In the Matter of: C.M. (Minor Child), Child in Need of Services and J.M. (Mother) v. Indiana Department of Child Services (mem. dec.) ( 2019 )


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  • MEMORANDUM DECISION
    Pursuant to Ind. Appellate Rule 65(D),
    FILED
    this Memorandum Decision shall not be
    regarded as precedent or cited before any                                 Jul 15 2019, 6:51 am
    court except for the purpose of establishing                                   CLERK
    Indiana Supreme Court
    the defense of res judicata, collateral                                      Court of Appeals
    and Tax Court
    estoppel, or the law of the case.
    ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT                                   ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE
    Daniel Hageman                                           Curtis T. Hill, Jr.
    Marion County Public Defender Agency                     Attorney General of Indiana
    Indianapolis, Indiana
    David E. Corey
    Deputy Attorney General
    Indianapolis, Indiana
    IN THE
    COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA
    In the Matter of:                                        July 15, 2019
    C.M. (Minor Child), Child In Need Of                     Court of Appeals Case No.
    Services                                                 19A-JC-132
    Appeal from the Marion Superior
    and                                                      Court
    J.M. (Mother)                                            The Honorable Marilyn Moores,
    Appellant-Respondent,                                    Judge
    The Honorable Danielle Gaughan,
    v.                                               Magistrate
    Trial Court Cause No.
    Indiana Department of Child                              49D09-1809-JC-2284
    Services,
    Appellee-Petitioner.
    Robb, Judge.
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-JC-132 | July 15, 2019                      Page 1 of 18
    Case Summary and Issue
    [1]   J.M. (“Mother”) appeals the juvenile court’s finding that her son, C.M., is a
    child in need of services (“CHINS”). Mother raises two issues on appeal,
    which we consolidate and restate as: whether the Marion County Department
    of Child Services (“DCS”) presented sufficient evidence to establish that C.M.
    was seriously impaired or endangered by Mother’s actions or inactions.
    Concluding that DCS failed to present sufficient evidence that C.M.’s physical
    or mental condition was seriously impaired or endangered as a result of
    Mother’s inability, refusal, or neglect to supply C.M. with necessary food,
    clothing, shelter, medical care, treatment, or rehabilitation, we reverse the
    CHINS adjudication.
    Facts and Procedural History
    [2]   Mother is the biological mother of C.M., born January 13, 2009.1 C.M. has
    been diagnosed with ADHD. Mother has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder
    type I, post-traumatic stress disorder, and ADHD.
    I. Previous CHINS Adjudication
    [3]   DCS first become involved with Mother and C.M. in July 2011, and then again
    in March 2016. On April 26, 2016, DCS filed a petition alleging C.M. to be a
    1
    K.J., C.M.’s biological father, could not be located, was defaulted, and does not participate in this appeal.
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-JC-132 | July 15, 2019                          Page 2 of 18
    CHINS. An initial hearing was held, and the juvenile court ordered C.M. to be
    removed from Mother’s care. The court adjudicated C.M. a CHINS on July
    25, 2016, upon Mother’s admission that the “family would benefit from
    continued state assistance to maintain stable housing and to ensure that the
    child’s educational and therapeutic needs are met; therefore, the coercive
    intervention of the Court is necessary.” Exhibit Volume I at 57-58. Mother
    was ordered to participate in homebased case management, a psychological
    evaluation, and ongoing mental health treatment. By December 5, 2016,
    Mother was complying with the ordered services, had moved into a new home,
    and the case was moving toward a temporary trial home visit. On February 22,
    2017, the juvenile court terminated wardship after reunification between
    Mother and C.M. had been achieved.
    II. Current CHINS Adjudication
    [4]   DCS involvement for the instant case began on September 9, 2018. Mother and
    then nine-year-old C.M. were at their home when police arrested Mother for an
    outstanding warrant. While at Mother’s home, the police called DCS over their
    concern that C.M. would be left without a caregiver once Mother was taken
    into custody. DCS investigator Yolanda Roland-Powell arrived on scene and
    spoke with Mother about a plan for C.M.’s care. Roland-Powell took Mother’s
    recommendation about who could care for C.M., and C.M. was initially placed
    with the caregivers who Mother recommended. However, DCS removed C.M.
    after two days because those caregivers informed DCS that they would not
    continue to care for C.M. C.M. was subsequently placed in foster care.
