In the Matter of Gray, Unpublished Decision (4-20-2000)
In the Matter of Gray, Unpublished Decision (4-20-2000)
Opinion of the Court
Appellant assigns the following errors for review:
I. REVERSIBLE ERROR WAS COMMITTED. WHEN HEARSAY TESTIMONY WAS ADMITTED.
II. COUNSEL'S FAILURE TO OBJECT TO HIGHLY PREJUDICIAL HEARSAY CONSTITUTED INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE OF COUNSEL.
III. THE TRIAL COURT COMMITTED PREJUDICIAL ERROR BY IMPROPERLY CROSS-EXAMINING THE APPELLANT.
Finding the appeal to lack merit, the judgment of the trial court is affirmed.
On March 10, 1998, the trial court found Andre to be an abused child and Stepheon to be dependent. CCDCFS placed the children with their maternal uncle. Appellant was to have unlimited but supervised visitation with the children. On May 11, 1998, Andre came to school with a large laceration on his arm. Bruises were found on his body and a scratch on his forehead. Contrary to the case plan, appellant had unsupervised visitation with her children that weekend. Appellant admitted to whipping Andre but denied any knowledge of how his arm came to be injured. At a staffing held at CCDCFS after the incident, appellant stated she did not want Andre back.
CCDCFS moved for permanent custody of Andre and asked for legal custody of Stepheon. On December 14, 1998, the trial court held a hearing on CCDCFS' motions. After hearing evidence, the trial court granted CCDCFS permanent custody of Andre. Stepheon was placed in the legal custody of his father, Percy Neal.
Q. You don't have any evidence, do you, that would ever indicate Robin abused or did anything to Stepheon, do you?
A. Not in writing, but I spoke with Stepheon this morning, and he actually told me he wanted to see his mommy this morning, so that he could tell her to start behaving and quit hitting him, so that he could have visits.
(Tr. 128). Because this testimony was made in response to a question posed by appellant's own attorney, the invited error doctrine is applicable. The "invited error doctrine" prohibits a party from raising an error on appeal which she herself invited or induced the trial court to make. State ex rel. Fowler v.Smith (1994),
Appellant's first assignment of error lacks merit.
Appellant hardly can claim that the result of the proceeding would have been different if her attorney had asked that the response be stricken from the record. This case was tried to the trial court and not a jury. The usual presumption is that a trial judge only considered relevant evidence. State v. Baston (1999),
Appellant's second assignment of error is overruled.
Evid.R. 611(A) provides that the trial court has discretion to control the flow of trial including the questioning of witnesses. Evid.R. 614(B) permits the trial court to interrogate witnesses in an impartial manner. A trial judge has a duty to see that truth is developed and therefore should not hesitate to pose a proper, pertinent, and even-handed question when justice so requires.Akron-Canton Waste Oil, Inc. v. Safety-Kleen Oil Serv., Inc.
(1992),
The trial court's first inquiry of appellant came after she described the incident in which she struck Andre with a belt before school. Appellant testified that she found the smallest belt available and tapped the child a couple of times. The trial court asked how this act left marks on the boy. Appellant then went on to describe her great love of children and explained her methods of discipline. She denied ever stating that no one could tell her she could not hit her children. The trial court wanted to know if everyone who had testified she made these statements was lying. The trial court then asked a series of questions in an attempt to discover what appellant acknowledged she did say.
Appellant testified regarding the laceration on Andre's arm. Appellant admitted being with the children for part of the weekend when the injury occurred but denied being with Andre at the time he was injured. Appellant stated she had spanked the child but did not have anything to do with the wound or know how any marks came about on the boy's body. The trial court asked a number of questions trying to find out when the children were with appellant that weekend. Appellant finally admitted she lied when she testified Andre was not in her care at the time his arm was injured. Shortly after that admission, the trial court cautioned appellant about whether she should continue testifying or if she did continue, to be careful to testify truthfully.
Appellant has failed to overcome the presumption that the trial court acted in an impartial manner. The trial court had a duty to attempt to discover the truth. Appellant obviously was being less than truthful, as her admission of perjury shows. The trial court was not biased or prejudiced against appellant.
Appellant's third assignment of error is overruled.
Judgment affirmed.
It is ordered that appellee recover of appellant its costs herein taxed.
The court finds there were reasonable grounds for this appeal.
It is ordered that a special mandate issue out of this court directing the Common Pleas Court, Juvenile Division, to carry this judgment into execution.
A certified copy of this entry shall constitute the mandate pursuant to Rule 27 of the Rules of Appellate Procedure.
JOHN T. PATTON, P.J. and JAMES M. PORTER, J. CONCUR.
______________________ LEO M. SPELLACY, JUDGE
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.