In re L.B. CA4/1 ( 2024 )

Filed 1/24/24 In re L.B. CA4/1
NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS
California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for
publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication
or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.
COURT OF APPEAL, FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT
DIVISION ONE
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
In re L.B., a Person Coming Under
the Juvenile Court Law.
D082698
SAN DIEGO COUNTY HEALTH
AND HUMAN SERVICES
AGENCY, (Super. Ct. No. EJ4088B)
Plaintiff and Respondent,
v.
D.S.,
Defendant and Appellant.
APPEAL from an order of the Superior Court of San Diego County,
Alexander M. Calero, Judge. Affirmed.
William D. Caldwell, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for
Defendant and Appellant.
Claudia G. Silva, County Counsel, Lisa M. Maldonado, Chief Deputy
County Counsel, and Evangelina Woo, Deputy County Counsel, for Plaintiff
and Respondent.
INTRODUCTION
D.S. (Mother) appeals the juvenile court’s dispositional order denying
her reunification services for L.B. Mother’s sole contention on appeal is that
substantial evidence did not support the court’s finding that she “failed to
subsequently make a reasonable effort to treat the problems” that led to
L.B.’s half-sibling’s removal.1 We affirm.
FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND
The dependency proceedings before us commenced in June 2023, when
L.B. was three years old. The San Diego Health and Human Services Agency
(Agency) filed a Welfare and Institutions Code2 section 300, subdivision (b),
petition for L.B. based on a May 2023 incident in which Mother became
“volatile” and “erratic,” and “threw [L.B.] into the passenger seat” of her car.
(§ 300, subd. (b).) Mother threatened to “end it all” and then left, with L.B.
unattended and inadequately supervised. At the contested July 2023
dispositional hearing, the court denied Mother reunification services because
the court previously terminated her parental rights for L.B.’s half-sibling and
she failed to make a reasonable effort to treat the substance abuse issues that
led to the half-sibling’s removal. (§ 361.5, subds. (b)(10) & (b)(11).)
A. L.B.’s Half-sibling’s Dependency Matter
L.B.’s older half-sibling was removed from Mother’s custody in October
2016. At that time, Mother admitted to a six-year addiction to controlled
substances. Specifically, she admitted to being a daily user of
methamphetamine. Her history with substances included the use of
1 M.B. (Father) is not party to this appeal.
2 All further undesignated statutory references are to the Welfare and
Institutions Code.
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methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana, and prescription Xanax. During the
preceding six-year period, specifically during 2014, Mother denied drug use,
indicating “she ha[d] not used in years.” L.B.’s half-sibling was eventually
detained with C.H. (Caregiver).
The juvenile court offered Mother reunification services. During that
time, Mother was arrested for violations of Health and Safety Code sections
11377, subdivision (a) (possession of a controlled substance) and 11364,
subdivision (a) (possession of unlawful paraphernalia). Although she
participated in both an inpatient treatment program and outpatient services,
Mother “made no progress towards achieving her case plan.” She often did
not show up to drug tests and her reported Narcotics Anonymous attendance
could not be verified. Caregiver reported Mother “likes to tell social workers
that she goes . . . a treatment program” but that she quits. The juvenile court
terminated Mother’s parental rights to L.B.’s half-sibling in January 2018;
Caregiver adopted the child.
B. L.B.’s Dependency Matter
Given the nature of this appeal, we start with a brief overview of events
that occurred since Mother’s parental rights to L.B.’s half-sibling were
terminated. We first note Mother has not provided information to the Agency
to suggest that she has treated her substance use since her parental rights
were terminated.
In May 2019, during Mother’s pregnancy with L.B., she tested positive
for methamphetamine and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol is the principal
psychoactive constituent of cannabis). At the time, Mother admitted to
previous methamphetamine use but denied use of both marijuana and
methamphetamine while she was pregnant. Father confirmed both he and
Mother used methamphetamine together. In the weeks before L.B.’s birth,
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Mother entered an inpatient drug treatment facility. At the time of L.B.’s
birth, Mother again tested positive for THC and the child was monitored for
rapid breathing that “[m]ay or may not be the result of drug use.” Shortly
after L.B.’s birth, Mother was discharged from the drug treatment facility for
bringing in marijuana.
