Michels v. Lyons (In Re Visitation of A. A. L.)
Michels v. Lyons (In Re Visitation of A. A. L.)
Opinion of the Court
*489*8¶1 We accepted certification from the court of appeals to clarify the standard of proof required for a grandparent to overcome the presumption that a fit parent's visitation decision is in the child's best interest.
¶2 We recognize that a fit parent has a fundamental liberty interest in the care and upbringing of his or her child and therefore, the Grandparent Visitation Statute must withstand strict scrutiny. We confirm that the Grandparent Visitation Statute is *9facially constitutional because there are circumstances under which the law can be constitutionally enforced. We determine that the Grandparent Visitation Statute is narrowly tailored to further a compelling state interest because a grandparent must overcome the presumption in favor of a fit parent's visitation decision with clear and convincing evidence that the decision is not in the child's best interest. Lastly, we conclude that the Grandparent Visitation Statute is unconstitutional as applied because Kelsey did not overcome the presumption in favor of Lyons and Michels' visitation decision with clear and convincing evidence that their decision is not in A.A.L.'s best interest. The order of the circuit court is vacated.
I. FACTUAL BACKGROUND AND PROCEDURAL POSTURE
¶3 This case arises out of a dispute between the parents of A.A.L., Cacie Michels and Keaton Lyons, and Lyons' mother Jill Kelsey. Lyons and Michels were never married but lived together when A.A.L. was born in October 2009 until they broke up in late 2011. Since then, Michels has had primary custody of A.A.L. and *490Lyons has had extended periods of placement. Prior to A.A.L. starting kindergarten in the fall of 2015, A.A.L. spent a significant amount of time with Kelsey, including overnight stays. After A.A.L. started kindergarten, Lyons and Michels agreed to reduce the amount of time A.A.L. spent with Kelsey in order to accommodate A.A.L.'s new commitments with school and friends, as well as her previously agreed upon placement time with Lyons on alternate weekends.
¶4 At the end of 2015, Kelsey's relationship with Lyons and Michels began to deteriorate due to a disagreement over a proposed vacation to Disney World *10and Kelsey's decreased visitation time with A.A.L. Even though the relationship was deteriorating, Lyons and Michels still arranged for Kelsey to spend time with A.A.L. Shortly thereafter, Kelsey intervened in Michels' paternity action and filed a petition for additional visitation pursuant to the Grandparent Visitation Statute.
¶5 At the court trial, Lyons and Michels testified that they decided to decrease Kelsey's visitation time because of the strain on A.A.L.'s schedule. They also expressed concern over Kelsey's judgment, as she allowed A.A.L. to ride a horse without a safety helmet, contrary to their explicit instructions, and she gave four-year-old A.A.L. a sip of alcohol. Both Lyons and Michels testified that granting Kelsey's petition is not in A.A.L.'s best interest. However, both Lyons and Michels also testified that they would not completely eliminate Kelsey's visitation with A.A.L. unless they felt that visitation was unhealthy for A.A.L. or not in her best interest.
¶6 Lyons and Michels also testified at the court trial about a gentleman's agreement that the parties had in place after September 2016. Kelsey was allowed to see A.A.L. every other weekend for five hours, which occurred during the weekends when Lyons had his placement time with A.A.L. Lyons and Michels expressed their frustration with A.A.L. splitting time between three households, as it was difficult and exhausting for her. Lyons also testified about his frustration with the schedule because it was not beneficial for his relationship with A.A.L. Both Lyons and Michels indicated that they preferred an informal schedule they could set themselves to accommodate all of A.A.L.'s commitments and let them "make decisions for [their child] as parents do."
*11¶7 Despite finding that Lyons and Michels were not only fit parents but "good parents," the circuit court granted Kelsey's petition. The circuit court ordered visitation at least one Sunday each month for five hours and granted Kelsey "a seven-day period during [A.A.L.'s] summer vacation whereby she may take [A.A.L.] to Disney World or other vacation."
