Court Opinion

ID: 9733177
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 16:56:19.996279+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:26:39.103807
License: Public Domain

GEORGE C. HANKS, JR. Justice,
concurring.
I respectfully concur and join the majority opinion. The trial court’s finding, that a change in C.A.B.’s primary residence was in his best interest, was based, in part, on its interview of C.A.B. in chambers. As stated in the majority opinion, this interview was not recorded and Patterson did not object to the absence of a transcript of this interview on appeal. As a result, while there may be some facts in the record that do not support the trial court’s finding, we do not have the entire record of the proceedings below. Where we have only a partial record of the trial proceedings, we presume that the omitted portions *243support the trial court’s ruling. This presumption specifically applies in family law cases where the judge conducts interviews in chambers with a minor. Long v. Long 144 S.W.3d 64, 69 (Tex.App.-El Paso 2004, no pet.); Voros v. Turnage, 856 S.W.2d 759, 763 (Tex.App.-Houston [1st Dist.] 1993, writ denied) (holding that where complaining party failed to request a record of a child in chambers, the reviewing court will presume that the evidence is sufficient to support the judge’s findings); Ohendalski v. Ohendalski, No. 09-05-222-CV, 2006 WL 2788600, at *5 (Tex.App.Beaumont Sept.28, 2006, no pet. h.) (presuming evidence from unrecorded in chambers interview supports judge’s findings and finding no abuse of discretion). Thus, “[considering that the trial court interviewed the [child] in chambers, we must presume facts existed to support the modification and that allowed the judge to find that the change in the [child’s] primary residence was in [his] best interest.” Long, 144 S.W.3d at 71. Accordingly, given the evidence before us, I cannot find that the trial court abused its discretion in making its findings in this case.