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-JC-132 | July 15, 2019   Page 3 of 18
    [5]   On September 13, 2018, DCS filed a verified petition alleging C.M. to be a
    CHINS. The petition alleged that C.M. was a CHINS, as defined in Indiana
    Code section 31-34-1-1, and read in relevant part as follows:
    Inability, Refusal or Neglect, I.C. 31-34-1-1: The child’s
    physical or mental condition is seriously impaired or seriously
    endangered as a result of the inability, refusal, or neglect of the
    child’s parent, guardian, or custodian to supply the child with
    necessary food, clothing, shelter, medical care, education, or
    supervision; and the child needs care, treatment, or rehabilitation
    that the child is not receiving; and is unlikely to be provided or
    accepted without the coercive intervention of the Court.
    [Factual Allegations:]
    a.    [Mother] has failed to provide the child with a safe, stable,
    and appropriate living environment.
    b.     [Mother] was recently arrested and incarcerated leaving
    [C.M.] without a legal, appropriate caregiver to provide him with
    basic care and necessities.
    c.    [Mother] struggles with mental health issues that seriously
    hinder her ability to care for [C.M.], and she has been exhibiting
    behaviors that suggest her mental health issues are not
    adequately being treated.
    d.      [C.M.] disclosed he does not get enough food to eat.
    e.    The family has a history with [DCS] due to substance
    abuse and mental health issues, and services were offered
    through a prior [CHINS] action.
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-JC-132 | July 15, 2019   Page 4 of 18
    f.     Despite prior services offered, [Mother] continues to
    demonstrate an inability to provide [C.M.] with a safe, stable
    home, and [C.M.] and family are in need of services they are not
    receiving and are unlikely to receive without the DCS’ and the
    Court’s involvement.
    *****
    i.    Due to the foregoing reasons, the coercive intervention of
    the Court is required to ensure [C.M.’s] safety and well[-]being.
    Appellant’s Appendix, Volume II at 33-34. The petition also noted that C.M.
    had been removed from Mother’s care.
    [6]   That same day, the juvenile court conducted an initial hearing. Mother was out
    of custody and appeared for the hearing. The court ordered (among other
    things) the continued removal of C.M. from Mother’s care and ordered DCS to
    provide Mother with any services in which she was willing to participate.
    [7]   The juvenile court held a factfinding hearing on two separate days, October 29,
    2018 and November 19, 2018.2 On November 19, 2018, at the conclusion of
    the hearing, the court adjudicated C.M. a CHINS. On November 28, 2018, the
    court entered a written order that contained the following findings regarding its
    CHINS determination:
    2
    Mother’s attorney requested, and the juvenile court granted, an additional day for the factfinding hearing so
    that Mother could present witnesses that were not available on the first day of the hearing.
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-JC-132 | July 15, 2019                      Page 5 of 18
    1.    [C.M.] is a minor child whose date of birth is January 13,
    2009.
    2.      The mother of [C.M.] is [J.M.] (Mother).
    3.      The father of [C.M.] is [K.J.] (Father).
    4.     The whereabouts of Father are unknown and he is set for a
    default hearing on January 7, 2019 at 1:30 PM.
    5.     A child in need of services petition was filed on September
    13, 2018, because Mother was arrested on or about September
    9[,] 2018 leaving [C.M.] without a caregiver. The DCS
    [investigator], Yolanda Rowland-Powell was called to Mother’s
    home and Mother was being arrested. Mother was very rude and
    was speaking over Ms. Rowland-Powell and the police officer.
    Ms. Rowland-Powell was trying to obtain information from
    Mother regarding possible placements for [C.M.] but the person
    Mother suggested could not keep [C.M.]. [C.M.] was therefore
    removed and placed in foster care.
    6.     An initial hearing was held on September 13, 2018 and the
    Court ordered the continued removal of [C.M.] from Mother’s
    care. By the time of the initial hearing Mother had been released
    from jail and appeared at the initial hearing. After the initial
    hearing Mother was loud and disruptive in the hallway yelling
    “When can I see my kid; when can I see my f***ing kid?” The
    assigned [family] case manager [“FCM”], Brandi Whitaker, was
    concerned for her own safety after the initial hearing and an
    officer walked her to her car. Mother was yelling at Ms.
    Whitaker in the parking lot as she went to her car. Mother has
    since left belligerent, rude and vulgar voicemails for FCM
    Whitaker.
