In Re Corneliusen

No. 12133
I N T E SUPREME C U T O THE STATE O M N A A
H OR F F OTN
1972
I N THE MATTER O D E C U R I N G :
F
MARILYN L N CORNELIUSEN, DENNIS LEWIS
YN
CORNELIUSEN, DEWAYNE ALVIN CORNELIUSEN,
and CLINTON SHANE CORNELIUSEN,
Dependent and Neglected Children.
Appeal from: D i s t r i c t Court o f t h e S i x t e e n t h J u d i c i a l D i s t r i c t ,
Honorable A. B. Martin, Judge p r e s i d i n g .
Counsel of Record:
For Appellant :
F r a n c i s J. McCarvel argued, Glendive, Montana.
For Respondent:
Hone Robert L. Woodahl, Attorney General, Helena,
Montana.
C e c i l N. Brown, Countyi-'Attorney, argued, T e r r y ,
Montana.
Submitted: February 15, 1972
Decided : MAR 6 - 1 9 ~
Filed: MAR 6 - ?m
Mr. Justice John Conway Harrison d e l i v e r e d t h e Opinion o f
t h e Court.
This i s a n a p p e a l from an o r d e r of t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t
of t h e s i x t e e n t h j u d i c i a l d i s t r i c t , county of P r a i r i e , d e c l a r i n g
f o u r c h i l d r e n of Wilma J e a n Corneliusen t o be dependent and
n e g l e c t e d c h i l d r e n , and awarding custody, c a r e and c o n t r o l
t o t h e S t a t e Welfare Department.
Wilma J e a n Corneliusen, t h e mother o f t h e f o u r c h i l d r e n ,
i s a 32 y e a r old woman of Indian h e r i t a g e . Her e a r l y l i f e
was s p e n t i n a C a t h o l i c convent where s h e r e c e i v e d a h i g h
school education. Sometime a f t e r g r a d u a t i o n from h i g h school
i n South Dakota i n 1959, s h e appeared i n a Montana w e l f a r e
o f f i c e seeking a i d a s a n unwed mother. A t t h a t time s h e was
g i v e n h e l p and a d v i c e and r e l e a s e d h e r c h i l d f o r a d o p t i o n .
She married one L a r r y Corneliusen i n 1961, and two c h i l d r e n were
born of t h i s marriage, Marilyn born i n 1962, and Dennis born
i n 1963. I n 1964 Larry Corneliusen abandoned h i s w i f e and two
c h i l d r e n ; he has n o t been heard from s i n c e .
A t t h e time of t h e h e a r i n g i n A p r i l 1971, t h e Corneliusens
were n o t divorced. Subsequent t o 1964 W i l m a Jean has had two
more c h i l d r e n , Dewayne Alvin born September 26, 1969, and
C l i n t o n Shane born August 26, 1970. These two c h i l d r e n have
different fathers .
The t r a n s c r i p t r e v e a l s t h a t from J u l y 1964, Wilma J e a n
has r e l i e d upon Aid t o Dependent Children funds from t h e D i v i s i o n
of Child Welfare S e r v i c e s of t h e Department of P u b l i c Welfare
of t h e S t a t e of Montana, t o support h e r c h i l d r e n . It f u r t h e r
i n d i c a t e s t h a t s h e had a n a l c o h o l i c problem and was known by
t h e w e l f a r e and law o f f i c e r s a s being promiscuous. Evidence
introduced a t t h e h e a r i n g i n d i c a t e d t h a t t h e monthly Aid t o
Dependent Children checks were used p a r t i a l l y t o supply h e r
a l c o h o l i c needs and d i d n o t e n t i r e l y go f o r t h e c a r e of h e r
children.
Considerable evidence was produced i n d i c a t i n g dependency
and n e g l e c t of t h e f o u r c h i l d r e n , i n c l u d i n g s t a t e m e n t s made by
Wilma Jean t h a t s h e hated some of t h e c h i l d r e n and t h r e a t e n e d
t o k i l l t h e youngest. The l o c a l w e l f a r e o f f i c e r s worked con-
s t a n t l y w i t h Wilma Jean but f i n a l l y concluded i n view of h e r
t h r e a t s t o t h e l i v e s of one o r more o f t h e c h i l d r e n , t h a t they
should be removed from h e r and placed where they would have an
1c
o p p o r t u n i t y t o develop a ~ , ~ n o r m a h i l d r e n .
Wilma Jean Corneliusen a p p e a l s from t h e o r d e r of t h e
d i s t r i c t c o u r t and r a i s e s t h r e e i s s u e s f o r c o n s i d e r a t i o n :
1. Were t h e minor c h i l d r e n of a p p e l l a n t "neglected"
w i t h i n t h e meaning of s e c t i o n 10-501, R.C.M. 1947?
2. Did t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t abuse i t s d i s c r e t i o n i n
i s s u i n g t h e judgment of A p r i l 9 , 1971, g i v i n g respondent
w e l f a r e department t h e r i g h t of a d o p t i o n ?
3. Should t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t have allowed t h e a p p e l l a n t
more time t o s t r a i g h t e n o u t h e r emotional problems?