Within a month of giving birth to L.B. and less than a week after
leaving the drug treatment facility, Mother passed out while driving and hit
a parked car. L.B. was with Mother in the car, which subsequently burst into
flames. Paramedics and police believed she was “under the influence of
something,” though she passed a field sobriety test. She declined to be
interviewed by the Agency, suggesting she did not need services. When she
eventually submitted to a urinalysis drug test, her toxicology results were
negative. Father told the Agency Mother used methamphetamine following
L.B.’s birth.
The following month, in September 2019, the Agency received a report
that Mother was, again, using drugs. A maternal aunt confirmed Mother’s
drug usage and stated she did not know Mother’s whereabouts. The Agency
was unable to locate Mother or L.B. and closed the matter as inconclusive.
Later that month, Father reported that both he and Mother “use meth.”
By March 2020, Mother had a warrant for her arrest for not going to
inpatient drug rehabilitation; family and friends expressed concern about
L.B.’s well-being and Mother’s continued drug use. The following year,
Mother was arrested in April following a physical fight with a maternal aunt.
She was arrested for possessing drug paraphernalia. Again, family and
friends described concerns Mother was using “methamphetamine and
heroin.” A urinalysis was “deemed negative for all substances.”
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The Agency filed a section 300, subdivision (b), petition for L.B. in June
2023. At the detention hearing, the court ordered voluntary services for
Mother and ordered L.B. detained.
Following the May 2023 incident, the maternal grandmother reported
that she believed Mother was detoxing from heroin during the incident. Both
the maternal grandmother and a friend reported seeing a methamphetamine
pipe in Mother’s car around the time of the incident. The friend believed
Mother was using methamphetamine and heroin. Mother’s boyfriend denied
Mother was using that day and claimed he had a witness that she was sober.
When asked for the witness’s name, the boyfriend refused to provide it.
When Mother became volatile and erratic, she left L.B. with the
maternal grandmother and did not return to collect L.B. The maternal
grandmother brought L.B. to the Caregiver, who then brought L.B. to the
Agency 10 days after the May 2023 incident because she was receiving
threats from Mother. Caregiver reported that she believed Mother was using
drugs, specifically methamphetamine, and that Mother “wanted to go to the
facility for treatment.” She also reported that this was the fourth time
Mother had run away from L.B.
Mother had a history of leaving L.B. with others. She left L.B. with
Father’s cousin. Mother also began leaving L.B. with a shop owner she met
through Father’s cousin, for months at a time. Although the shop owner
denied seeing Mother under the influence, the shop owner was not certain
what Mother does when the shop owner has L.B. Mother is not employed or
in school. The shop owner reported that she watched L.B. the four months
prior to the May 2023 incident. During that time, Mother would spend one or
two days with L.B., then disappear again.
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Mother was often unresponsive to the Agency’s calls, voice messages,
and text messages. When they did talk, Mother reported that she “relapsed
on Xanax, not heroin” and stated she wanted to go to a sober living program
“because she is homeless.” Mother blamed the May 2023 incident on an
“emotional issue” and separately on a migraine. Mother agreed to but failed
to drug test on June 1, 7, and 8. The Agency made additional drug test
requests on June 19, June 30, July 11, July 27, and August 7. Mother has
never tested for the Agency.
Mother, however, continued to assert she was available for any drug
test the Agency would like her to perform. Although she “denie[d] any
substance use, mental health, and needs for treatment,” Mother told the
Agency she was calling a sober living program for placement.
Mother often arrived late or skipped visits with L.B., and arrived
seemingly impaired for both L.B.’s birthday party and other visits.
Mother’s counsel was unsuccessful in reaching Mother when contacts
were attempted. Mother missed the July 2023 jurisdiction and disposition
hearing, asserting she had a flat tire and was then not permitted to enter the
courtroom. After the hearing, the Agency urged Mother to avail herself of the
substance abuse resources and explained to Mother that missed drug tests
are considered positive drug tests. Mother stated she did not want to use the
substance abuse resources and left. Mother has not sought support from a
substance abuse specialist.
Mother provided no evidence to the juvenile court that she completed a
substance abuse program or that she was engaged in voluntary services.
Weighing the evidence presented, the court made a true finding on the
Agency’s petition and bypassed reunification services to Mother. The court
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ordered reunification services for Father; in accordance with that order, no
section 366.26 hearing has been scheduled.
