Court Opinion

ID: 9630078
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 09:59:23.822274+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:07:30.520737
License: Public Domain

CROCKETT, Justice.
I concur in affirming the judgment. The juvenile court was patient to the point of long-suffering in indulging these people every opportunity to indicate a willingness to abide by the law and retain custody of their children. This they obdurately re*353fused' to do. They came hack into court in open defiance of the law, asserting that the “law of God,” concerning which they presume to claim special knowledge, is superior to the law of man. Not having the advantage of any special knowledge of the “law of God” on this matter, I must content myself to judge it upon the basis of my understanding of the laws of our state and nation as established through the processes of democracy. It would be a dangerous principle indeed for some to be bound by the law thus established, whereas others could flout it, using the excuse that the “law of God,” which they claim is known specially to them, renders them immune.
In view of defendants’ defiance of the juvenile court’s entirely reasonable order, he had very little choice, consistent with his sworn duty to uphold the law, than to take the action he did in the interest of these children, It was certainly well within his prerogative, and, this being a proceeding equitable in nature, we should not disturb his judgment unless the evidence clearly preponderates against his findings, or he abused his discretion or misapplied principles of law or equity, none of which are present here.