Dependency Law Finder

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

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R.H. v. Department of Children & Families1D2024-0386

Court
1st DCA
Decided
2025-06-11
Case
TPR
Appellant
Mother
County
Escambia

Affirmed Termination summarily affirmed after counsel withdrew under N.S.H. and the mother's own brief offered no legal argument.

Issue
No-merit dismissal

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
          FIRST DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL
                 STATE OF FLORIDA
                 _____________________________

                        No. 1D2024-0386
                 _____________________________

R.H., Mother of R.B., L.B., H.B., Minor Children,

    Appellant,

    v.

DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES,

    Appellee.
                 _____________________________


On appeal from the Circuit Court for Escambia County. David J. Oberliesen, Judge.

                           June 11, 2025


PER CURIAM.

     This is an appeal of the final judgment of termination of the Appellant mother’s parental rights to three children. Upon appointed appellate counsel’s motion to withdraw under rule 9.146(g)(4)(B), Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure, we granted the motion and ordered that the mother would thereafter appear in proper person. See N.S.H. v. Dep’t of Child. and Fam. Servs., 
843 So. 2d 898
 (Fla. 2003). The mother was provided the record and copies of the rules of appellate procedure governing appeal proceedings in termination of parental rights cases, requirements for appellate briefs, and requirements for filing and service.
     The mother’s brief contains no legal argument why the circuit court erred. The final judgment of termination of the mother’s parental rights is therefore summarily affirmed under rule 9.315(a), Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure. See Spencer v. Fla. Power Light/Broadspire, 
141 So. 3d 203, 204
 (Fla. 1st DCA 2013) (“Under rule 9.315(a), summary affirmance is appropriate where the initial brief fails to present a ‘preliminary basis for reversal,’ regardless of the good-faith intentions of the filing party.”).

    AFFIRMED.

BILBREY, KELSEY, and NORDBY, JJ., concur.

                  _____________________________

    Not final until disposition of any timely and
    authorized motion under Fla. R. App. P. 9.330 or
    9.331.
               _____________________________


R.H., pro se, Appellant.

Sarah J. Rumph, Appellate Counsel, Children’s Legal Services, Tallahassee; Sara Elizabeth Goldfarb, Statewide Director of Appeals, and Caitlin E. Burke, Senior Attorney, Appellate Division, Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office, Tallahassee; Jamie Billotte Moses of MMPO Defense, Pro Bono, Defending Best Interests Project, Guardian ad Litem, Orlando. 

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