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-JC-132 | July 15, 2019   Page 6 of 18
    7.     On September 16, 2018, Mother was at the hospital and
    was being loud and disruptive. Mother was reporting that her
    boyfriend had hit her in the head with a pipe. Mother called one
    of the nurses a “millennial c***.” Hospital staff was working to
    subdue and medicate Mother and she kicked a charge nurse and
    also kicked a police officer in the ribs. Mother required arm and
    leg restraints because of her violent demeanor. As a result of this
    incident, Mother was charged with Battery on an Officer and
    Disorderly Conduct.
    8.     Mother does not have stable housing. After Mother was
    released from jail, a team meeting was held and Mother
    requested visits with [C.M.] in her home. The team had no
    objection to visits in Mother’s home so long as a home check
    found the home to be appropriate. When DCS went to check the
    home, the home did not have a working furnace and Mother had
    to be out of the home in five hours.
    9.     Mother has been aggressive and threatening toward people
    in the community. Mother was attending City View Christian
    Center until she threatened a previous head pastor and he
    dismissed her. A new pastor, Chad Fulkerson, allowed Mother
    back into the church, at the request of Mother’s husband, but
    Mother began threatening the new pastor as well. The church
    has an 18[-]month in[-]house drug treatment program called
    SWAT (servant with a testimony) that Mother’s husband,
    [R.W.], participated in. Mother threatened to shoot up the
    SWAT house. Mother told the new pastor that people in the
    neighborhood would lynch him and that his family and
    congregation were in danger. Mother has also threatened to kill
    herself and has told the pastor that she would frame him for her
    murder.
    10. Mother has disclosed that she has been diagnosed bipolar
    but that she does not believe that. Mother thinks that she is
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-JC-132 | July 15, 2019   Page 7 of 18
    possessed by a demon. Mother has stated that she self-medicates
    with THC and will not take “man’s medicine.”
    11. Mother has also threatened a member of the City View
    Christian Church. Mother has left him voicemails that are
    rambling, threatening and vulgar stating, in part, “Tell your
    f***ing c*** leader you guys are a cult; you are f***ing child
    molesters. You are cool aid drinking, d*** sucking child
    molesters. You can suck my fat a** and the horse it rode in on . .
    . b****. Tell him [pastor] that I will f*** him up if [R.W.] [her
    husband] relapses. I’m going to f*** him up.”
    12. Mother’s testimony at trial was rambling, often
    non-responsive, and very difficult to follow. Mother stated that
    she is not a member of the City View Christian Church but her
    husband has been for the last twelve years. Mother stated that
    the recent change of pastors has been bad for the church and she
    does not get along with him. Mother stated that [P]astor
    Fulkerson hid her husband in the church and that her husband
    was brainwashed through the church. Mother stated that the
    church helped her husband get clean through their drug
    treatment program but that the church “is in cahoots”. Mother
    stated that it was one of Pastor Fulkerson’s “cronies” that hit her
    in the back of the head and sent her to the hospital and denies
    telling the nurse at the hospital that her husband hit her.
    13. Mother has a history with DCS because of her mental
    health issues that seriously hinder her ability to care for [C.M.].
    Mother’s recent behaviors demonstrate that her mental health
    issues are not being adequately treated.
    14. The child’s physical or mental condition is seriously
    impaired or seriously endangered as a result of the inability,
    refusal or neglect of the child’s parent to supply the child with
    necessary food, clothing, shelter, medical care, education or
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-JC-132 | July 15, 2019   Page 8 of 18
    supervision. By her own admission[,] Mother has mental health
    issues but does not want to take medication. Mother has
    repeatedly exhibited threatening and volatile behaviors. She has
    acted aggressively toward a church pastor, community members,
    hospital staff, law enforcement and her DCS case manager.
    15. The child needs care, treatment or rehabilitation the child is
    not receiving and is unlikely to be provided or accepted without
    the coercive intervention of the court. Mother is volatile and
    uncooperative and is unlikely to receive the services she requires
    without the coercive intervention of the Court.
    Appellant’s App., Vol. II at 89-92.
    [8]   On December 17, 2018, the court held a dispositional hearing and issued an
    order that same day. The order provided in relevant part as follows:
    [P]ursuant to this dispositional decree . . . it is in the best interests
    of [C.M.] to be continued removed [sic] from the home
    environment and remaining in the home would be contrary to
    the welfare of the child because:
    •       the allegations [are] admitted or found to be true.
    •       the child has special needs that require services for care
    and treatment that cannot be provided in the home[.]
    
    Id. at 95.
