increased if all parties came to an agreement. The court expressed concern about Kight’s plans to marry Raymond Morgan, L.M.’s father, due to his failure to complete drug counseling, his continued drug use, and criminal background. Kight testified that she and Morgan had intended to marry, but that the plans were uncertain due to Morgan’s “situation.” The court stated that unless Morgan stopped using drugs he would not have anything to do with the children. DHS prepared its petition to terminate Right’s parental rights on the same day, and it was filed April 24, 2003. At the July 15, 2003 permanency planning/termination hearing, Perkins again testified. He stated that Kight had successfully completed the six-month program; that he was not recommending any more treatment; and that Kight had been given increased responsibilities due to her success in the program, for example conducting drug screens, sitting at the front desk, and answering the phones. Kight passed all drug tests while at Chance. Perkins was questioned about Right’s continued relationship with Morgan, and he stated that Chance keeps close tabs on the patients and from what he knew Kight was not initiating contact with Morgan. Perkins opined that Right’s contact with Morgan had not affected her responsibilities around the house and also stated that if she used the tools that she had learned in treatment, there was no reason she could not succeed. The CASA volunteer, Jennifer Jones, testified and recommended termination of Right’s parental rights, although she was only assigned to the case in January and had personally visited Kight one time. Jones did state that Kight interacted well with her children during the one visit she attended. Jones said, “It was very difficult to make my recommendation because I see her making progress, but there’s those couple of things, the visitation and the men that concern me.” Apparently, Kight missed seven visits with her children; four were her fault and the other three were not. Jones admitted that she only had a few telephone conversations with Kight. The children’s foster mother, Tina Hefter, testified that she had been present during all visitations, but had not observed any improvement. She commented on the, fact that during visits with the children, Morgan would sometime show up and Kight would sit on Morgan’s lap during the entire visit. Hefter said that during one visit, Morgan told Kight that she would feel better if she smoked some “weed.” Hefter testified that she was interested in adopting both children. Laura Rogers, Right’s DHS case worker, testified that initially Kight was not cooperative, but that after A. W. was taken into custody Kight “did very well,” citing Right’s enrollment in the Freedom House drug center and her efforts at obtaining housing. Rogers stated that she was prepared to send A.W. home, but for Right’s positive drug test at the January hearing. Rogers stated that Kight had stopped smoking around A.W., but thought that she smoked around him later because when she picked A.W. up from visits he smelled of smoke. Rogers admitted that Kight had completed part of the case plan by entering a rehabilitation facility and finding housing, and further admitted that Kight lost her stable housing because she enrolled at Chance and was unable to find work because she was so far along in her pregnancy. Rogers also admitted that A.W. became upset during visits with his mom because he was confused, and although he had some medical problems, they were problems common to all children. Finally, she stated that before A.W. was taken, “he was stable when he was at home with his mother. She was his primary caregiver. She was providing for [A.W.] and she was working.” Despite this testimony, Rogers stated that she did not think Kight should have her children back. Kight testified that she wanted her children back. She stated that she missed the four visits with her children because she overslept, explaining that she got little sleep because in addition to working forty hours per week, she also works at the Chance Sobriety house. She had checked on an apartment at Millwood Landing, an income based apartment complex for permanent housing, but stated that residents must have their children live with them. Kight had been drug free before she enrolled in Chance and has continued to be drug free. Kight denied wanting to maintain a relationship with Morgan, stating that she quit taking her weekend passes because she could not afford a hotel and she did not want to stay at Morgan’s house. Kight also denied smoking around A.W. and stated that none of the doctors instructed her to stop smoking. She testified that when A.W. was taken from her she became depressed and the one positive drug test was merely a relapse; that she had been clean for seven months prior to that; that she was depressed without her child; and that she had not intended to get high. From the bench, the court ruled that Right’s parental rights should be terminated. The trial judge commented that Right’s commitment to breaking her “ties” with her past was shallow. She also stated that but for federal law mandating a permanency plan within one year, “I could give mama another six months or another year.” The court opined that it would love to say “let’s wait another six months and see if you can break that tie, but I’m just not sure that you understand . . . along with the fact that we’ve had this case already in this court for 18 months on one child and a year on the other, I cannot take that chance.” The judge continued, I don’t want to close until I say this: Ma’am, what you have done about going into rehab and staying there for six months has probably saved your life. I cannot commend you enough for that. That decision that I’ve made here today is certainly appealable and you talk to Mrs. Atkinson about that and she will explain that to you. The Department has asked for the right to put these children up for adoption and I have given them that. But, if there is an appeal filed, none of that will happen until after the Supreme Court looks at my decision and looks at the whole case and makes a decision. The written order states that Eight’s parental rights to A.W. were terminated due to the fact that the conditions causing removal have not been remedied and A.W. had been out of the home for more than twelve months. As to L.M., the order states that parental rights are being terminated due to litde likelihood that reunification will result and that termination is in the child’s best interest.  