In Re Hurt, Unpublished Decision (4-1-2003)
In Re Hurt, Unpublished Decision (4-1-2003)
Opinion of the Court
OPINION
{¶ 1} Appellant Kelly Hurt ("mother") appeals the October 18, 2002 Judgment Entry entered by the Richland County Court of Common Pleas, Juvenile Division, approving and adopting over mother's objections the magistrate's August 1, 2002 Decision, terminating all of mother's parental rights and responsibilities relative to her five minor children, and granting permanent custody of the children to appellee Richland County Children Services Board ("RCCSB").{¶ 3} RCCSB filed a Motion for Permanent Custody on March 1, 2001. After conducting a two day contested hearing on the motion, the magistrate denied RCCSB's request and continued temporary custody. The trial court approved and adopted the magistrate's decision via Judgment Entry filed July 16, 2001. Subsequently, the trial court ordered an amended case plan, which required mother to undergo a new psychological evaluation, attend individual and family counseling, refrain from making disparaging comments to the children relative to the matter and anyone involved therein, and provide child support.
{¶ 4} During the pendency of the matter, mother was charged with domestic violence as a result of her throwing a shoe at Navah, the eldest child, and blackening his eye. Mother entered a no contest plea to an amended charge of assault and was convicted thereon on December 7, 2001. On September 21, 2001, RCCSB filed a second motion seeking permanent custody of the children. While the motion was pending, RCCSB terminated mother's visits with the children because of her disrupted behavior. The trial court ordered the visits resumed in mid-November, 2001, and directed mother to refrain from her disruptive behavior. RCCSB again discontinued the visits after a visit on January 25, 2002, when mother violated the trial court's directions.
{¶ 5} The motion for permanent custody came on for hearing before the magistrate on March 28, April 23, and April 30, 2002. After hearing testimony and reviewing the evidence, the magistrate recommended mother's parental rights and responsibilities with respect to all of the children be terminated, and the children be placed in the permanent custody of RCCSB. Mother filed objections to the magistrate's decision. Via Judgment Entry filed October 18, 2002, the trial court approved and adopted the magistrate's decision, and overruled mother's objections.
{¶ 6} It is from this judgment entry mother appeals, raising as her sole assignment of error:
{¶ 7} "I. The Trial Court's Finding That Permanent Custody Should Be Granted To R.C.C.S.B. Is Against The Manifest Weight Of The Evidence."
{¶ 8} This case comes to us on the accelerated calendar. App.R. 11.1, which governs accelerated calender cases, provides, in pertinent part:
{¶ 9} "(E) Determination and judgment on appeal.
{¶ 10} "The appeal will be determined as provided by App.R. 11.1. It shall be sufficient compliance with App.R. 12(A) for the statement of the reason for the court's decision as to each error to be in brief and conclusionary form.
{¶ 11} "The decision may be by judgment entry in which case it will not be published in any form."
{¶ 12} This appeal shall be considered in accordance with the aforementioned rule.
{¶ 14} We are not fact finders; we neither weigh the evidence nor judge the credibility of witnesses. Our role is to determine whether there is relevant, competent and credible evidence upon which the fact finder could base its judgment. Accordingly, judgments supported by some competent, credible evidence going to all the essential elements of the case will not be reversed as being against the manifest weight of the evidence.
{¶ 15} The relevant statute is R.C.
{¶ 16} In determining the best interest of a child, R.C.
{¶ 17} Upon review of the record, we find the trial court's finding it was in the Hurt children's best interest to grant permanent custody to RCCSB is not against the manifest weight of the evidence. The trial court found, pursuant to R.C.
{¶ 18} R.C.
{¶ 19} The trial court found mother had been convicted of child endangering, in violation of R.C.
{¶ 20} Additionally, the trial court found the Hurt children had been in the temporary custody of RCCSB for 12 or more months of a consecutive 22 month period. In light of the foregoing and based upon the entire record in this matter, we find the trial court's decision to grant permanent custody of the Hurt children to RCCSB and terminate mother's parental rights and responsibilities was not against the manifest weight of the evidence.
{¶ 21} Mother's sole assignment of error is overruled.
{¶ 22} The judgment of the Richland County Court of Common Pleas, Juvenile Division, is affirmed.
Farmer, J. and Boggins, J. concur topic: permanent custody
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.