Court Opinion

ID: 9717735
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 07:09:39.585483+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:23:55.002012
License: Public Domain

Morse, J.,
dissenting. In the Fall 1992, the Rhode Island family court modified father’s visitation with his son from monthly, as previously set in Vermont, to bimonthly. About a year later, the Vermont family court ordered mother to show cause why she should not be held in contempt for preventing father monthly visitation, as it had ordered. Ironically, nothing in the record before us indicates Rhode Island’s awareness of the Vermont court’s contrary view of Rhode Island’s authority.
All this happened despite the admonition of key features of the UCCJA, enacted in both states. I believe this case was mishandled in both states largely because each court failed to implement the paramount feature of the UCCJA — interstate communication. This Court has now leaped into the fray as if great values of sovereignty were threatened. A few telephone calls between trial judges of the two states could have done more for the best interests of the parties’ son than this jurisdictional war. I respectfully dissent.
The UCCJA stresses the importance for courts of competing jurisdictions to communicate before any substantive decisions are made. Neither Rhode Island in 1992 nor Vermont in 1993 made even a passing reference in their decisions to the need for communication with each other. The relevant UCCJA provision states:
(a) [The family court] shall not exercise its jurisdiction under this chapter if at the time of filing the petition a proceeding concerning the custody of the child was pending in a court of another state exercising jurisdiction substantially in conformity with this chapter, unless the proceeding is stayed by the court of the other state because this state is a more appropriate forum or for other reasons.
(b) Before hearing the petition in a custody proceeding the court shall examine the pleadings and other information supplied by the parties under § 1038 of this title [R.I. Gen. Laws *416§ 15-14-11] and shall consult the child custody registry established under § 1044 of this title [R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-14-17] concerning the pendency of proceedings with respect to the child in other states. If the court has reason to believe that proceedings may be pending in another state, it shall direct an inquiry to the state court administrator or other appropriate official of the other state.
(c) If the court is informed during the course of the proceeding that a proceeding concerning the custody of the child was pending in another state before the court assumed jurisdiction it shall stay the proceeding and communicate with the court in which the other proceeding is pending to the end that the issue may be litigated in the more appropriate forum and that information be exchanged in accordance with sections 1047-1050 of this title [R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 15-14-20 to -23]. If [the family court] has made a custody decree before being informed of a pending proceeding in a court of another state it shall immediately inform that court of the fact. If the court is informed that a proceeding was commenced in another state after it assumed jurisdiction, it shall likewise inform the other court to the end that the issues may be litigated in the more appropriate forum.
15 V.S.A. § 1035. In addition, specifically addressing the family court’s discretion to decline or retain jurisdiction, the UCCJA provides:
Before determining whether to decline or retain jurisdiction, the court may communicate with a court of another state and exchange information pertinent to the assumption of jurisdiction by either court with a view to assuring that jurisdiction will be exercised by the more appropriate court and that a forum will be available to the parties.
Id. § 1036(d); see also R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-14-8(d).
We have scant way of telling on the less than full record before us how the modification proceedings in Rhode Island played out. Under the facts before us, both Vermont and Rhode Island were about equally well-situated to determine the issue of visitation. Overriding Rhode Island’s jurisdiction to modify visitation rests on an exceedingly thin reed — the relative importance of father’s and son’s “significant connection” to Vermont in contrast to Rhode Island being the boy’s “home state.”
*417Farther, the Rhode Island court is faulted for not dismissing the mother’s motion to modify because Vermont did not “decline” jurisdiction. There was, however, nothing at that time to “decline,” because no motion was pending here when the Rhode Island action was commenced and decided. Rhode Island should have communicated with Vermont as required, but its failure to call did not give Vermont cause to ignore Rhode Island a year later when it took up the parties’ dispute. Two wrongs do not make a right.
The UCCJA preference is that before a court decides that it is the appropriate forum, it share information and consult with the competing jurisdiction. The utter failure to do that here was an abuse of discretion. Had Vermont and Rhode Island conferred over the visitation dispute, most likely it would not be before us now. The breakdown in communication has caused inordinate delay, expense and heartache.
My disagreement also extends to the Court’s decision to suspend the appellate rules to decide the merits of jurisdiction. The assumptions justifying shortcutting the process are nothing short of speculation. The critical point is that the family court has not made a finding of contempt, and it is not a foregone conclusion that it would. And even if it were to hold mother in contempt at some future date, we have no idea what the sanctions might be, if there would be any. Taking interlocutory control of this case at this time is tantamount to reviewing a scheduling order as if the merits were already decided — a highly unusual step. There is simply nothing extraordinary about a family court dispute where the only issue is whether one party is allowed monthly or bimonthly visitation.
I would dismiss the appeal as premature, but if it were ripe would remand to the family court to communicate with Rhode Island as required by the UCCJA.