In re Marriage of Bradley, No. 95,727.
Decision Date | 14 July 2006 |
Docket Number | No. 95,727. |
Citation | 137 P.3d 1030 |
Parties | In the Matter of the MARRIAGE OF Levi BRADLEY, Appellant, and Amber Bradley, Appellee. |
Court | Kansas Supreme Court |
Jean Ann Uvodich, of Olathe, argued the cause and was on the briefs for appellant.
Amy L. Durkin, of Eudora, argued the cause, and Lowell C. Paul, of Kansas Legal Services, was with her on the brief for appellee.
This is an interlocutory appeal in a divorce proceeding. Petitioner, Levi Bradley, is serving in the military. He seeks a ruling on application of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (Act), 50 U.S.C.A.App. § 501 et seq. (2003). When respondent filed a motion to modify the temporary custody order, Levi sought a stay of the proceedings pursuant to the Act. The district court concluded that the Act did not apply to the temporary order. At the request of the petitioner, the district court certified its ruling for interlocutory appeal pursuant to K.S.A. 60-2102(c). The sole issue on appeal is whether the Act applies in the circumstances. The Court of Appeals granted leave to docket the appeal. This court transferred the case from the Court of Appeals pursuant to K.S.A. 20-3018(c).
Levi and Amber Bradley were married on February 27, 2003. On September 8, 2003, their son, Tyler, was born. Levi went to boot camp in June 2003 and then was away in the military. They resided with Levi's mother, Starleen Bradley, from the date of their marriage until April 27, 2005.
Levi Bradley filed the present divorce action on May 19, 2005. In his petition, Levi prayed for sole custody of Tyler, with residential placement with his mother, and he contemporaneously filed a motion for temporary orders. In the motion for temporary orders, Levi alleged that Amber had moved in with her boyfriend on April 27 and was not properly caring for Tyler.
After the divorce action was filed, Amber traveled to North Carolina where Levi was stationed. They were going to try to make their marriage work. Amber agreed to leave Tyler in Starleen Bradley's custody. On June 8, 2005, an agreed order and parenting plan, signed by Amber, Levi's counsel, and the trial judge, was filed. It recites that the order is in response to "the Verified Petition for Divorce and Request for Temporary Orders." The order provides:
On September 26, 2005, Amber filed a motion to modify the order granting sole legal custody to Levi. She alleged that she did not have counsel at the time she signed the order and did not fully understand what she was agreeing to. She further stated:
At the conclusion of the hearing, the district court filed the following order:
Petitioner filed a motion to reconsider and amend the order. Levi again requested the district court to stay proceedings while he is deployed in Iraq, to certify the question for interlocutory appeal, and to allow him to present evidence that "the situation for the minor child while in the care of Respondent does rise to the level necessary to establish probable cause of a child in need of care." Following a hearing on December 6, 2005, the district court reiterated its earlier ruling that the Act did not apply, denied Levi's motion for a stay of the proceedings, and declined to reconsider placement of the child. The district court did certify the question for an immediate appeal. Levi Bradley has returned from service in Iraq as scheduled and was present at oral argument before this court.
The Act applies to 50 U.S.C.A.App. § 512(b). The protections extended by the Act are farranging and include forgiveness of certain interest, protection from eviction, termination of leases, and prohibition against financial retaliation by lenders and creditors. See Pottorff, The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act: A Modern Replacement for the SSCRA [Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act], 74 J.K.B.A. 20 (Oct.2005). In addition, a servicemember is protected when he or she cannot or does not appear to defend or pursue civil proceedings. 50 U.S.C.A.App. § 522(a) (2003) provides that the section "applies to any civil action or proceeding in which the plaintiff or defendant at the time of filing an application under this section—(1) is in military service or is within 90 days after termination of or release from military service; and (2) has received notice of the action or proceeding." 50 U.S.C.A.App. § 522(b) provides:
"(b) Stay of proceedings
At any stage before final judgment in a civil action or proceeding in which a servicemember described in subsection (a) is a party, the court may on its own motion and shall, upon application by the servicemember, stay the action for a period of not less than 90 days, if the conditions in paragraph (2) are met.
An application for a stay under paragraph (a) shall include the following:
(A) A letter or other communication setting forth facts stating the manner in which current military duty requirements materially affect the servicemember's ability to appear and stating a date when the servicemember will be available to appear.
(B) A letter or other communication from the servicemember's commanding officer stating that the servicemember's current military duty prevents appearance and that military leave is not authorized for the servicemember at the time of the letter."
Interpretation of a statute is a question of law over which an appellate court has unlimited review. Cooper v. Werholtz, 277 Kan. 250, 252, 83 P.3d 1212 (2004). Additionally, the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, 50 U.S.C.A.App. § 501 et seq. (2003), is to be liberally construed to prevent the civil rights of a servicemember from being adversely affected while serving in the military. Boone v. Lightner, 319 U.S. 561, 575, 63 S.Ct. 1223, 87 L.Ed. 1587 (1943); Lenser v. McGowan, 358 Ark. 423, 429, 191 S.W.3d 506, 2004 WL 2064892 (2004).
Levi's brief is not helpful. He does not mention the conditions for a stay that are set out in § 522(b)(2). He cites only two cases, both for a proposition not at issue — that the Act applies in child custody proceedings — and, by Levi's own account, neither applying the current version of the Act.
Amber's position is that the conditions set out in § 522(b)(2) must be satisfied in order for the servicemember to have a right to a...
To continue reading
Request your trial-
Adams v. Board of Sedgwick County Com'Rs
...P.2d 587. Nor do we need to address the other reasoning of the district court or the County's cross-appeal. See In re Marriage of Bradley, 282 Kan. 1, 8, 137 P.3d 1030 (2006) (appellate court may affirm if district court reaches the right result; the reason given by district court for its r......
-
State Of Kan. v. Gonzalez
...for abuse of discretion). Discretion is abused when judicial action is arbitrary, fanciful, or unreasonable. In re Marriage of Bradley, 282 Kan. 1, 7, 137 P.3d 1030 (2006). Under this standard, an appellate court will not disturb a discretionary decision unless no reasonable person would ha......
-
Wichita Clinic, P.A. v. Louis
...970 (1976). Judicial discretion is abused if no reasonable person could take the view adopted by the trial court. In re Marriage of Bradley, 282 Kan. 1, 7, 137 P.3d 1030 (2006). The Clinic contends that this case is similar to Busch v. McGinnis, No. 59,647, ___ Kan. ___, 761 P.2d 1253, 1987......
-
Unruh v. Purina Mills, LLC
...of the action taken by the trial court, then it cannot be said that the trial court abused its discretion. In re Marriage of Bradley, 282 Kan. 1, 7, 137 P.3d 1030 (2006). In DeSpiegelaere v. Killion, 24 Kan. App.2d 542, 549, 947 P.2d 1039 (1997), our Court of Appeals "Where several causes o......