¶8 Lyons and Michels moved for reconsideration of the circuit court's order, asserting that the order violated their due process rights. The circuit court denied the motion and decided that pursuant to Roger D.H. v. Virginia O.,
¶9 The court of appeals certified an appeal to this court to clarify the standard of proof required for a grandparent to overcome the presumption that a fit parent's visitation decision is in the child's best *491interest. Additionally, the court of appeals asked for clarification as to the impact this court's holding would have on the Meister, Martin L., and Roger D.H. cases. S.A.M. v. Meister,
¶10 Lyons and Michels assert that the Grandparent Visitation Statute is unconstitutional as applied because it violates their substantive due process rights protected by the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. State v. Wood,
¶11 There are two major types of constitutional challenges: facial and as-applied. Tammy W-G. v. Jacob T.,
*13Mayo v. Wisconsin Injured Patients and Families Comp. Fund,
¶12 Whether a statute, as applied, violates the constitutional right to due process is a question of law that this court reviews de novo. Kelli B.,
¶13 Lyons and Michels challenge the interpretation and application of the Grandparent Visitation Statute, which reads:
*492(3) The court may grant reasonable visitation rights, with respect to a child, to a grandparent of the child if the child's parents have notice of the hearing and the court determines all of the following:
(a) The child is a nonmarital child whose parents have not subsequently married each other.
(b) Except as provided in sub. (4), the paternity of the child has been determined under the laws of this state or another jurisdiction if the grandparent filing the petition is a parent of the child's father.
*14(c) The child has not been adopted.
(d) The grandparent has maintained a relationship with the child or has attempted to maintain a relationship with the child but has been prevented from doing so by a parent who has legal custody of the child.
(e) The grandparent is not likely to act in a manner that is contrary to decisions that are made by a parent who has legal custody of the child and that are related to the child's physical, emotional, educational or spiritual welfare.
(f) The visitation is in the best interest of the child.
III. ANALYSIS
¶14 We first recognize the fundamental liberty interest at stake and establish the appropriate level of scrutiny to apply to the Grandparent Visitation Statute. We then determine the constitutionality of the Grandparent Visitation Statute facially and as applied and, as a part of the analysis, we answer the certified question.
A. Lyons and Michels have a fundamental liberty interest in the care and upbringing of A.A.L.
¶15 Lyons and Michels assert that they have a fundamental liberty interest in the care and upbringing of A.A.L. and contend that the circuit court infringed upon this interest when it overruled their decision regarding A.A.L.'s visitation with Kelsey. "[T]he interest of parents in the care, custody, and control of their children [ ] is perhaps the oldest of the fundamental liberty interests recognized" by the *15United States Supreme Court. Troxel v. Granville,
¶16 In Troxel, a plurality of the United States Supreme Court concluded that a Washington statute allowing a court to grant third-party visitation whenever "visitation may serve the best interest of the child" violated a fit parent's due process right to make decisions concerning the care, custody, and control of her daughters. Troxel,
B. The Grandparent Visitation Statute must withstand strict scrutiny because it directly and substantially infringes upon a fundamental liberty interest.
¶18 A statute which directly and substantially infringes upon a fundamental liberty interest must withstand strict scrutiny: it must be narrowly tailored to serve a compelling state interest. See, e.g., Reno v. Flores,
¶19 Because matters involving visitation occur on a case-by-case basis, the Troxel court was "hesitant to hold that specific nonparental visitation statutes violate the Due Process Clause as a per se matter."
¶20 Although the Troxel plurality did not employ a strict scrutiny analysis in striking down a broad-sweeping third-party visitation statute,
¶22 We conclude that because the Grandparent Visitation Statute directly and substantially implicates a fit parent's fundamental liberty interest in the care and upbringing of his or her child, it is subject to strict scrutiny review.
C. We confirm that the Grandparent Visitation Statute is facially constitutional because there are circumstances under which the law can be constitutionally enforced.
¶23 When we apply strict scrutiny to a statute, we will conclude it is facially constitutional only if it is narrowly tailored to further a compelling state interest. See Milwaukee Branch of NAACP v. Walker,
*19within a non-intact family.
