Court Opinion

ID: 9513454
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-06 22:35:45.416806+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:05:51.875186
License: Public Domain

VANDE WALLE, Chief Justice,
concurring specially.
[¶ 21] The majority opinion analyzes the circumstances of the case from the standpoint of the person who is the object of the disorderly conduct restraining order. Under the facts of this case, I do not disagree with the majority’s analysis and, in particular, I agree with ¶¶ 16 and 17 in which the majority firmly rejects the suggestion Bryan’s abuse of Lorna is an appropriate basis for the order. I write separately, however, because I am concerned with the majority’s analysis of reasonable grounds as applied to the visit to the daycare center.
[¶ 22] I need not cite the numerous cases, reported in opinions of the courts of various jurisdictions and in the media, in which children have been “snatched” from a school setting by someone purporting to be a friend, relative, or parent of the child. In some instances the person is a friend or relative and often may be the noncustodial parent. Absent an open invitation by the school to visit on a particular day, such as grandparents day, I view such visits with suspicion. A friend or relative, or even a noncustodial parent, who finds it necessary to visit the children at a daycare or a school creates sufficient “probable cause” to, in my mind, believe the person knows their visit is unwanted by the custodial parent(s) of the child. Furthermore, the all too-common experience of child snatching from schools may, of itself, be sufficient to create a reasonable grounds to believe the person may intend to adversely affect the safety, privacy, and security of the child and the custodial parent.
[¶ 23] I agree with the majority we should be concerned with precedent and not trivialize the statute; but experience also suggests there is reason to view these contacts made at daycare centers and *306schools with a good deal of suspicion. I hope the majority opinion is not read to discount the lessons we ought to learn from experience.
[¶ 24] Gerald W. VandeWalle, C.J.