DocketNumber: No. 07-CA-110.
Citation Numbers: 2008 Ohio 2225
Judges: FAIN, J.
Filed Date: 5/5/2008
Status: Precedential
Modified Date: 7/6/2016
{¶ 3} The trial court adjudicated S.A. dependent and granted temporary custody to the Agency. A case plan was established for Rogan, with the goal of reunification. Rogan was making some progress on that plan when she was arrested for a probation violation in October, 2006. The Agency then sought permanent custody of S.A.
{¶ 5} "APPELLANT WAS DEPRIVED OF HER RIGHT TO EFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE OF COUNSEL UNDER THE
{¶ 6} Rogan argues that her trial counsel was ineffective because he failed to protect her due process right to meaningful participation in the permanent custody hearing, thereby denying her a fair trial. We agree.
{¶ 7} The right of parents to raise their children is an "essential" and "basic" civil right. In re Hayes (1997),
{¶ 8} For these reasons, both R.C.
{¶ 9} In order to prevail on a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, the defendant must show both deficient performance and resulting prejudice. Strickland v. Washington (1984),
{¶ 10} Even assuming that counsel's performance was ineffective, the defendant must still show that the error had an effect on the judgment.State v. Bradley (1989),
{¶ 11} In Rogan's case, after the trial court refused to continue the hearing for another three months in order to allow Rogan the opportunity to testify in person, the *Page 5
only evidence that counsel offered on her behalf was a brief questionnaire that she had completed for counsel early in his representation. Assuming, arguendo, that the document was properly admitted and not in violation of Rogan's attorney/client privilege, this document is not remotely adequate to present Rogan's position in this case. The bare statements offered in the questionnaire begged further explanation, which only Rogan could provide. In a case similar to the instant one, the Eleventh District Court of Appeals reversed an order of permanent custody, finding trial counsel ineffective, in large part for allowing three letters from his client to the court to serve as his incarcerated client's only participation in the proceedings. In reRoque, Trumbull App. No. 2005-T-0138,
{¶ 12} Rogan's trial counsel had a duty to obtain more meaningful input from Rogan. Besides her live testimony, counsel had other options to protect Rogan's rights. For example, he could have deposed Rogan; he could have obtained her sworn affidavit or statement; or he could have arranged for her participation in the hearing via telephone. He failed to do any of these, thereby depriving Rogan of a meaningful opportunity to participate in the permanent custody hearing.
{¶ 13} "The fundamental requirement of due process is an opportunity to be heard at a meaningful time and in a meaningful manner." In theMatter of Aaron Jones (March 31, 1992), Lucas App. No. L-91-204, citingMathews v. Eldridge (1976),
{¶ 14} Rogan must also meet the second prong by demonstrating that she was *Page 6
prejudiced by counsel's ineffectiveness. Prejudice sufficient to warrant reversal exists when the proceedings were fundamentally unfair due to counsel's defective representation. State v. Carter,
{¶ 15} Counsel's failure to protect Rogan's right to meaningful participation in the permanent custody hearing caused the trial to be fundamentally unfair. "When there is no possibility for a fair trial, it is inherently prejudicial to the integrity of the trial. . . . [T]here is no possibility that a fair trial, one with a reliable outcome, resulted from the proceedings herein." Roque, supra, at ¶ 13. See, also,Strickland, supra, at 686 ("[c]ounsel's conduct so undermined the proper functioning of the adversarial process that the trial cannot be relied on as having produced a just result.") Thus, the second prong ofStrickland is met. Because Rogan was denied the effective assistance of trial counsel, we sustain her Second Assignment of Error.
{¶ 17} "THE COURT ENGAGED IN AN INCOMPLETE AND INCORRECT ANALYSIS CONCERNING APPELLANT'S RIGHT TO ATTEND THE PERMANENT CUSTODY HEARING, WHICH ULTIMATELY RESULTED IN A DEPRIVATION OF HER CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO DUE PROCESS."
{¶ 18} In her First Assignment of Error, Rogan asserts that in light of her particular circumstances, the trial court should have ordered her to be transported from prison to court for the permanent custody hearing. This assignment of error has been *Page 7 rendered moot by our ruling on her Second Assignment of Error.
{¶ 20} "THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN DENYING APPELLANT A REASONABLE CONTINUANCE."
{¶ 21} In her Third Assignment of Error, Rogan contends that the trial court should have granted a three-month continuance in order for her to be able to testify after her release from prison. Again, due to our ruling on Rogan's Second Assignment of Error, this assignment of error is moot.
{¶ 23} "THE TRIAL COURT'S FINDINGS AND DISPOSITION ARE AGAINST THE MANIFEST WEIGHT OF THE EVIDENCE."
{¶ 24} Finally, Rogan argues that the trial court's decision to terminate her parental rights and to award permanent custody of her daughter, S.A., to the Agency, is against the manifest weight of the evidence. In support she points to several discrepancies between the evidence presented at trial and the court's findings. For example, although Rogan stated in the questionnaire that her aunt had been bringing S.A. to visit her in prison, the trial court stated that there had been no regular and meaningful contact between mother and daughter. Also, among other alleged inconsistencies, the trial court's statement that Rogan failed to complete parenting *Page 8 classes was in direct conflict with the parties' stipulation that she had completed the parenting classes, along with several other classes.
{¶ 25} Although we need not rule on this assignment of error, because it is rendered moot by our disposition of Rogan's Second Assignment of Error, we do want to point out that discrepancies like those alleged by Rogan, between the record and the court's written decision, do undermine our confidence in that decision.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
WOLFF, P.J., and BROGAN, J., concur.
Copies mailed to:
*Page 1Hon. Joseph N. Monnin