ÿWPC 1K&Qüð|5Ðy¡ÿƽm{jQâð”y°aQ]õósQ]æû[q×í@…UÄUØ&h??){œS;àW$—nx°ØB#àA¸Ži#©lÌO¨. _ìY¨¤YU!Õ»,éÞO…E¡ÊaT~k¥÷š+!°bŬ#/‰:>͑و³É6ÍQÔÔªñè~i3ycó‘9˜„çÌïóÝG§_Z7LÐ/õÞì‚Ïÿ›Õ¶X´ —N¤¨bõ©Š ‹qyß­ßãlüÕ×ÂêÄ«ìgH@|Õ´Øcž{šZ¹&™ßvá_É=õ€£¯±ÔઇjId–B}>ZR¡Ñ>õöŽ3j%ñ nŽÛƒžq$p» Èõ Ìãz§2‰0­œZVÖS«²OüÁ¡qìpt¨»ÎE hg§»zÒø«k}ñÝÒ+¹Þ:qÊDoM°ÌâöråÜúrçjŸÁ0W2¸:tÄ¿;KyÃrÔ䲕î\ß²;#èí{mdf.ÎzÖT”Ï^©¡ˆp3cs.CÛ%1v¬ŽÉb#É\ %% ^ + 0ˆ7 UN¿ w 4 z% ÒŸ q € m‚ UN™ Æç Æ­ ÆsÆ99NÿÿÿEb 0ë     Böö 0¤ D3· D-ê 0K ASbƵ 0¤{ 0D A«c˜\\IB01S01\CLERK1NASÈÈ,,,,ÈÈ0»–’/Ï (`£ª$¡¡Ñ€.ÑÑ8€½­»»d»»d8ÑÑ ý ÑÓ  Ó(í€"  Z6Times New Roman Regularqdj/ê:i¢×+00 ˜C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wpt3|xÿU‹ÿÀÀÀ(ÖÃ9 Z ‹6Times New Roman RegularLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5‚Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5„Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5…Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5- ù-(|G2æE$¤¤Ý ƒ£ª!ÝÑ€.ÑÑ8€P»»dXXdì8ÑÑ ý ÑÓ  ÓÝ  Ýà  àòòÚ  Ú0Ú  ÚóóÔ€ôü ò»»Ô d(|3 _$££Ý ƒ£ª!ÝÑ€.ÑÑ8€P»»dXXdì8ÑÑ ý ÑÓ  ÓÝ  ÝVVVV'ÿÿdxd)!ÈÈÈÈdxdx( ±þ$’’ò òFigure€Ú  Ú1Ú  Úó ó^_X`YEþÿ<<CÿÿƒLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3 _$¢¢Ý ƒ£ª!ÝÑ€.ÑÑ8€P»»dXXdì8ÑÑ ý ÑÓ  ÓÝ  Ý($$””ò òÚ  Ú1Ú  Úó óX[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿCÿÿ HKKKKÝ ƒ£ª!ÝÑ€.ÑÑ8€P»»ddÈ8ÑÑ ý ÑÓ  ÓÝ  ÝÔ_ÔÑ  ÑÔ€¼P»»»ÔÑ8€aXXdì»»d8ÑÑ  Ñà@ü ü ìàÔ‡îB\PÔIN€THE€COURT€OF€APPEALS€OF€TENNESSEEˆÐ ° Ðà@kk$ìàAT€NASHVILLEÔ#†¼P»îîB\ #ԈРÖ& ÐÓ  ÓNovember€6,€2003€SessionÐ üL ÐÔ‡XaX»¼PÔÌò òÔ#†¼P»XXaõ#ÔSTATE€OF€TENNESSEE,€DEPARTMENT€OF€CHILDRENððS€SERVICES,Ð úJ ÐIN€THE€MATTER€OF:€D.L.(P.)C.,€Ô_ÔJ.L.Ô_Ô,€Ô_ÔA.L.Ô_Ô,€and€Ô_ÔK.L.Ô_Ôòòóó,€òòet€alóó.Ô‡XaX»¼PÔó óÐ  ^ ÐÌà@@½½ìàò òDirect€Appeal€from€the€Circuit€Court€for€Davidson€CountyÐ  ^ Ðà@@øøìàNo.€02D„2444€€€€€€Muriel€Robinson,€JudgeÐ ú J ÐÌÌà@@ìì*ìàßA€V) °°` d€÷E<½` AßÐ ¾  ÐÌà@@TTìàNo.€M2003„00088„Ô_ÔCOAÔ_Ô„R3„CV€„€Filed€December€15,€Ô_Ô2003Ô_ÔÐ ¹  ÐÌßA€V) °°` dE<` AßÐ ‘á  Ðó óÌÓ  ÓÔ‡ XaXXXaÔMother€appeals€the€trial€courtððs€award€of€custody€of€her€four€minor€children€to€the€TennesseeÐ ŒÜ ÐDepartment€of€Childrenððs€Services€based€on€a€finding€of€dependency€and€neglect.