Dependency Law Finder

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

data.robertlathamesq.org · All tools

Before you use this site

This site aggregates legal authorities from a variety of public sources. It is AI and human reviewed. Text processing errors can occur. Always check the information here against the official linked source.

This site is publicly available. Use for general research only. Do not submit confidential or identifiable case information.

I don't agree: show the official sources

In re S.H.992 So. 2d 316 (Fla. 2d DCA 2008) · 2D08-834

Court
2nd DCA
Decided
2008-09-26
Case
TPR
Appellant
Father

Reversed Termination based solely on incarceration reversed because the father's remaining prison term was not a substantial portion of the time before the children reach majority.

Issue
TPR ground: incarceration
Facts
Parent's incarceration

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

On CourtListener
992 So.2d 316 (2008)

In the Interest of S.H., T.H., S.H., and S.H., children.
S.H., Appellant,
v.
Department of Children and Family Services and Sally Fulp, Guardian ad Litem, Appellees.

No. 2D08-834.

District Court of Appeal of Florida, Second District.

September 26, 2008.
Rehearing Denied October 27, 2008.

*317 Kimberly Nolen Hopkins, Tampa, for Appellant.

Bernie McCabe, State Attorney and Susan M. Williams, Assistant State Attorney, Clearwater, for Appellee Department of Children & Family Services.

Ama N. Appiah, Orlando, for Appellee Sally Fulp.

LaROSE, Judge.

S.H. argues that the trial court erroneously terminated his parental rights to his four children based solely on his incarceration. We have jurisdiction. See Fla. R.App. P. 9.146. We agree with S.H. and reverse.

The Department of Children and Family Services (DCF) filed an amended petition to terminate S.H.'s parental rights pursuant to section 39.806(1)(d)(1), Florida Statutes (2007). In pertinent part, the statute provides for termination of parental rights when the parent is incarcerated and the period of expected incarceration constitutes a substantial portion of time before the child will attain the age of majority. Id. DCF alleged no other grounds for termination.

DCF must satisfy section 39.806(1)(d)(1) with clear and convincing evidence. B.C. v. Fla. Dep't of Children & Families, 887 So.2d 1046, 1054-55 (Fla. 2004). The trial court must measure the time of remaining incarceration and minority from the date the petition for termination is filed. Id. at 1055. Here, DCF filed the amended petition when the children, who included twins, were two, three, and four years old. When S.H. is released from prison, the children will be eight, nine, and ten years of age.

In B.C., the supreme court deemed four years of remaining incarceration an insubstantial portion of time before the child, then four years old, would attain majority. Id. at 1048, 1055. "[T]he statutory language `requires the court to evaluate whether the time for which a parent is expected to be incarcerated in the future constitutes a substantial portion of the time before the child reaches eighteen, not whether the time the parent has been incarcerated is a substantial portion of the child's life to date.'" Id. at 1052 (quoting J.P.C. v. Dep't of Children & Family Servs. (In re J.D.C.), 819 So.2d 264, 266 (Fla. 2d DCA 2002) (emphasis supplied)). We have held that a father's remaining eight-year incarceration did not constitute clear and convincing evidence of incarceration for a "substantial portion of time" before the child, then eight months old, reached the age of majority. J.H. v. Dep't *318 of Children & Family Servs. (In re E.I.F.), 872 So.2d 924, 928 (Fla. 2d DCA 2004). Similarly, S.H.'s remaining term of incarceration cannot be the basis for termination under section 39.806(1)(d)(1). Accordingly, we must reverse the trial court's order terminating S.H.'s parental rights.

Reversed.

CASANUEVA and WALLACE, JJ., Concur.

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