S.H.R. v. Dep't of Family & Protective Servs.
| Decision Date | 14 June 2012 |
| Docket Number | No. 01–10–00999–CV.,01–10–00999–CV. |
| Citation | 404 S.W.3d 612 |
| Parties | S.H.R., Appellant, v. DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES, Appellee. |
| Court | Texas Court of Appeals |
OPINION TEXT STARTS HERE
William Michael Thursland, Houston, TX, for Appellant.
Michelle Walker Emmo Bush, Sandra D. Hachem, Sr. Assistant County Attorney, Dan Jeffrey Spjut, Houston, TX, for Appellee.
Panel consists of Justices JENNINGS, SHARP, and BROWN.
Appellant S.H.R.'s parental rights to his three minor children were terminated after a bench trial. In three issues, appellant contends that the evidence was legally and factually insufficient to support: (1) termination under Family Code section 161.001(1)(D) (); (2) termination under Family Code section 161.001(1)(E) (); and (3) a finding that termination is in the best interest of the children. SeeTex. Fam.Code Ann. § 161.001(1)(D), (E) (West Supp. 2011). We conclude that while the evidence is legally sufficient, it is nonetheless factually insufficient, and we reverse.
In a joint trial, the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) sought to terminate the parental rights of both the biological mother and appellant as to their three daughters S.M.R., G.J.R., and C.N.R. Although the record is somewhat unclear on certain dates, the following is a reasonable chronology of the key events discussed at trial concerning appellant:
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¦July 1992 ¦Appellant's conviction for possession of cocaine ¦
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¦July 1998 ¦Appellant's misdemeanor probation for DWI ¦
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¦December 2003 ¦S.M.R. born ¦
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¦October 2004 ¦Appellant's misdemeanor conviction of terroristic ¦
¦ ¦threat involving mother ¦
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¦May 2005 ¦G.J.R. born ¦
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¦January 2006 ¦C.N.R. born ¦
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¦Sometime in 2007 ¦Appellant and mother separate; children apparently ¦
¦ ¦go to live with mother ¦
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¦January 2008 ¦Appellant's misdemeanor conviction for interference¦
¦ ¦with emergency telephone call involving mother ¦
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¦July 1, 2008 ¦Fire at Galveston residence where children lived ¦
¦ ¦with mother and Dustin Armstrong ¦
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¦June 2008 to September ¦Children go to live with appellant ¦
¦2008 ¦ ¦
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¦September 2008 ¦Children go to live with their maternal aunt ¦
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¦September 21, 2008 ¦Mother signs letter giving custody of children to ¦
¦ ¦appellant ¦
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¦September 24, 2008 ¦Children go to live with appellant ¦
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¦ ¦Appellant leaves children in care of maternal aunt ¦
¦December 22, 2008 ¦when appellant voluntarily goes to jail for two ¦
¦ ¦weeks to work off Class C misdemeanor fine ¦
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¦December 29, 2008 ¦Appellant's misdemeanor conviction for criminal ¦
¦ ¦trespass ¦
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¦March 6, 2009 ¦Appellant's misdemeanor conviction for harassment ¦
¦ ¦threat to then-current girlfriend ¦
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¦ ¦Children removed from custody of maternal aunt ¦
¦May 7, 2009 ¦based on reports of neglectful supervision and ¦
¦ ¦medical neglect; DFPS appointed temporary managing ¦
¦ ¦conservator of children ¦
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¦June 30, 200 ¦S.M.R. and G.J.R. test positive for nonspecific ¦
¦ ¦type of herpes ¦
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¦ ¦G.J.R.'s outcry to unspecified Child Protective ¦
¦July 3, 2009 ¦Services employee that “her father showers with ¦
¦ ¦her” ¦
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¦ ¦Claudia Mullin conducts forensic interview of ¦
¦ ¦G.J.R. at Harris County Children's Assessment ¦
¦ ¦Center; G.J.R. tells Mullin that (1) “Daddy and ¦
¦July 16, 2009 ¦mommy bit me and licked me,” pointing to her ¦
¦ ¦genitals and behind, (2) she saw a picture of “her ¦
¦ ¦mother and her father” “make it,” (3) “her father” ¦
¦ ¦rubbed her genitals; and (4) “her father” urinated ¦
¦ ¦on the floor in front of her ¦
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¦ ¦S.M.R. and G.J.R. test positive for oral herpes and¦
¦August 10, 2009 ¦negative for genital herpes; C.N.R. tests negative ¦
¦ ¦for genital herpes ¦
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¦ ¦Children begin counseling sessions with Raquel ¦
¦ ¦Wade–Zeller, a licensed professional counselor, on ¦
¦October 19, 2009 ¦weekly basis; children did not discuss sexual abuse¦
¦ ¦during counseling; S.M.R. told Wade–Zeller about ¦
¦ ¦domestic violence between mother and “the father” ¦
¦ ¦or “daddy” ¦
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¦October 26, 2009 ¦Appellant tests positive for genital herpes ¦
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¦ ¦Appellant informs DFPS caseworker of his herpes ¦
¦November 12, 2009 ¦status; appellant discusses his concerns that ¦
¦ ¦children might be abused by man who lived with ¦
¦ ¦mother ¦
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¦ ¦Foster care agency report stating mother has “moved¦
¦December 8, 2009 ¦to Alabama and [appellant] has been cleared of any ¦
¦ ¦charges related to sexual abuse of [the children]” ¦
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¦May 4 to June 8, 2010 ¦G.J.R.'s extended forensic evaluation conducted ¦
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¦September 14, 2010 ¦Trial begins ¦
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Because this case turns on evidentiary sufficiency, we will discuss the trial at length.
DFPS first introduced exhibits, some of which were mentioned during the trial. Although no medical expert testified at trial (nor any objection made to the lack thereof), the following key medical records were admitted into evidence:
S.M.R.'s records—
• August 10, 2009 (age 6) tests positive for type 1 (oral) HSV and negative for type 2 (genital) HSV
• August 27, 2009 doctor office visit; doctor noted “HSV type 1 positive (oral type), HSV2 negative (genital type),” as documented by August 10, 2009 lab reports
• Earlier July 9, 2009 doctor office visit noted:
“Foster Mom took her in for a screening STD visit protocol of CPS and lab results revealed positive HVS 1/2 type nonspecific to both IGG and IGM.”
The doctor also wrote, “HSV 1 or 2 positive for nonspecific type assay IGG and IGM-need confirmatory type-specific IGG assay in 4 weeks.”
No lab reports are attached to records for this July office...
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