€€We€affirm.Ð xÈ Ðò òó óÔ#†XaXX Xa„#ÔÔ#†¼P»XXa/#ÔÔ‡XaX»¼PÔÌÓxÓÌò òTenn.€R.€App.€P.€3€Appeal€as€of€Right;€Judgment€of€the€Circuit€Court€Affirmed;€andÐ <Œ ÐRemandedó óÐ (x ÐÌòòÓ  ÓÔ#†¼P»àXa×#ÔÔ‡XaX.¼PÔDavid€R.€Farmer,€J.óó,€delivered€the€opinion€of€the€court,€in€which€òòW.€Frank€Crawford,€P.J.,€W.S.óóÐ P Ðand€òòHolly€M.€Kirby,€J.óó,€joined.Ð ì< ÐÌJ.€Stephen€Mills,€Nashville,€Tennessee,€for€the€appellant,€Holly€P.€Lowery.Ð Ä ÐÌPaul€G.€Summers,€Attorney€General€and€Reporter€and€Douglas€Earl€Ô_ÔDimondÔ_Ô,€Assistant€AttorneyÐ œì ÐGeneral,€for€the€appellee,€State€of€Tennessee€Department€of€Childrenððs€Services.Ð ˆØ ÐÌNick€Ô_ÔPerenichÔ_Ô,€Nashville,€Tennessee,€Guardian€ad€Litem€for€Ô_ÔJ.L.Ô_Ô,€Ô_ÔA.L.Ô_Ô€and€Ô_ÔK.L.Ô_ÔÐ `!°  ÐÓ–ÓÌò òOPINIONó óÔ#†¼P»XXaÅ#ÔÔ‡XaX»¼PÔÐ 8#ˆ" ÐÔ#†¼P»XXa #ÔÓ  ÓÔ€XaX»¼PÔÔ‡ XaXXXaÔò òÌà  àó óIn€December€2000,€the€Juvenile€Court€of€Davidson€County€granted€a€petition€of€theÐ %` $ ÐDepartment€of€Childrenððs€Services€(ð ðDCSðð)€for€emergency€removal€and€custody€of€the€children€ofÐ ü%L!% ÐHolly€Perry€(ð ðMotherðð)€and€Kenneth€Lowery€(ð ðFather,ðð€collectively,€ð ðParentsðð)€after€the€coupleððsÐ è&8"& Ðsix„month€old€child,€Ô_ÔA.L.Ô_Ô,€suffered€severe€head€injuries.€€Parentsðð€youngest€child,€Ô_ÔK.L.Ô_Ô,€was€bornÐ Ô'$#' Ðafter€the€older€children€were€removed€from€Parents,€and€was€placed€in€DCS€custody€shortly€afterÐ À($( Ðbirth.€€Ð ¬)ü$) ÐÌà  àFollowing€hearings€in€2001€and€2002,€the€juvenile€court€found€by€clear€and€convincingÐ „+Ô&+ Ðevidence€that€the€children€were€dependent€and€neglected.€€The€court€further€found€that€Ô_ÔA.L.Ô_Ô€was€theÐ p,À', Ðvictim€of€severe€child€abuse.€€In€light€of€the€medical€evidence,€the€court€found€Parentsðð€testimonyÐ \-¬(-ý ÐÔ_Ôthat€their€four„year€old€son€injured€A.L.€while€Parents€were€sleeping,€and€that€Parents€did€not€hearÐ ° ÐA.L.€cry,€to€be€not€credible.€€The€court€held€that€either€Mother€or€Father€was€the€perpetrator€of€A.L.