    The order also provided the following regarding Mother:
    The Court finds a rational basis for Mother to participate in [a
    homebased counseling program (“HBCM”)], screens, a
    psychological evaluation, and a substance abuse assessment in
    the event Mother screens positive or misses screens and in
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-JC-132 | July 15, 2019    Page 9 of 18
    support. Additionally, the Court orders Mother to sign the
    necessary release of information so that DCS can obtain
    Mother[’s] mental health records from the Hamilton Center. In
    support of the foregoing, the Court finds the following:
    1. Mother has agreed there is a rational basis for the HBCM.
    Additionally, Mother would benefit from the assistance of
    HBCM to obtain and maintain stable housing.
    2. Mother has prior DCS involvement because of mental health
    issues and her recent volatile and aggressive behaviors are
    evidence of ongoing untreated mental health issues and therefore
    Mother would benefit from a psychological evaluation.
    3. There have been concerns that Mother is abusing alcohol and
    uses marijuana to [self-medicate] and therefore the random drug
    screens will monitor Mother’s sobriety.
    
    Id. at 97.
    Mother now appeals. Additional facts will be provided as necessary.
    Discussion and Decision
    I. Standard of Review
    [9]    Mother challenges the sufficiency of the evidence to support the CHINS
    determination. She contends that DCS failed to establish that C.M. was
    seriously impaired or endangered by her actions or inactions. We agree.
    [10]   When reviewing the sufficiency of evidence, we give due regard to the trial
    court’s ability to assess the credibility of witnesses. In re Des.B., 
    2 N.E.3d 828
    ,
    836 (Ind. Ct. App. 2014). We neither reweigh evidence nor judge witness
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-JC-132 | July 15, 2019   Page 10 of 18
    credibility; rather, we consider only the evidence and reasonable inferences
    most favorable to the trial court’s decision. 
    Id. Where the
    trial court issues
    findings of fact and conclusions thereon, we apply a two-tiered standard of
    review. In re R.P., 
    949 N.E.2d 395
    , 400 (Ind. Ct. App. 2011). We consider first
    whether the evidence supports the findings and then whether the findings
    support the judgment. 
    Id. We will
    set aside the trial court’s findings and
    conclusions only if they are clearly erroneous and a review of the record leaves
    us firmly convinced that a mistake has been made. 
    Id. “Findings are
    clearly
    erroneous only when the record contains no facts to support them either
    directly or by inference.” K.B. v. Ind. Dep’t of Child Servs., 
    24 N.E.3d 997
    , 1001-
    02 (Ind. Ct. App. 2015) (citation omitted). “A judgment is clearly erroneous if
    it relies on an incorrect legal standard.” 
    Id. at 1002.
    [11]   In a CHINS proceeding, DCS bears the burden of proving by a preponderance
    of the evidence that a child meets the statutory definition of a CHINS. In re
    N.E., 
    919 N.E.2d 102
    , 105 (Ind. 2010). In the instant case, to meet its burden of
    establishing CHINS status, the State must prove that the child is under age
    eighteen,
    (1) the child’s physical or mental condition is seriously impaired
    or seriously endangered as a result of the inability, refusal, or
    neglect of the child’s parent, guardian, or custodian to supply the
    child with necessary food, clothing, shelter, medical care,
    education, or supervision; and
    (2) the child needs care, treatment, or rehabilitation that:
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-JC-132 | July 15, 2019   Page 11 of 18
    (A) the child is not receiving; and
    (B) is unlikely to be provided or accepted without the
    coercive intervention of the court.
    Ind. Code § 31-34-1-1. Our supreme court has interpreted the statute to require
    “three basic elements: that the parent’s actions or inactions have seriously
    endangered the child, that the child’s needs are unmet, and (perhaps most
    critically) that those needs are unlikely to be met without State coercion.” In re
    S.D., 
    2 N.E.3d 1283
    , 1287 (Ind. 2014).
    [12]   Although the acts or omissions of one or both parents can cause a condition
    that creates the need for court intervention, the CHINS designation focuses on
    the condition of the child rather than on an act or omission of the parent(s). In
    re 
    N.E., 919 N.E.2d at 105
    . In other words, despite a “certain implication of
    parental fault in many CHINS adjudications, the truth of the matter is that
    a CHINS adjudication is simply that—a determination that a child is in need of
    services.” 
    Id. When determining
    whether a child is a CHINS under Indiana
    Code section 31-34-1-1, the juvenile court “should consider the family’s
    condition not just when the case was filed, but also when it is heard.” In re
    
    S.D., 2 N.E.3d at 1290
    .