DISCUSSION
While it is ordinarily presumed in dependency cases that parents will
receive reunification services (Cheryl P. v. Superior Court (2006) 139
Cal.App.4th 87, 95), the court may bypass reunification services under a
variety of circumstances enumerated in section 361.5. Mother contends the
court erred by denying her reunification services because there was no
substantial evidence supporting the application of section 361.5, subdivisions
(b)(10) and (b)(11). She argues, specifically, that no one has seen her
consuming drugs and discounts witnesses’ observations of her behavior. She
cites only to treatment she engaged in while pregnant with L.B. as a
reasonable effort to treat her drug addiction. Notably, Mother was removed
from that program for bringing drugs in. We conclude that Mother’s
contention is without merit.
Subdivision (b)(10) of section 361.5 provides that reunification services
need not be provided when “the court ordered termination of reunification
services for any . . . half[-]siblings of the child because the parent or guardian
failed to reunify with the . . . half[-]sibling after the . . . half[-]sibling had
been removed from that parent . . . pursuant to Section 361” when the parent
“has not subsequently made a reasonable effort to treat the problems that led
to removal of the . . . half[-]sibling.” (§ 361.5, subd. (b)(10).) Similarly,
subdivision (b)(11) provides that reunification services need not be provided
when “the parental rights of a parent over any . . . half[-]sibling of the child
had been permanently severed” when the parent “has not subsequently made
a reasonable effort to treat the problems that led to removal of the . . . half[-
]sibling.” (§ 361.5, subd. (b)(11).)
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We review a dispositional order removing a child from a parent for
substantial evidence, “ ‘keeping in mind that the trial court was required to
make its order based on the higher standard of clear and convincing
evidence.’ ” (In re I.R. (2021) 61 Cal.App.5th 510, 520.) Here, Mother, as the
party challenging the juvenile court’s order, has the burden to show there is
insufficient evidence to support the court’s decision. (In re Lana S. (2012) 207
Cal.App.4th 94, 103.) In applying this standard, “the question before the
appellate court is whether the record as a whole contains substantial
evidence from which a reasonable fact finder could have found it highly
probable that the fact was true.” (Conservatorship of O.B. (2020) 9 Cal.5th
989, 995–996.) We view the record in the light most favorable to the
prevailing party and give due deference to how the trier of fact may have
evaluated the credibility of witnesses, resolved conflicts in the evidence, and
drawn reasonable inferences from the evidence. (Id. at p. 996.)
We conclude the juvenile court properly applied section 361.5,
subdivisions (b)(10) and (b)(11). In 2016, L.B.’s half-sibling was removed
from Mother’s custody because she abused methamphetamine. During the
dependency matter, Mother missed drug testing and was arrested on drug
related charges. Mother received reunification services, but she was not
successful in reunifying with L.B.’s half-sibling. In 2018, Mother’s parental
rights were terminated.
Mother did not subsequently make a reasonable effort to treat her drug
abuse. While pregnant with L.B., she tested positive for methamphetamines
and marijuana; she again tested positive for marijuana at L.B.’s birth.
Mother was discharged from a drug program for bringing in drugs.
Witnesses report seeing Mother use methamphetamine following L.B.’s birth.
Mother’s family reported continued concerns about her substance abuse.
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Mother herself stated she relapsed, though she claimed it was on Xanax
instead of illicit street drugs. Mother’s erratic and otherwise unexplained
behavior resulted in L.B.’s dependency.
While Mother contends she does not presently use substances, she has
previously asserted sobriety and later admitted to daily use of
methamphetamine. She repeatedly claims she is willing to test for the
Agency, yet fails or refuses to do so. She has a history of briefly seeking
substance use support before quitting. Nothing in the record before us
indicates she has successfully completed any substance use program. We
have no certificate of enrollment, certificate of completion, or letter of support
from program leaders.
On the record before us, we conclude there is substantial evidence to
support the court’s finding by clear and convincing evidence that Mother
failed to address her substance use issues prior to L.B.’s dependency matter.
Because the juvenile court properly concluded that section 361.5, subdivisions
(b)(10) and (b)(11) applied, it was precluded from ordering reunification
services for Mother unless it found, by clear and convincing evidence, that
reunification was in L.B.’s best interests. (§ 361.5, subd. (c)(2).) In light of
Mother’s untreated drug abuse dating back to at least 2010 and her resulting
inability to care for L.B. or her other child, we see no abuse of discretion in
the court’s failing to find that reunification was in L.B.’s best interests.
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DISPOSITION
The dispositional order of August 28, 2023 is affirmed.
DO, J.
WE CONCUR:
IRION, Acting P. J.
BUCHANAN, J.
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