Appellant concedes t h a t t h e c h i l d r e n a r e "dependent"
c h i l d r e n w i t h i n t h e meaning of s e c t i o n 10-501, R.C.M. 1947,
f o r t h e record shows t h e family h a s been dependent on p u b l i c
a s s i s t a n c e s i n c e 1964, b u t , r e l y i n g upon t h i s c o u r t ' s d e c i s i o n
I n t h e Matter of Vikse, 147 Mont. 417, 420, 413 P.2d 876, s h e
argues t h a t t h i s Court should l i b e r a l l y i n t e r p r e t t h e term
' h e g l e c ted c h i l d " .
Recognizing, a s we must, t h a t t h i s i s an impoverished
family, t h i s does n o t mean t h e mother can use such impoverishment
a s a s h i e l d t o h i d e behind i n t h e n e g l e c t of h e r c h i l d r e n
when h e r very a c t s deprived t h e c h i l d r e n of a t t e n t i o n and c a r e .
Misuse of w e l f a r e funds, l a c k o f medical c a r e and f a i l u r e t o
p r o p e r l y p r o ~ i d e i t h i n t h e funds a l l o c a t e d c l e a r l y revea 1
w
neglect of her children. J u s t i c e C a s t l e s i n Vikse s a i d :
"* ** ' n e g l e c t e d c h i l d f i s a broader term t h a n
'dependent c h i l d ' . The former d e s c r i b e s a p a r e n t a l
f a i l u r e t o e x e r c i s e t h e degree of c a r e demanded by
family circumstances. It concerns d i s r e g a r d of
p a r e n t a l duty whether i n t e n t i o n a l o r u n i n t e n t i o n a l . I f
That i s t h e very c a s e presented t h e t r i a l judge i n t h e i n s t a n t
case. W f i n d no m e r i t t o a p p e l l a n t ' s I s s u e 1 f o r t h e evidence
e
shows both "dependent" and "neglectedr' c h i l d r e n .
W w i l l combine I s s u e s 2 and 3 f o r d i s c u s s i o n f o r i f
e
I s s u e 3 were favorably decided f o r t h e a p p e l l a n t , i t would
of n e c e s s i t y s e t a s i d e I s s u e 2 .
It has been w r i t t e n many t i m e s , a s o f t e n a s t h i s t y p e
of c a s e comes b e f o r e a c o u r t , t h a t such c a s e s a r e t r a u m a t i c
and d i s t r e s s i n g f o r a l l concerned and p r e s e n t perplexing
problems f o r d e c i s i o n . No m a t t e r what conclusion i s reached,
i t i s i n e v i t a b l e t h a t h e a r t a c h e s , misery and d e s p a i r w i l l
result.
Here, we begin w i t h t h e presumption t h a t t h e d e c i s i o n
of t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t i s c o r r e c t . The duty of d e c i d i n g con-
t r o v e r s y over t h e r i g h t s t o custody of c h i l d r e n i s a d e l i c a t e
one, lodged w i t h t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t . The d e c i s i o n o f t h a t
c o u r t should n o t be d i s t u r b e d except upon a c l e a r showing of
an abuse of d i s c r e t i o n . Ex p a r t e Bourguin, 88 Mont. 118, 290
P. 250; I n r e Thompson, 77 Mont. 466, 251 P. 163.
It was t h e t r i a l c o u r t ' s d u t y , and ours t o o , t o concern
o u r s e l v e s w i t h t h e b e s t i n t e r e s t s and w e l f a r e of t h e c h i l d r e n .
Here, t h e two o l d e r c h i l d r e n a r e o f e a r l y school a g e and
experiences w i t h t h e i r mother has l e f t them i n s e c u r e , t r o u b l e d
and f r i g h t e n e d . Can they c o n t i n u e t o grow and mature normally,
while h o p e f u l l y w a i t i n g f o r t h e mother t o s t r a i g h t e n o u t h e r
emotiona.1 problems? W think not.
e Children, p a r t i c u l a r l y
c h i l d r e n d t h e ages h e r e i n involved, must have permanent r e -
l a t i o n s h i p s i n o r d e r t h a t they may e s t a b l i s h a s e n s e of i d e n t i t y .
Without such r e l a t i o n s h i p s they may w e l l become emotionally
disturbed. Were i t n o t f o r Mrs. Bond of t h e Welfare Depart-
ment and good neighbors who have a l l worked long and hard
t r y i n g t o h e l p a p p e l l a n t , t h e s e c h i l d r e n might be f a c i n g f a r
more g r i e v o u s problems than they have a t t h e p r e s e n t time.
The d i s t r i c t c o u r t a f t e r h e a r i n g a l l o f t h e testimony
and t a l k i n g w i t h t h e two o l d e r c h i l d r e n , decided t h a t time
had run o u t f o r a p p e l l a n t ; t h a t t h e c h i l d r e n ' s b e s t i n t e r e s t s
r e q u i r e d they no longer w a i t f o r a p p e l l a n t t o do something t o
s t a b l i z e h e r emotional l i f e . W agree with the d i s t r i c t
e
c o u r t ' s d e c i s i o n t o put a l l t h e c h i l d r e n i n t h e custody o f
t h e Welfare Department of t h e S t a t e of Montana, w i t h t h e r i g h t
of a d o p t i o n .
There being no abuse of d i s c r e t i o n , t h e judgment i s
affirmed .
Associate J u s t i c e s
4
Hon. Jack Shanstrom, D i s t r i c t
Judge, s i t t i n g for Associate
J u s t i c e Wesley C a s t l e s .