South Carolina Dept. of Social Services v. Martell

• Decision Date: 14 July 1983
• Docket Number: No. 21956,21956
• Citation: 279 S.C. 289,307 S.E.2d 601
• Court: South Carolina Supreme Court
• Parties: SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, Respondent, v. Stanley MARTELL and Jennie Martell, Respondents, of which Jennie Martell is the, Appellant. In the Interest of Lance Jeremiah MARTELL a minor of the age of three (3) years.

Page 601

307 S.E.2d 601

279 S.C. 289

SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, Respondent, v. Stanley MARTELL and Jennie Martell, Respondents of which Jennie Martell is the, Appellant In the Interest of Lance Jeremiah MARTELL a minor of the age of three (3) years.

No. 21956.

Supreme Court of South Carolina.

July 14, 1983.

James F. Walsh, Jr., Orangeburg, for appellant.

Alice C. Broadwater, Columbia, for respondents.

LITTLEJOHN, Justice:

This is an appeal from a Family Court Order terminating the parental rights of Stanley Martell and Jennie Martell to their son, Lance Jeremiah Martell. The father, Stanley Martell, defaulted. The Family Court granted the petition of the South Carolina Department of Social Services notwithstanding the objection of the mother, Jennie Martell. It ruled that "... her mental condition is such that she has been unable to function as a parent not only to the small child in question but also to other older children." We affirm.

On this appeal, the Appellant takes the position that the Family Court is not the proper court for the determination of Appellant's mental illness and submits that the trial judge erred in applying a "preponderance of the evidence" as the standard of proof required. She also submits that the child's best interest is not superior to the interest of the parent.

The case was tried under the provisions of § 20-11-20(2)(b) of the Code of Laws of South Carolina (1976). That code section provides that parental rights may be terminated when it is found that "... the parent has been judicially determined to be mentally ill or mentally retarded to such an extent that he or she cannot function as a parent; ..." That section also provides that termination can be brought about when a parent fails to visit or support a child for six consecutive months immediately preceeding the institution of an action or proceeding to declare the child to be an abandoned child.

The standard of proof required in parental termination cases is by clear and convincing evidence. In Richberg v. Dawson, S.C., 296 S.E.2d 338 (1982), we held that "... before parental rights may be completely and irrevocably severed, the State must show conditions warranting such action by clear and convincing evidence." In so doing, we applied the rule set forth in Santosky v. Kramer, 455 U.S. 745, 102 S.Ct. 1388, 71 L.Ed.2d 599 (1982). The Family Court judge did not apply the Santosky rule because the case was tried before the United States Supreme Court filed that opinion. The fact that the rule was not applied by the Family Court judge does not require a reversal. In an equity case such as this, we have held that this Court on appeal may determine the issues in accordance with our view of the weight of the evidence. Townes Associates v. City of Greenville, 266 S.C. 81, 221 S.E.2d 773 (1976)...