Dependency Law Finder

Florida's dependency statutes, court rules and DCF operating procedures, with the appellate opinions that apply them

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J. v. Department of Children & Families175 So. 3d 944 (Fla. 1st DCA 2015) · 1D15-2544

Court
1st DCA
Decided
2015-10-20
Case
Dependency
Appellant
Mother
County
Duval

Affirmed Dependency affirmed after the mother's physical altercation injured two children; one judge would reverse as to the five siblings for lack of imminent risk.

Issue
Dependency adjudication: sufficiency of evidence
Facts
Physical abuse or injury

Summary, issues, facts, outcome, and appellant were extracted automatically from the opinion. Check the opinion itself before relying on them.

Court's PDF On CourtListener
PER CURIAM.

The Department of.Children and Fami-.. lies (Department) filed a petition for dependency ' after the mother in this case, J.L.-B., ended up in a physical altercation with two of her seven minor children on January 22, 2015. Both children involved,I.L. and A.B., sustained injuries .as a result of the altercation, although neither required medical attention. (I.L. had moved out of the home at the time of the dependency trial, with the mother’s, consent.) The mother now appeals the trial court’s order finding all seven children -dependent, but adjudicating dependent only I.L. and A.B., while withholding adjudication as to five of their siblings.

We have jurisdiction, under Florida, Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.146(b). E.M.A. v. Dep’t of Children & Families, 795 So.2d 183, 184 (Fla. 1st DCA 2001); see In re M.C., 11 So.3d 1013, 1014 (Fla. 2d DCA 2009); see also R.B. v. Dep’t of Children & Families, 799 So.2d 441, 442 (Fla. 5th DCA 2001) (“[A] trial court order finding a child dependent but withholding an adjudication of dependency is properly reviewable by this court pursuant to rule 9.030(b)(1)(A) of the Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure.”). We affirm-the trial court’s order in all respects.

Affirmed.

ROWE and MARSTILLER, JJ., concur. BENTON, J., concurs in part and dissents in part with opinion.

BENTON, J.,

concurring in part and dissenting in part.

I concur in affirming the trial court’s-finding that I.L. and A.B. were abused and the adjudication of dependency as to those two children, but respectfully dissent from any finding that the other children were dependent.

The trial cohrt’s finding'that the other five' children are at substantial risk of imminent abuse, abandonment, or neglect is, in my view, not supported by the evidence. See § 39.01(15)(f), Fla. Stat. (2014). The last verified report of physical abuse involving the .mother (before the present case) antedated the physical altercation with I.L. and A.B. by -ten years.

Accordingly, I would affirm the adjudication of dependency as to I.L. and A.B., but reverse the finding of dependency as to C.D., H.L., B.B., A.L., and N.S.


                                          IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL
                                          FIRST DISTRICT, STATE OF FLORIDA J. L.-B., Mother of I.L., C.D.,           NOT FINAL UNTIL TIME EXPIRES TO H.L., B.B., A.B., A.L., N.S.,             FILE MOTION FOR REHEARING AND Minor Children,                           DISPOSITION THEREOF IF FILED
      Appellant,                          CASE NO. 1D15-2544 v. DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES,
      Appellee. _____________________________/ Opinion filed October 13, 2015. An appeal from the Circuit Court for Duval County. Suzanne Bass, Judge. Robert W. Keep, Jr., Joshua Goldsborough, and Niki Guy, Office of Criminal Conflict & Civil Regional Counsel, Region One, Jacksonville, for Appellant. Ward L. Metzger, Appellate Counsel, Jacksonville, for Appellee; Wendie Michelle Cooper, Appellate Counsel, Guardian ad Litem Program, Sanford.


PER CURIAM.
      The Department of Children and Families (Department) filed a petition for dependency after the mother in this case, J.L.-B., ended up in a physical altercation with two of her seven minor children on January 22, 2015. Both children involved, I.L. and A.B., sustained injuries as a result of the altercation, although neither required medical attention. (I.L. had moved out of the home at the time of the dependency trial, with the mother’s consent.) The mother now appeals the trial court’s order finding all seven children dependent, but adjudicating dependent only I.L. and A.B., while withholding adjudication as to five of their siblings.
      We have jurisdiction, under Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.146(b). E.M.A. v. Dep’t of Children & Families, 
795 So. 2d 183, 184
 (Fla. 1st DCA 2001); see In re M.C., 
11 So. 3d 1013, 1014
 (Fla. 2d DCA 2009); see also R.B. v. Dep’t of Children & Families, 
799 So. 2d 441, 442
 (Fla. 5th DCA 2001) (“[A] trial court order finding a child dependent but withholding an adjudication of dependency is properly reviewable by this court pursuant to rule 9.030(b)(1)(A) of the Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure.”). We affirm the trial court’s order in all respects.
      Affirmed. ROWE and MARSTILLER, JJ., CONCUR; BENTON, J., CONCURS IN PART AND DISSENTS IN PART WITH OPINION. BENTON, J., concurring in part and dissenting in part.
      I concur in affirming the trial court’s finding that I.L. and A.B. were abused and the adjudication of dependency as to those two children, but respectfully dissent from any finding that the other children were dependent.
      The trial court’s finding that the other five children are at substantial risk of imminent abuse, abandonment, or neglect is, in my view, not supported by the evidence. See § 39.01(15)(f), Fla. Stat. (2014). The last verified report of physical abuse involving the mother (before the present case) antedated the physical altercation with I.L. and A.B. by ten years.
      Accordingly, I would affirm the adjudication of dependency as to I.L. and A.B., but reverse the finding of dependency as to C.D., H.L., B.B., A.L., and N.S. 

Opinion text: CourtListener, Free Law Project. Not an official reporter; check the court's version before citing.