    II. Sufficiency of the Evidence
    [13]   Mother argues that DCS presented insufficient evidence to establish that her
    “mental health and perceived lack of housing . . . seriously endanger[ed] or
    impair[ed] C.M.” Brief of Appellant at 16. She also challenges four of the
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-JC-132 | July 15, 2019   Page 12 of 18
    juvenile court’s factual findings as being “misleading or not supported by the
    evidence[,]” namely that, (1) she did not have stable housing; (2) she yelled at
    or made threatening gestures toward FCM Whitaker; (3) she does not believe
    she suffers from bipolar disorder and she self-medicates with marijuana; and (4)
    C.M. has needs that are unlikely to be addressed without coercive intervention
    of the court. 
    Id. at 14.
    DCS maintains that the record supports the factual
    findings that Mother challenges and that her arguments to the contrary are
    requests to this court to reweigh the evidence, which we cannot do. According
    to DCS, the juvenile court did not err in adjudicating C.M. a CHINS because
    “Mother had unresolved mental health issues[; h]er actions both before and
    during the CHINS case showed that she was not getting treatment, and even if
    she was, it was not effective[; and] . . . Mother battered a nurse and a police
    officer, kicking them violently when they were trying to treat her.” Brief of
    Appellee at 17. We conclude that the evidence in this case of Mother’s mental
    health issues, allegations of self-medication with marijuana, her one-time move
    from a home with a faulty furnace to a motel, and her abrasive and (at times)
    combative behavior, without more, does not establish a sufficient nexus
    between Mother’s actions or inactions and any actual endangerment to C.M. to
    demonstrate that C.M. has been seriously endangered for purposes of Indiana
    Code section 31-34-1-1.
    [14]   Jeanette Strong, a care manager at Hamilton Center in Plainfield, testified that
    at the time of the factfinding hearing, Mother was voluntarily engaged in a
    treatment program for her diagnoses for bipolar disorder type I, post-traumatic
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-JC-132 | July 15, 2019   Page 13 of 18
    stress disorder, and ADHD; and, she was taking prescribed medication. Strong
    further testified that she works with Mother on parenting skills, emotional
    regulation, and social skills, and that she also helps ensure that Mother takes
    her prescribed medication by requiring her to submit to tests administered
    during doctor appointments. FCM Whitaker testified that Mother’s behavior
    gave her concern about whether Mother’s mental health issues are being treated
    properly. However, no evidence was presented that C.M. was seriously
    impaired or endangered by Mother’s mental health issues. See, e.g., L.N. v. Ind.
    Dep’t of Child Servs. (In re L.N.), 
    118 N.E.3d 43
    , 49 (Ind. Ct. App. 2019) (“We
    understand that Mother’s mental illness . . . may be a cause for concern for
    DCS. But a cause for concern is not the touchstone of a CHINS determination,
    and an unspecified concern about what might happen in the future is
    insufficient in itself to carry the State’s burden of proof.”).
    [15]   FCM Whitaker also testified that she questioned whether Mother had stable
    housing. She noted that Mother left her previous home because it did not have
    a furnace and that she was living in a motel while transitioning to a new home.
    However, no evidence was presented that FCM Whitaker had visited either
    dwelling, and she did not present testimony regarding how the one-time move
    from the home to the motel seriously impaired or endangered C.M. Mother
    testified that she moved out of her previous home because the landlord did not
    properly maintain the furnace, and that she was living at the motel while she
    looked for an apartment. Mother also testified that the motel room included,
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-JC-132 | July 15, 2019   Page 14 of 18
    among other things, heat, two rooms with separate beds, one of which could be
    C.M.’s, a refrigerator, hotplate, microwave, and crockpot.
    [16]   DCS alleged in its CHINS petition that C.M. was “not get[ting] enough food to
    eat[,]”3 and FCM Whitaker testified at the factfinding hearing that “it’s
    alarming to me that [C.M.] states he does not want to see [Mother].”
    Appellant’s App., Vol. II at 33; Transcript of Evidence, Volume II at 53. While
    testimony was presented at the factfinding hearing regarding whether Mother
    could provide C.M. with healthy meals, no evidence was presented that
    indicated C.M. was insufficiently nourished. Also, there was no evidence
    presented to explain why C.M. did not want to see Mother.