¶24 The State must respect a fit parent's fundamental liberty interest to make decisions regarding the care, custody, and control of his or her child, yet also recognize when intervention may be necessary to protect a child's best interest. Where a child's physical *20or mental health or welfare is in jeopardy, the State has a well-established legitimate interest under its parens patriae power, acting from the viewpoint and in the interest of the child. See Santosky,
¶25 Historically, there have been three main avenues to achieving grandparent visitation, now codified at: (1)
*21(2)
¶26 An analysis of the Wisconsin statutes that allow a grandparent to petition for visitation illustrates that the events triggering intervention by the State historically related to circumstances separating families. See Holtzman,
*496
¶27 The Grandparent Visitation Statute was enacted to provide grandparents with the ability to petition for visitation outside of a divorce or visitation proceeding. See Drafting File for 1995 Act 68, Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau of 1995 S.B. 55, Legislative Reference Bureau, Madison, Wis. It is still limited, however, to a family unit involving a "nonmarital child" whose parents have not subsequently married each other and who has not been adopted. See
¶28 In cases interpreting visitation statutes, Wisconsin courts have permitted intervention by the State to protect the child's best interest in circumstances where a child is being separated from a parent. See Holtzman,
*23Rick v. Opichka,
¶29 Similarly, other jurisdictions recognize the appropriateness of a court interfering in a parent-child relationship to protect the child's best interest under circumstances where a family unit is dissolving and a parent seeks to sever the child's relationship with a grandparent with whom the child is emotionally attached. Prior to granting a petition for grandparent visitation, a majority of state statutes require a triggering event dissolving the family unit, such as the death or abandonment of a parent, divorce, or the child residing with a third party prior to granting a petition for grandparent visitation. See, e.g., Ala. Code 1975 § 30-3-4.2 (Alabama); A.R.S. § 25-409 (Arizona); A.C.A. § 9-13-103 (Arkansas); C.R.S.A. § 19-1-117 (Colorado); IC 31-17-5-1 (Indiana); M.G.L.A. 119 § 39D (Massachusetts); M.C.L.A. 722.27b (Michigan); 23 Pa.C.S.A. § 5325 (Pennsylvania); V.T.C.A., Family Code § 153.433 (Texas). Like the Grandparent Visitation Statute, some states include a child born out of wedlock as a triggering event to a petition for grandparent *497visitation. See, e.g., Ala. Code 1975 § 30-3-4.2 (Alabama); A.R.S. § 25-409 (Arizona); IC 31-17-5-1 (Indiana); M.G.L.A. 119 § 39D (Massachusetts); 43 Okl.St.Ann. § 109.4 (Oklahoma).
¶30 In addition to the statutory precursor of a dissolving family unit, the majority of jurisdictions also require a grandparent to demonstrate that absent visitation, the child will suffer some form of emotional harm. This harm requirement appears either within *24state statutes or has been read into the statutes by courts in order to survive constitutional challenges.
¶31 A review of cases where other courts have upheld grandparent visitation orders indicate the presence of a relationship similar to that of a primary caregiver between the grandparents and grandchildren and a parent's abrupt attempt to end that relationship. See, e.g., Smith v. Wilson,
¶32 The concurrence asserts that the Grandparent Visitation Statute is facially unconstitutional but fails to meet the high burden required for a facial *25challenge. In order to succeed on a facial challenge, the "challenger must meet the highest level of proof, beyond a reasonable doubt." Mayo,
¶33 Furthermore, a determination that the Grandparent Visitation Statute is facially unconstitutional would necessarily require us to overturn our 2016 decision in Meister,
D. The Grandparent Visitation Statute is narrowly tailored to further a compelling state interest because a grandparent must overcome the presumption in favor of a fit parent's visitation decision with clear and convincing evidence that the decision is not in the child's best interest.
¶34 We turn to the certified question in the context of the constitutional challenge and ask: is the Grandparent Visitation Statute narrowly tailored to further a compelling state interest where a grandparent is required to overcome the presumption in favor of *27a fit parent's visitation decision with clear and convincing evidence that the decision is not in the child's best interest? The degree of proof in a particular proceeding is traditionally for the judiciary to decide. Woodby v. Immigration and Naturalization Serv.,
¶35 A number of courts require clear and convincing evidence to overcome the presumption that a fit parent's visitation *499decision is in the child's best interest.
¶36 "In cases involving individual rights, whether criminal or civil, '[t]he standard of proof [at a minimum] reflects the value society places on individual *29liberty." Addington,
E. We modify and clarify the holdings in Martin L. and Roger D.H.
¶37 We next explain the impact of this constitutional analysis on the holdings in Martin L. and Roger D.H. We modify the holding in Roger D.H. to require a grandparent to overcome the presumption in favor of a fit parent's visitation decision with clear and convincing evidence that the decision is not in the child's best interest. While the court of appeals in Roger D.H. articulated the appropriate presumption in favor of a fit parent's decision, the court of appeals went on to state that "[a]t the same time, we observe that this is only a presumption and the circuit court is still obligated to make its own assessment of the best interest of the child."
