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.Q. v. E.B.23 So. 3d 1282 (Fla. 4th DCA 2010) · 4D09-2683

Court
4th DCA
Decided
2010-01-06
On CourtListener
PER CURIAM.

This is an appeal by a stepfather from an order denying his petition for termination of the parental rights of a biological father to a little girl. The stepfather brought the petition so he could adopt the child. The biological father is in prison. Although the trial judge made a legal error in focusing on section 39.806(1)(d)l, Florida Statutes (2008), to interpret section 63.089(4), Florida Statutes (2008), we find the error to be harmless. The judge found no abandonment by the biological father on a number of grounds. The significance of the two statutes cited above is that they prescribe different time periods for computation of the portion of the child’s minority that a parent will be incarcerated. See § 63.089(4)(b)l, Fla. Stat. (2008). From the 2013 early release date, there is only an 8% difference in the computation under the two statutes, not enough to reverse the trial court’s order in light of the judge’s other findings.

Affirmed

GROSS, C.J., WARNER and LEVINE, JJ., concur.

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