Howard H. Vogel
Knoxville, Tennessee
Editor-in-Chief, TBALink

IN THE MATTER OF D. B. (d.o.b. 6/2/01)
STATE OF TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN'S SERVICES v.
RAMONA BOKAN AND AIRE THOMAS DAILEY

Court:TCA

Attorneys:

Ronald E. Darby, Camden for the respondent/appellant Ramona Bokan

Sharon G. Hutchins, Office of the Attorney General for
petitioner/appellee State of Tennessee Department of Children's Services

Judge: KIRBY

First Paragraph:

This case is about termination of parental rights. The father was
incarcerated, and the mother lived in a mobile home in abysmal
conditions, with no telephone and no transportation. The child was born
on the floor of the mobile home and hospitalized shortly thereafter. Due
to the poor living conditions, the State took custody of the child. Over
the next three years, the mother and father worked with the Department
of Children's Services in an attempt to remedy the conditions that
prevented the child's return. These conditions included alcohol and drug
abuse and domestic violence. The juvenile court found that the parties
continued to engage in physical abuse, and that the mother nevertheless
continued to live with the father, creating unsafe living conditions for
the child. The juvenile court terminated the parental rights of both
parents, finding that the conditions that precluded the child's safe
return to the home still persisted after three years and would likely
continue. The mother appealed. We affirm, finding that the evidence
supports the juvenile court's finding of persistent conditions.

http://www.tba.org/tba_files/TCA/2005/db61505.pdf