I. S. T. v. R. W. B.

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REL: 01/08/2010 Notice: T h i s o p i n i o n i s s u b j e c t t o formal r e v i s i o n b e f o r e p u b l i c a t i o n i n t h e advance s h e e t s o f Southern R e p o r t e r . R e a d e r s a r e r e q u e s t e d t o n o t i f y t h e R e p o r t e r o f D e c i s i o n s , Alabama A p p e l l a t e C o u r t s , 300 D e x t e r A v e n u e , M o n t g o m e r y , A l a b a m a 3 6 1 0 4 - 3 7 4 1 ((334) 2 2 9 - 0 6 4 9 ) , o f a n y t y p o g r a p h i c a l o r o t h e r e r r o r s , i n o r d e r t h a t c o r r e c t i o n s may b e made b e f o r e t h e o p i n i o n i s p r i n t e d i n Southern R e p o r t e r . ALABAMA COURT OF CIVIL APPEALS OCTOBER TERM, 2009-2010 2080932 I.S.T. v. R.W.B. Appeal from Baldwin J u v e n i l e Court (JU-08-244.01) THOMPSON, P r e s i d i n g J u d g e . I n M a r c h 2008, R.W.B. seeking t o terminate ("the f a t h e r " ) filed a complaint t h e p a r e n t a l r i g h t s o f h i s former w i f e , I.S.T. ("the m o t h e r " ) , t o t h e p a r t i e s ' m i n o r c h i l d , J . B . child"). References i n the record indicate that, ("the at 2080932 approximately action t h e same t i m e , seeking to modify the f a t h e r a l s o f i l e d a the visitation provisions judgments p e r t a i n i n g to the p a r t i e s ' d i v o r c e divorce litigation. in matter this The the a c t i o n s t o g e t h e r visitation t r a n s c r i p t of the indicates that and c l a i m t o be the court entered p a r e n t a l r i g h t s to the dispositive of a judgment child. issues this of their tenus the post- hearing considered modification-of- moot a f t e r i t r e a c h e d i t s d e c i s i o n juvenile the ore t h a t i t t r e a t e d the the mother's p a r e n t a l r i g h t s . of and j u v e n i l e court terminate One separate The the appeal. The On June 15, 2009, t h e terminating the mother t i m e l y mother to raises mother mother's appealed. on appeal is argues that the j u v e n i l e c o u r t a p p l i e d an i n c o r r e c t l e g a l s t a n d a r d i n r e a c h i n g i t s judgment. Our We agree. l e g i s l a t u r e has terminated only i f s p e c i f i e d t h a t p a r e n t a l r i g h t s may the convincing evidence" Specifically, the trial 1984 s e q . , A l a . Code 1975, termination supporting Child receives "clear the Protection Act, and termination. 26-18-1 et which governed a c t i o n s p e r t a i n i n g to the of p a r e n t a l r i g h t s , "If the evidence, court be court finds competent, § specified, in part: f r o m c l e a r and convincing m a t e r i a l , and relevant in 2 2080932 nature, t h a t the parents of a c h i l d are unable or u n w i l l i n g t o d i s c h a r g e t h e i r r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s t o and f o r the c h i l d , or t h a t the conduct or c o n d i t i o n of t h e p a r e n t s i s s u c h as t o r e n d e r them u n a b l e t o p r o p e r l y c a r e f o r t h e c h i l d and t h a t s u c h c o n d u c t o r c o n d i t i o n i s u n l i k e l y t o change i n t h e foreseeable f u t u r e , i t may t e r m i n a t e t h e p a r e n t a l r i g h t s o f t h e parents." § 26-18-7(a), Ala. County Dep't of App. 2003) ("A Code 1975. Human Res., 1 859 n o n p a r e n t who See So. also 2d seeks to parental r i g h t s must p r o v e by t h a t the c h i l d r e n a r e d e p e n d e n t and D.O. 439, v. 443 terminate c l e a r and Calhoun (Ala. Civ. a parent's convincing evidence that there a r e no viable a l t e r n a t i v e s t o t h e t e r m i n a t i o n o f p a r e n t a l r i g h t s . " ) ; and parte Beasley, 564 So. 2d 950 ( A l a . 1990) (same). In t h i s case, at the c o n c l u s i o n of the ore tenus the juvenile court convincing evidence, be terminated. judgment, the the stated that i t found, by hearing, clear t h a t the mother's p a r e n t a l r i g h t s However, i n i t s June j u v e n i l e court mother's p a r e n t a l 15, stated that Ex 2009, i t was and should termination terminating r i g h t s b a s e d upon a " p r e p o n d e r a n c e of B y A c t No. 2008-277, A l a . A c t s 2008, § 26-18-7, A l a . Code 1975, was amended and r e n u m b e r e d as § 12-15-319, A l a . Code 1975, a p a r t o f t h e A l a b a m a J u v e n i l e J u s t i c e A c t ("the A J J A " ) , § 12-15-101 e t s e q . , A l a . Code 1975. Neither party has a s s e r t e d t h a t the AJJA a p p l i e s to t h i s a c t i o n . 1 3 2080932 the evidence" r a t h e r than "clear and c o n v i n c i n g evidence." The June 15, 2009, t e r m i n a t i o n j u d g m e n t a p p l i e s an i n c o r r e c t standard, i . e . , the preponderance-of-the-evidence standard. A c c o r d i n g l y , we r e v e r s e t h e June 15, 2009, j u d g m e n t a n d remand the cause f o r the juvenile court to enter a judgment d e t e r m i n i n g whether t h e f a t h e r p r e s e n t e d c l e a r and c o n v i n c i n g evidence i n support of h i s a c t i o n seeking the termination of the mother's p a r e n t a l r i g h t s . REVERSED AND REMANDED. Pittman, Bryan, Thomas, a n d Moore, 4 J J . , concur.

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