This court reviews termination of parental rights cases de novo. Dinkins v. Arkansas Dep’t of Human Servs., 344 Ark. 207, 40 S.W. 3d 286 (2001). Grounds for termination of parental rights must be proven by clear and convincing evidence. M. T. v. Arkansas Dep’t of Human Servs., 58 Ark. App. 302, 305, 952 S.W.2d 177, 179 (1997). When the burden of proving a disputed fact is by “clear and convincing evidence,” the question on appeal is whether the trial court’s finding that the disputed fact was proved by clear and convincing evidence is clearly erroneous, giving due regard to the opportunity of the trial court to judge the credibility of the witnesses. Id. A finding is clearly erroneous when, although there is evidence to support it, the reviewing court on the entire evidence is left with a definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been made. Id. Termination of parental rights is an extreme remedy and in derogation of the natural rights of parents, but parental rights will not be enforced to the detriment or destruction of the health and well being of the child. M.T., supra. We are left with a firm conviction that a mistake has been made. Beginning with A.W., the record shows that he was removed from the home due to Eight’s drug use. The order adjudicating him dependent/neglected ordered Eight to enter drug treatment and submit to random drug testing. Kight followed the court’s directive and enrolled in the Freedom House. Her drug tests were negative from July 2002 through December 2002, with one positive test in January 2003. Following this test, Kight enrolled in Chance Sobriety. While CASA originally recommended a ninety-day stay, Kight actually completed six months of residential drug counseling. Perkins’s testimony regarding Right’s improvement is persuasive, particularly his testimony that she has been drug free throughout the entire program, even though she was given unsupervised weekend passes; that she has been given responsibilities in the house, including overseeing drug testing of other patients; and his belief that Kight will be successful once she reenters society.  Likewise, there was testimony that A.W. was stable with his mother and that she was his primary caregiver. In fact, Rogers stated that A.W. was doing well in Right’s care, although she was abusing drugs. Moreover, when Rogers first became involved in this case, she did not remove A.W. from the home, despite knowing that Kight had tested positive for drugs. Thus, the reason for A.W.’s removal was not that Kight was an unfit parent or unable to care for her child, but that she was abusing drugs, which she has corrected. Rogers stated that although uncooperative at first, once A.W. was removed from the home, Kight became serious about getting A.W. back, was doing well, had housing, and that she [Rogers] was prepared to return A.W. to the home. A.W. would have been in his mother’s care but for a one-time relapse in January. Notwithstanding this one time relapse, Kight has maintained full time employment while at Chance and has been clean and sober for over six months. This is exactly what DHS asked her to do. DHS has not demonstrated by clear and convincing evidence that terminating Right’s parental rights to A.W. was in his best interest.  The fact that a mistake has been made in this case is also evident by the trial court’s remarks at the close of the case. First, the trial judge was confused about how long the court had actually been involved in this case. The trial judge mistakenly believed that A.W. had been removed from the home for over eighteen months. The trial court also stated that L.M. had been removed from the home for one year, when she was just removed in January 2003 and was only seven months old at the time of the termination hearing. We cannot ignore the fact that the trial court’s decision was partially motivated by a false belief that A.W. had been removed from the home for almost two years, and that L.M. had been out of the home for one year.  The trial judge was obviously convinced that Kight had made significant progress as indicated by her comments at the conclusion of the trial. It appears, however, that the trial court’s decision was made, in part, on a speculative belief that Kight would be involved with another man who abused drugs. This belief is entirely speculative and does not meet that clear and convincing standard of proof. Further, Perkins testified that, even though Morgan had visited Kight at Chance, her involvement with him had not interfered with her responsibilities at the house. Thus, despite Morgan’s continued contact with Kight, she was able to remain focused on her goal of sobriety. The evidence also shows that Kight was given weekend passes, some of which were spent at Morgan’s home. However, she was able to pass every drug test administered to her upon her return to Chance, including those weekends she spent in Morgan’s company. These facts demonstrate that Kight was committed to remaining clean and sober, and that she would be able to maintain her sobriety if her children were returned to her custody.  As to L.M., we are likewise left with a firm conviction that a mistake has been made. L.M. was never taken home, and the sole reason for her removal was due to Kight’s one time drug relapse. This court does not condone Kight’s drug use, especially while pregnant, but we note that L.M. was described as a healthy baby and has suffered no major medical complications. This court has also held that a one-time lapse does not support a termination of parental rights. See Trout v. Arkansas Dep’t of Human Serv., 84 Ark. App. 446, 146 S.W.3d 895 (2004), in which this court reversed a termination order, citing numerous improvements made by Trout despite one minor “setback,” which occurred during the case. Kight has corrected the problem that caused L.M.’s removal, and the trial court’s decision is clearly erroneous. L.M. had only been out of the home for seven months. During those seven months, Kight was working diligently at a residential drug program, at which she proved to be successful. Kight was not given the opportunity to prove that reunification was a worthwhile goal when L.M. was taken from her in January, the same month she entered residential drug rehab, and upon her release, her parental rights were terminated. The purpose of terminating parental rights is to provide permanency in a minor child’s life where return to the home is contrary to the child’s health, safety, or well-being and it appears from the evidence that the return to the home cannot be accomplished in a reasonable time, as viewed from the juvenile’s perspective. Ark. Code Ann. § 9-27-341 (Supp. 2003); M.T., supra. Here, Kight was not given a reasonable time to demonstrate that L.M. could be safely returned to her home.  Accordingly, we hold that the trial court’s decision terminating Rolinda Kight’s parental rights regarding A.W. and L.M. is clearly erroneous. We reverse and remand this case with instructions to the trial court to continue reunification services. Reversed and Remanded. Hart, Neal, and Baker, JJ., agree. Griffen and Pittman, JJ., dissent.