    [17]   Regarding Mother’s profane behavior, there is scant evidence in the record
    regarding how the behavior endangered C.M. The only evidence presented on
    this matter was Pastor Fulkerson’s recollection that “[C.M. has] been at the
    church before – when [Mother has] gotten loud and crazy with people.” Tr.,
    Vol. II at 39-40.
    [18]   With respect to Mother’s marijuana use and alcohol consumption, evidence
    was presented at the factfinding hearing that Mother might have used
    3
    The allegations that C.M. was not receiving a sufficient amount of food stem from DCS’s preliminary
    investigation that included an interview that DCS investigator Rowland-Powell conducted with C.M. in
    September 2018. During the interview, C.M. told the investigator that he “does not receive enough food to
    eat.” Appellant’s App., Vol. II at 15. However, C.M. also told the investigator that he “feels safe at
    home[.]” 
    Id. There was
    no follow-up investigation, in as much as C.M. did not seem to exhibit physical
    markers of malnutrition.
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-JC-132 | July 15, 2019                  Page 15 of 18
    marijuana to self-medicate and perhaps consumed alcohol in excess. FCM
    Whitaker testified that “[i]n all of the allegations that have been called in, there
    are references to either alcohol abuse or drug abuse and based on [Mother’s]
    behavior – her erratic behavior, it would leave me to believe that [Mother is]
    possibly using substances.” 
    Id. at 57
    (emphasis added). Evidence was presented
    that Mother might have been intoxicated when she arrived at the hospital due
    to the alleged head injury, and FCM Whitaker noted at the dispositional
    hearing that Pastor Fulkerson testified, and C.M. “has stated[, that]
    occasionally . . . [Mother drinks] excessively.” 
    Id. at 105.
    However, no
    evidence was presented regarding when, where, or how many times C.M. had
    seen Mother use marijuana or consume alcohol in excess. And, there is
    nothing in the record to show that Mother ever used marijuana in C.M.’s
    presence. See, e.g., Ad.M. v. Ind. Dep’t of Child Servs., 
    103 N.E.3d 709
    , 714 (Ind.
    Ct. App. 2018) (children were not CHINS despite Mother’s history of sporadic
    marijuana use because there was no evidence that, at any point and time, any of
    the children were endangered, that the parents had ever used drugs in the
    presence of the children, or that there was ever an occasion in which the parents
    were impaired by substance abuse while the children were in their care).
    [19]   The only evidence that C.M. might have needed treatment was regarding his
    diagnosis of ADHD. While conflicting evidence was presented as to whether
    C.M. had consistently taken medication in the past for his ADHD, FCM
    Whitaker testified at the factfinding hearing that there was no current
    recommendation for C.M. to take any medication for his ADHD. Also, no
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-JC-132 | July 15, 2019   Page 16 of 18
    evidence was presented that Mother failed to administer prescribed medication
    to C.M. for his ADHD.
    [20]   Here, while the facts established that Mother was undergoing treatment for
    mental health issues, exhibited rude, aggressive, and at times combative
    behavior, used profanity, had problems with her living arrangements, may have
    self-medicated with marijuana, and displayed an attitude toward DCS staff and
    services that was less than obsequious and was at times hostile, this did not
    relieve the State of its burden to prove by a preponderance of evidence that
    C.M. was endangered by Mother’s actions or inactions. DCS did not present
    sufficient evidence to support a reasonable inference that Mother’s actions or
    inactions harmed C.M. in any way or prevented her from providing for C.M.’s
    needs, or that C.M.’s needs would go unmet without coercive court
    intervention. Mother may have acted and/or reacted badly towards other people
    but no evidence was presented that she behaved poorly toward C.M. Without
    evidence in the record of the impact of Mother’s problems on C.M., the
    determination that C.M. was seriously endangered by Mother’s actions or
    inactions is speculation. We therefore conclude that the juvenile court’s
    determination that C.M. is a CHINS was clearly erroneous.
    Conclusion
    [21]   Based on the foregoing, we find that DCS presented insufficient evidence to
    establish by a preponderance of the evidence that C.M. was a CHINS.
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-JC-132 | July 15, 2019   Page 17 of 18
    Accordingly, we reverse the juvenile court’s adjudication that C.M. is in need of
    services.
    [22]   Reversed.
    Baker, J., and Najam, J., concur.
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-JC-132 | July 15, 2019   Page 18 of 18
    

Document Info

Docket Number: Court of Appeals Case 19A-JC-132

Filed Date: 7/15/2019

Precedential Status: Precedential

Modified Date: 10/19/2024