In re J.J.T.
In re J.J.T.
Opinion of the Court
The Navajo Nation appeals from a judgment terminating the parental rights of S.C. to her son, J.J.T. Finding that the trial court erred by not permitting the Navajo Nation to intervene, we reverse the judgment and remand the cause for a new trial.
FACTUAL SUMMARY
S.C. ("Shelly") is the biological mother of J.J.T. ("Jake").
On March 1, 2016, the Department gave notice to the Nation of the pending suit involving Jake. Further, on April 20, 2016, it notified the Nation of a hearing scheduled for July 22, 2016. On August 3, 2016, the Nation notified the Department that Jake is eligible to be enrolled as a member of the Nation, and it subsequently provided the name of the ICWA social worker assigned to the case to coordinate services with the Department. The Nation did not formally intervene in the case.
The trial court conducted the bench trial on June 12, 2017, but it did not provide notice to the Nation of the trial setting. On the day of trial, both Shelly and Steve voluntarily relinquished their parental rights. Counsel for the Department informed the trial court that Crescentia Tso, a representative of the Nation, had requested that she be allowed to testify telephonically regarding best interest, and the trial court agreed. Prior to that testimony, the Department's counsel also made the trial court aware that Ms. Tso had informed him that the Nation was a party to the proceeding, and as the Nation's representative, she should be allowed to hear all of the proceeding and not be excluded under the Rule of Witnesses. Counsel for both Shelly and Jake objected. The trial court ruled that Ms. Tso could testify, but she would not be treated as a party. Ms. Tso proceeded to testify regarding her involvement in the case and as an expert witness. She was aware that both parents had voluntarily relinquished their parental rights, and in her opinion, those relinquishments were in the best interest of the child because the parents had been given over a year to engage in services and obtain the help they need, but neither of them had successfully completed any of the recommended services. The Nation did not object to the current placement of the child because all family members in Texas were ruled out and it had been difficult to find an ICWA-compliant home for the child. Regarding Jake's future placement, the Nation had located a Navajo home. The adoptive mother is Navajo and her husband is Hispanic. The home study process and background checks had been completed, and the couple was ready to receive Jake. Ms. Tso agreed that there would need to be a plan to transition Jake to this home in order to minimize emotional trauma because he was bonded to his foster family.
During cross-examination, one of the attorneys stated that the Nation had not intervened, and Ms. Tso stated, "I think we are intervening at this moment." When the trial court asked Ms. Tso to explain how she thought she was intervening, Ms. Tso explained: "In other ICWA cases, the Navajo Nation is considered a party, we're not considered a witness and so in other states the ICWA worker has attended the entire court hearing and so based upon the testimonies that are given, we take that into consideration based on the information that's being provided to us." Ms. Tso expressly relied on Section 1911(c) in support of the Nation's request to intervene. The trial court concluded that the Nation had not filed a written intervention and the request to intervene made on the day of trial was too late. Consequently, Ms. Tso was excluded from hearing any of the testimony and the Nation was not allowed to participate in the final hearing. The trial court terminated the parental rights of both Shelly and Steve, and it appointed the Department as the Permanent Managing Conservator of Jake. The court ordered that Jake remain in his current foster home. The Nation formally intervened after the trial and it filed a motion requesting a placement hearing. The Nation filed *878notice of appeal, but neither Shelly nor Steve have appealed the termination of their parental rights.
DENIAL OF RIGHT TO INTERVENE
The Nation raises three issues asserting that the order terminating Shelly's parental rights must be invalidated because provisions of the Indian Child Welfare Act were violated. First, it argues that the evidence is legally and factually insufficient to support the termination of Shelly's parental rights because there is no evidence showing that continued custody of the child by the parent would result in serious emotional or physical damage to the child. See
Indian Child Welfare Act
It is undisputed that Jake is a member of the Navajo Nation. Consequently, the requirements of ICWA apply to this case. See
The trial court refused to allow the Nation to intervene because its request was untimely. Section 1911(c) expressly provides: "In any State court proceeding for the foster care placement of, or termination of parental rights to, an Indian child, the Indian custodian of the child and the Indian child's tribe shall have a right to intervene at any point in the proceeding."
The court also denied the request to intervene because the Nation had not filed a written pleading. While Rule 60 of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure requires a party to file a written pleading to intervene, Section 1911(c) does not require that the intervention be made in writing. The issue before us, then, is whether Section 1911(c) preempts Rule 60 's requirement of a written intervention.
Federal law preempts state law when: (1) Congress has expressly preempted state law, (2) Congress has installed a comprehensive regulatory scheme in the area, removing the entire field from the state realm, or (3) state law directly conflicts with the force or purpose of federal law.
*879In re J.J.C. ,
The recognized purpose of the ICWA is to protect the Indian family, children, and the tribe from separation. See In re Q.G.M. ,
As noted above, the Department concedes that the trial court reversibly erred by denying the Navajo Nation's request to intervene in this case pursuant to Section 1911(c). Issue Three is sustained. It is unnecessary to address Issue Two pertaining to the failure to provide notice of the placement hearing to the Nation.
SUFFICIENCY OF THE EVIDENCE
In Issue One, the Nation challenges the legal and factual sufficiency of the evidence supporting the trial court's finding that the evidence, including the testimony of a qualified expert witness, demonstrates that the continued custody of the child by a parent or Indian Custodian, is likely to result in serious emotional or physical damage to the child, and is not in the *880child's best interest. See
This court has previously held that when reviewing a legal sufficiency challenge to the Section 1912(f) finding, we will apply the Jackson v. Virginia
The evidence established that five-month-old Jake suffered serious non-accidental injuries to his brain and numerous broken bones while in the care of his parents. There is no evidence that his parents sought medical care for any of these injuries. The trier of fact could infer from the evidence that Jake was physically abused on multiple occasions because the two brain injuries occurred at different times and the broken bones were in different stages of healing. As a result of these injuries, Jake had significant emotional and physical needs during his recovery. His foster mother testified that Jake woke up eight to ten times every night due to the pain he was suffering, and it was difficult to pick up Jake or even change his diaper without causing him pain. Consequently, she had to be extremely careful and attentive to his needs. It is unknown what Jake's physical and emotional needs may be in the future. At the time he was removed from his parents' care, Jake was developmentally delayed, but he has received services to address those issues. Jake also has a lung disease which requires him to be closely monitored by a doctor until he is three years of age. The caseworker, Aimee Rivera, testified that Shelly was unwilling, at the time of the intake or at any time since, to address Jake's emotional and physical needs. Further, Shelly did not demonstrate the ability or willingness to protect or provide for Jake. The Department created a service plan for the parents, but neither of them successfully completed any of the recommended services. Both Tso and Rivera testified that termination of Shelly's parental rights was in the child's best interest.
When the evidence is viewed in the light most favorable to the challenged finding, a rational trier of fact could have found beyond a reasonable doubt that the continued custody of the child by Shelly is likely to result in serious emotional or physical damage to the child, and is not in the child's best interest. See In re S.R. ,
Rule 9.8(b)(2) requires an appellate court to use in its opinion an alias to refer to a minor in the opinion, and if necessary to protect the minor's identity, the minor's parent, or other family member. Tex.R.App .P. 9.8(b)(2). The term alias means the person's initials or a fictitious name. Tex.R.App .P. 9.8(a). We have opted to use fictitious names rather than initials in this case. The opinion will refer to Appellant as "Shelly," to the child's father as "Steve," and to the child as "Jake."
Jackson v. Virginia ,
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