ððsÐ œì Ðinjuries,€and€that€the€other€failed€to€protect€the€child.€€Ð ˆØ ÐÌà  àThe€juvenile€court€entered€its€order€of€adjudication€on€June€26,€2002,€and€Parents€appealed.€Ð `° ÐA€trial€òòde€novo€óówas€held€in€circuit€court€on€November€20„21,€2002.€€By€order€of€December€2,€2002,Ð L œ Ðthe€circuit€court€adopted€the€juvenile€courtððs€findings€and€sustained€the€order€of€adjudication.€Ð 8 ˆ ÐMother€filed€a€timely€notice€of€appeal€to€this€Court.€€Father€filed€an€untimely€notice€of€appeal,€whichÐ $ t Ðthis€Court€dismissed€on€March€20,€2003.€€A€termination€of€parental€rights€hearing€is€pending€inÐ  ` Ðjuvenile€court.€€We€affirm€the€judgment€of€the€trial€court.Ð ü L  ÐÌÓ  Óòòò òIssues€Presented€ó óóóÐ Ô$  ÐÌà @ àÓ Óà  àMother€raises€the€following€issues€for€our€review:Ð ¨ø  ÐÌà8  à(1)à0` Ð Ð àWas€the€trial€court€in€error€when€it€found€by€clear€and€convincing€evidenceÐ €Ð  Ðthat€Holly€Perry€was€the€perpetrator€of€severe€abuse€against€A.L.?Ðl¼` Ð ` Ð  ÐÌà8  à(2)à0` Ð Ð àDoes€the€trial€courtððs€finding€that€Holly€Perry€failed€to€protect€A.L.€fromÐ D” Ðsevere€child€abuse€constitute€severe€child€abuse?Ð0€` Ð ` Ð  ÐÌà8  à(3)à0` Ð Ð àWas€the€juvenile€court€in€error€when€it€denied€Holly€Perryððs€request€for€returnÐ X Ðof€custody€after€she€had€substantially€complied€with€her€permanency€plan?€Ð ôD ÐÐ ` Ð ` Ð  ÐÓ  Óò òòòStandard€of€Review€óóó óÐ Ì ÐÓ‰ÓÌà  àA€dependent€or€neglected€child€includes€a€child€whose€parent€or€guardian,€by€reason€ofÐ  ð Ðcruelty,€mental€incapacity,€immorality€or€depravity,€is€unfit€to€care€for€the€child;€a€child€who€is€underÐ ŒÜ Ðunlawful€or€improper€care€or€supervision;€or€a€child€who€is€suffering€from€abuse€or€neglect.€€Tenn.Ð xÈ ÐCode€Ann.€ðð€37-1-102(b)(12)(B)(C)(G)(2001).€€A€trial€courtððs€determination€that€a€child€isÐ d´ Ðdependent€and€neglected€must€be€supported€by€clear€and€convincing€evidence.€€Tenn.€Code€Ann.€ððÐ P   Ð37-1-129(c)(2001).€€The€ð ðclear€and€convincing€evidenceðð€standard€is€more€exacting€than€theÐ