*500Roger D.H.,
¶38 Likewise, we must clarify Martin L.,
F. The Grandparent Visitation Statute is unconstitutional as applied because Kelsey did not overcome the presumption in favor of Lyons and Michels' visitation decision with clear and convincing evidence that their decision is not in A.A.L.'s best interest.
¶39 Finally, we assess the merits of Lyons and Michels' as-applied challenge by considering the facts of this case, not hypothetical facts from different situations. See State v. Hamdan,
¶40 At the hearing on Lyons and Michels' motion for reconsideration, the circuit court stated that according to Roger D.H., it had "applied the presumption a fit parent's decision on placement is in the child's best interest, rebuttable in the Court's discretion."
*501¶41 The Grandparent Visitation Statute is unconstitutional as applied because Kelsey did not overcome the presumption in favor of Lyons and Michels' visitation decision with clear and convincing evidence that their decision is not in A.A.L.'s best interest.
*32Although the circuit court asserted that it applied a presumption that Lyons and Michels' decision was in A.A.L.'s best interest, the decision of the circuit court exemplifies a circuit court improperly substituting its judgment for that of fit parents. Lyons and Michels did not seek to eliminate Kelsey's visitation entirely and there is no indication that they would deprive A.A.L. of having a relationship with Kelsey. In fact, they testified that they would not eliminate Kelsey's visitation with A.A.L. unless they felt that it was unhealthy for A.A.L. or not in her best interest. At the time Kelsey petitioned for visitation there had been no change in circumstances involving A.A.L.'s family unit, as Lyons and Michels had not lived together since A.A.L. was a small child. Kelsey's desire to merely secure a more generous and predictable visitation schedule is not enough to overcome the presumption in favor of Lyons and Michels' visitation decision and demonstrate that their decision is not in A.A.L.'s best interest, thus barring intervention by the State. See Rogers v. Rogers,
IV. CONCLUSION
¶42 In sum, a fit parent has a fundamental liberty interest in the care and upbringing of his or her child and therefore to be applied constitutionally, the Grandparent Visitation Decision must withstand strict scrutiny. We confirm that the Grandparent Visitation Statute is facially constitutional because there are circumstances under which the law can be constitutionally *33enforced. We conclude that the Grandparent Visitation Statute is narrowly tailored to further a compelling state interest because it requires a grandparent to overcome the presumption in favor of a fit parent's visitation decision with clear and convincing evidence that the decision is not in the child's best interest. Lastly, we conclude that the Grandparent Visitation Statute is unconstitutional as applied because Kelsey did not overcome the presumption in favor of Lyons and Michels' visitation decision with clear and convincing evidence that their decision is not in A.A.L.'s best interest.
¶43 Based upon the record below, we decline to remand the case to the circuit court. The visitation order violated the constitutional rights of Lyons and Michels and we decline to force the parties into additional litigation that would further burden Lyons and Michels' fundamental liberty interest in the care and upbringing of A.A.L.
By the Court. -Order of the circuit court is vacated.
Michels v. Lyons, No. 2017AP1142, unpublished certification (Wis. Ct. App. May 8, 2018).
All subsequent references to the Wisconsin Statutes are to the 2015-16 version unless otherwise indicated.
The Honorable James M. Isaacson of Chippewa County Circuit Court presided.
In its order regarding Lyons and Michels' motion for reconsideration, the circuit court limited the date range for Kelsey's summer trip with A.A.L. and provided some guidelines as to the trip.
