Brown v. Juvenile Court
Brown v. Juvenile Court
Opinion of the Court
Appellant Evelyn Brown’s five children were made temporary wards of the Midland County probate court in December, 1966. On the petition of a court caseworker a hearing was held September 27,1967, to review the matter of the children’s custody. The caseworker testified that his opinion based on his investigation was that the three younger children should be made permanent' wards of the court. No other testimony or evidence was introduced to support this opinion. Mrs. Brown and a legal aid investigator testified in opposition to the caseworker. At the conclusion of the hearing the probate court discharged the eldest, Michael, as a court ward, continued' Timothy as a temporary ward, but made Bruce, Phillip, and Zella permanent wards of the court, terminating Mrs. Brown’s parental rights in these three children.'
Appellant filed a claim of appeal in circuit court alleging that the requisite burden of proof had not been met and that the order was against the preponderance of the evidence. Trial by jury was demanded
“This stipulation, in the opinion of the court, amounts to the submission of the matter below to this court on review in the nature of certiorari. The court will not quarrel with the stipulation made by counsel and will therefore consider the matter in’this way. If the matter had been submitted to the court on a general appeal and upon the basis of the errors assigned, the court would have treated the case differently and, in the event that the judgment of the probate- court below was found to be based upon insufficient testimony, physical custody and legal custody of the wards would not necessarily be released to the mother, but the case could well have been remanded to probate court for further consideration on the question of making the children permanent wards of the court. In the opinion of this court, jurisdiction as to said children insofar as temporary wards of the court is concerned would not be lost by any-irregularities in’the hearing on the question of making them permanent wards of the court. The court has carefully examined the testimony presented below and although the great portion of same is obviously hearsay, the court feels that sufficient facts were presented to justify the court below in making the order terminating the parental rights of Evelyn Brown.”
The circuit court erred in its method of review. It did so believing the stipulation required it to undertake a more restricted type of review. GCR 1963, 701.10 says, “Unless otherwise provided by
Beversed and remanded for proper review.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- IN THE MATTER OF BROWN BROWN v. JUVENILE COURT
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- Published