Troxel v. Granville,
However, Justice Clarence Thomas in his Troxel concurrence made clear that he would apply strict scrutiny: "[T]he State of Washington lacks even a legitimate governmental interest-to say nothing of a compelling one-in second-guessing a fit parent's decision regarding visitation with third parties." Troxel,
We recognize that there may be substantial benefits to a child to have close and sustained ties with extended family and that grandparents can serve an important role in a child's life. See, e.g., Roth v. Weston,
In Roger D.H. v. Virginia O.,
Wisconsin Stat. § 48.925, in pertinent part, reads:
Upon petition by a relative who has maintained a relationship similar to a parent-child relationship with a child who has been adopted by a stepparent or relative, the court, subject to subs. (1m) and (2), may grant reasonable visitation rights to that person if the petitioner has maintained such a relationship within 2 years prior to the filing of the petition, if the adoptive parent or parents, or, if a birth parent is the spouse of an adoptive parent, the adoptive parent and birth parent, have notice of the hearing and if the court determines all of the following:
(a) That visitation is in the best interest of the child.
(b) That the petitioner will not undermine the adoptive parent's or parents' relationship with the child or, if a birth parent is the spouse of an adoptive parent, the adoptive parent's and birth parent's relationship with the child.
(c) That the petitioner will not act in a manner that is contrary to parenting decisions that are related to the child's physical, emotional, educational or spiritual welfare and that are made by the adoptive parent or parents or, if a birth parent is the spouse of an adoptive parent, by the adoptive parent and birth parent.
Wisconsin Stat. § 54.56, in pertinent part, reads: "If one or both parents of a minor are deceased and the minor is in the custody of the surviving parent or any other person, a grandparent or stepparent of the minor may petition for visitation privileges with respect to the minor ...." Pursuant to the statute, the circuit court must determine that the visitation is in the best interest of the minor.
Wisconsin Stat. § 247.24(1)(c) (1975-76) reads:
(1) In rendering a judgment of annulment, divorce or legal separation, the court may:
....
(c) Grant reasonable visitation privileges to a grandparent of any minor child if the court determines that it is in the best interest and welfare of the child and issue any necessary order to enforce the same.
According to a Legislative Reference Bureau analysis, the 1975 precursor to the Wisconsin Stat. ch. 767 grandparent visitation statute "codifies the authority of the court in actions affecting marriage to grant visitation privileges to grandparents where it is in the best interest of the child." See Holtzman v. Knott,
See, e.g., Jones v. Jones,
In S.A.M. v. Meister,
The doctrine of stare decisis is of particularly important concern here where this court "has authoritatively interpreted a statute" and the legislature "remains free to alter its construction" if it believes that we interpreted the statute incorrectly. Progressive N. Ins. Co. v. Romanshek,
See, e.g., Walker v. Blair,
Most of these courts construe their statutes to also require proof of a significant bond between a grandparent and grandchild that, if severed, would threaten the welfare of the child. See, e.g., Walker,
If parental fitness were an issue, Wis. Stat. ch. 48 may be implicated.
The circuit court did not reference the factors laid out in the Grandparent Visitation Statute in its oral ruling on Kelsey's petition. It was not until the hearing on Lyons and Michels' motion for reconsideration that the circuit court articulated its reasons for granting Kelsey's petition and the required presumption.
Although the circuit court referred to the schedule as "bare bones," a minimum of five hours a month and one week every summer with no travel restrictions is not insignificant.
Concurring Opinion
¶44 I agree with the majority that Wisconsin Stat. § 767.43(3) infringes upon parents' fundamental liberty interest in the care, custody, and upbringing of their children and therefore must withstand strict scrutiny in order to be constitutional. Majority op., ¶2. I also agree that the circuit court's visitation order in this case violated the constitutional rights of the parents and I join the mandate vacating the circuit court's order. I write separately because when subjected to a strict scrutiny analysis, *502§ 767.43(3) must fall as facially unconstitutional, not merely unconstitutional as applied to the parents in this case as the *34majority decides. The State "lacks even a legitimate governmental interest-to say nothing of a compelling one-in second-guessing [ ] fit parent[s'] decision[s] regarding visitation with third parties." Troxel v. Granville,
I
¶45 The parents in this case challenge the constitutionality of
*35(3) Special grandparent visitation provision. The court may grant reasonable visitation rights, with respect to a child, to a grandparent of the child if the child's parents have notice of the hearing and the court determines all of the following:
(a) The child is a nonmarital child whose parents have not subsequently married each other.
(b) Except as provided in sub. (4), the paternity of the child has been determined under the laws of this state or another jurisdiction if the grandparent filing the petition is a parent of the child's father.
(c) The child has not been adopted.
(d) The grandparent has maintained a relationship with the child or has attempted to maintain a relationship with the child but has been prevented from doing so by a parent who has legal custody of the child.
(e) The grandparent is not likely to act in a manner that is contrary to decisions that are made by a parent who has legal custody of the child and that are related to the child's physical, emotional, educational or spiritual welfare.
(f) The visitation is in the best interest of the child.
A constitutional challenge to a statute presents a question of law reviewed de novo. Nankin v. Vill. of Shorewood,
*503Mayo v. Wis. Injured Patients and Families Comp. Fund,
¶46 Both the United States Supreme Court as well as this court recognize parents' fundamental liberty interest in raising their children. See *36Troxel,
¶47 Wisconsin Stat. § 767.43(3) implicates this fundamental right of parents by interfering with parents' decisions regarding who may spend time with their children and to what extent. Accordingly, strict scrutiny review applies and the statute's constitutionality depends upon the State's ability to identify a compelling interest furthered by the statute and to demonstrate how the statute is narrowly tailored to meet that compelling state interest. If the statute fails this test, it violates the Constitution.
¶48 What compelling state interest warrants overruling parents' fundamental rights to decide with whom their child spends time? The text of *504
¶49 The majority neglects to identify any "compelling state interest" justifying judicial meddling in the decision-making of two fit parents regarding visitation. In conclusory fashion, it asserts that
¶51 For example, Chapter 48-The Children's Code-explicitly proclaims its purpose is to protect children from parents whose actions or inaction subject their children or unborn children to an actual or substantial risk of physical or emotional harm and to protect children's "health and safety" by, among other State actions, remedying "any circumstances in the home which might harm the child" or removing a child from the parental home when necessary "to ensure that the needs of a child" are met, including "the need for adequate food, clothing and shelter; the need to be free from physical, sexual or emotional injury or exploitation; the need to develop physically, mentally and emotionally to their potential; and the need for a safe and permanent family."
*41¶52 Protecting children from either an actual or substantial risk of physical or emotional harm stemming from parental inability or unwillingness to provide for children's basic needs presents a compelling interest: in the face of such parental deficits, the children's survival depends on the State stepping in. See In re TPR to Diana P.,
*506¶53 Other jurisdictions reviewing third-party visitation statutes have determined that the only compelling state interest justifying interference with parents' fundamental rights is harm to the child or unfit *42parents. See Moriarty v. Bradt,
¶54 I agree with these other jurisdictions in concluding that the only compelling interest warranting the State's intrusion upon two parents' fundamental right to raise their child as they mutually see fit is harm to the child. Wisconsin already has expansive statutory provisions set forth in Chapter 48 governing the State's intervention in family matters to protect children from harm that has been or may be inflicted upon them as a result of their parents' incapacities or unfitness. Regardless, nothing in the text of
¶55 The majority endeavors to "save" the grandparent visitation statute from facial invalidation by concluding that
¶56 The majority goes on to caution a circuit court against "improperly substituting its judgment for that of fit parents,"
¶57 Even if a compelling state interest could be identified, Wisconsin's grandparent visitation statute is not narrowly tailored. The text of
¶58 The majority's opinion in this case changes very little for families similarly situated. In future cases, circuit courts in Wisconsin must follow Troxel and presume that the decisions of fit parents as to what is best for their child is correct, and must give the parents' determinations "special weight" (whatever that means). Then the circuit court must merely find that a petitioning grandparent has overcome the Troxel presumption by clear and convincing evidence, which affords the circuit court the discretion to overrule the decisions of fit parents and instead impose on the family the circuit court's view of the best interests of the child. Surely the fundamental liberty interest of parents in being free from State interference in the care, custody, and upbringing of their families-"perhaps the oldest of the fundamental *508liberty interests recognized by" the United States Supreme Court-deserves much more protection than this. *46¶59 Of course, grandparents can play significant and beneficial roles in the lives of their grandchildren.
II
¶60 Federal and State courts consistently ground the fundamental right of parents to raise their children, without governmental interference, in the "substantive" due process protection of the Fourteenth *47Amendment. See Troxel,
All people are born equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights; among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; to secure these rights, governments are instituted, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.
The parents do not, however, construe or analyze this section of Wisconsin's Constitution, nor do they offer any argument challenging
*49III
¶62 I concur with the majority's conclusion that the circuit court's visitation order unconstitutionally violated Michels' and Lyons' fundamental right to parent their daughter. I part with the majority because I would declare
¶63 I am authorized to state that Justice DANIEL KELLY joins this concurrence.
Because the majority's opinion applies only to the parents in this case, it will force fit parents to expend significant financial resources (which many parents lack) in order to litigate anew the very issues presented to this court, the adverse emotional impact of which is often suffered most acutely by the child. In this case, the parents' attorney advised the circuit court that: "My clients have no money left. They both are completely taxed out." The circuit court acknowledged the parents "spen[t] a lot of money that could be used for [the child] or other reasons than trying to defend themselves in court[.]" Some courts recognize that the very initiation of a lawsuit where fundamental rights are at stake violates the Constitution, improperly intrudes into the family, and causes trauma, "expense, stress, and [the] pain of litigation." See, e.g., Roth v. Weston,
This court accepted Roger D.H.'s reading of the statute in S.A.M. v. Meister,
A fundamental canon of statutory construction instructs that "[n]othing is to be added to what the text states or reasonably implies (casus omissus pro omisso habendus est ). That is, a matter not covered is to be treated as not covered." Antonin Scalia & Bryan A. Garner, Reading Law: The Interpretation of Legal Texts 93 (2012). This canon has been described as a "principle ... so obvious that it seems absurd to recite it" because it "is not [the judge's] function or within his power to enlarge or improve or change the law."
The majority's reliance on Rick v. Opichka,
Married couples and their children are spared the State's intrusion provided the parents are fit.
In this case, nothing warranted the State meddling with this family. There was no pending family law matter between the parents. There was no placement or custody battle. Both parents are alive and actively present in their daughter's life. The parents, although living separately, amicably share placement of their daughter and both agreed to keep the grandmother involved in their daughter's life.
The majority misrepresents my recognition of "a compelling state interest for state intervention where parental unwillingness results in a substantial risk of emotional harm to the child" in other Wisconsin statutes as an acknowledgment that "there are circumstances under which the Grandparent Visitation Statute can be constitutionally enforced." Majority op., ¶¶32-33 (emphasis added). The textual identification of harm to a child as a compelling state interest cannot be imported from other Wisconsin statutes into
Majority op., ¶2.
Majority op., ¶41.
Majority op., ¶41.
Majority op., ¶42.
I cite various factors used in foreign statutes not to affirm their constitutionality, but to illustrate how Wisconsin's grandparent visitation statute lacks any tailoring whatsoever. Even a narrowly-tailored statute may nevertheless be unconstitutional. See, e.g., Jones v. Jones,
Importantly, and as recognized by the majority, the record in this matter shows Michels and Lyons did not cut the grandmother out of their child's life. The grandmother simply would not accept the child's changing schedule, which reduced or eliminated some of the previous grandmother-grandchild activities. A grandparent's desire for a "better" visitation schedule is insufficient to warrant state intervention. Rogers v. Rogers,
In its amicus brief, the Cato Institute suggests "[t]he Privileges or Immunities Clause contains what should be the Fourteenth Amendment's primary mechanism for limiting state infringement of substantive rights."
Justice Clarence Thomas repeatedly applies an originalist interpretation of the Privileges or Immunities Clause, identifying it, rather than the Due Process Clause, as the proper source for protecting fundamental constitutional rights, and noting that the United States Supreme Court " 'marginaliz[ed]' the Privileges or Immunities Clause in the late 19th century by defining the collection of rights covered by the Clause 'quite narrowly.' " Timbs v. Indiana, 586 U.S. ----,
Justice Antonin Scalia opined that "[i]n my view, a right of parents to direct the upbringing of their children is among the 'unalienable Rights' with which the Declaration of Independence proclaims 'all men ... are endowed by their Creator.' ... The Declaration of Independence, however, is not a legal prescription conferring powers upon the courts[.]" Troxel,
Reference
- Full Case Name
- In the MATTER OF the Grandparental VISITATION OF A. A. L.: In Re the Paternity of A. A. L.: Cacie M. Michels, Petitioner-Appellant, v. Keaton L. Lyons, Respondent-Appellant, Jill R. Kelsey, Petitioner-Respondent.
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- Published