WPC C/i}L5 0^)o\&⪘ş~Mkͦv&u j8`l<> aȈ/p(UʺhIj9K>߭b~j| ĵ=h 6WŚCI%7?VֲV1] o40/`"}"3|,'6ĬYڷhEMX=7ɎjX|ғ6ubZ&OX;ߡ}\_=Qs.=uY ` 8Uv!aXE+dkK=&F_c&Qbf"+saLc;Wlg/H!! vWt`ާ,3=b}L$b %\^ b 0nUNwD4H\ zk m UN 0D b (   #z N;;=EEEEEEEEEEEGGGGGGGGGGGGb 0 B 0 D3G D-z 0K ASE 0  0D A  m+ (`$.8dd8    ("  Z6Times New Roman Regularm~g+h3|x 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.wptU(I Z6Times New Roman Regular(#$  0  Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5HP LaserJet 8000 Series PS0  R'$      1       _ ` Themotheriswhiteandthefatherisblack. R'$      2       _ ` ThecorrectCodeSectionis361113(g)(9)(B)(ii).- - R'$      3       _ ` ThecorrectCodeSectionis361113(g)(9)(A)(vi).(|G2'$ !.8d d 8         0  iP d(|3E$ !.8d d 8     VVVV'dxd)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3E$ !.8d d 8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.8 Dd d8     _   R_ 8cXXdd 8  @  G R_INTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE  @WW$ATKNOXVILLE# R_ G #Ԉ &   July10,2001Session L  XSX R_ # R_X XS#JAMESLEEJONES,III,etal.v.PIERCEBRANDONGARRETT,a/k/a J PERRYGARRETT XSX R_   ^ @@ AppealfromtheCircuitCourtforHamblenCounty  ^ @@No.98CV059KendallLawson,Judge  J FILEDNOVEMBER9,2001 "  @@*AV) ` dE<` A   @@TTNo.E200000196COAR3CV   AV) ` dE<` A      ThisisasuitwhereinJamesLeeJones,III,andhiswifeseekadeterminationthatPierceBrandon  Garrett,a/k/aPerryGarrett,hasabandonedhissonsothattheymayadopthim.TheTrialJudge x foundbyclearandconvincingevidencethatabandonmenthadoccurred,butdidnotmakeany d findingastothebestinterestofthechild.Weaffirmthefindingastoabandonmentandremandthe P caseforadeterminationastobestinterest. <  Tenn.R.App.P.3AppealasofRight;JudgmentoftheCircuitCourtAffirmedinPart; d VacatedinPart;CauseRemanded  P   # R_ XS# XSX. R_HoustonM.Goddard,P.J.,deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhichHerschelP.Franksand ( CharlesD.Susano,Jr.,JJ.,joined.  DouglasR.Beier,Morristown,Tennessee,fortheAppellant,PierceBrandonGarrett,a/k/aPerry  Garrett  JonathanR.Perry,Morristown,Tennessee,fortheAppellees,JamesLeeJones,III,andStephanie `!  TrentJones L"!  OPINION # R_X XS# XSX R_ $$t# # R_X XS #   XSX R_  Inthisadoptionproceeding,filedonFebruary13,1998,JamesLeeJones,III,andStephanie %L!% TrentJones,seektoadoptCalebLukeJones(DOB1/30/98),achildwhosemotherisAmyMichelle &8"& Penland,whohadsurrenderedthechildtotheJonesesforadoption.InanamendmentfiledonApril '$#' 9,1998,thefather,PerryGarrett,wasmadeapartytotheproceeding. ($(   AtfirstMr.Garrettattackedtheserviceofprocess,butlaterwaivedanyirregularitythereto *%* andansweredthepetitionresistingterminationofhisparentalrightsandseekingcustodyofthe +&+ child. p,',  \-(-   AfterafullevidentiaryhearingtheTrialCourtfoundthatMr.Garretthadabandonedthe  child,andbyorderenteredonAugust13,1998,terminatedhisparentalrights.    Mr.Garrettappeals,contendingthattheevidencedoesnotshowbyclearandconvincing t evidencethathehadabandonedhisson,andthattheTrialCourtdidnotmakeafindingbyclearand ` convincingevidencethatitwasinthebestinterestofthechildthathisparentalrightsbeterminated. L    Inthisnonjurycase,ourreviewisdenovoupontherecordoftheproceedingsbelow; $ t however,thatrecordcomestouswithapresumptionthatthetrialcourt'sfactualfindingsarecorrect.  ` Tenn.R.App.P.13(d).Wemusthonorthatpresumptionunlesswefindthattheevidence  L  preponderatesagainstthetrialcourt'sfactualfindings.UnionCarbideCorp.v.Huddleston,854  8  S.W.2d87,91(Tenn.1993).Thetrialcourt'sconclusionsoflaw,however,arenotaccordedthe $  samedeference.Campbellv.FloridaSteelCorp.,919S.W.2d26,35(Tenn.1996).   Ѐ     TheproofshowsthatMr.GarrettandMs.Penland,whowerenevermarried,hadan   unprotectedsexualliaisonfromJanuarytoJune1997,andthatshetoldhiminatelephone   conversationasearlyasOctober7,1997,thatshewasexpectinghischild.Thisconversationwas p verifiedbyatleastonewitness,andperhapstwo. \   HedeniedparenthoodonthegroundthatMs.Penlandwaslivingwithanotherman,which 4 hepresumedwasthefatherofthechild,althoughthatrelationshipdidnotbeginuntilaftershe  p becamepregnant.  \   Ultimately,afterMr.Garrettsawapictureofthechildwhichrevealedthathewastheproduct 4 oftheunionofpersonsofdifferentraces,   #  1      ׀heconcludedthathewasthefatherofthechildandfiled   apetitiononMay26,1998,seekingtohavehimselfdeclaredthefather.Thispetitionwassustained.     BasedupontheforegoingprooftheTrialCourtmadethefollowingfindingsoffactand  conclusionsoflaw:  @66' OPINION X   0 Thisisacaseforterminationofparentalrights.0"  X X   THECOURTFINDSthatMr.PierceBrandonGarrett,thebiological $X" fatherofthechildinthiscause,afterreceivingnoticeasdefinedatT.C.A.361 $D # 113(g)(9)(A)(ii),T  #  2      ׀thathewasbelievedtobethebiologicalfatherofthechild, %0!$  failedtofileapetitiontoestablishpaternitywithinthirty(30)daysafterreceiving &"% saidnotice.Therefore,inaccordancewiththeprovisionsofT.C.A.361  113(g)(8)(A)(vi)2  #  3      ׀theparentalrightsofthebiologicalfathershouldbeterminated.     Asheretoforestated,Mr.Garrettcontendstheevidencedoesnotrisetotheclearand t convincinglevelrequiredbytheStatute.WeagreewiththeTrialCourtthatT.C.A.361 ` 113(g)(9)(A)(vi)justifiestheterminationofparentalrights: L   (vi)Thepersonhasfailedtofileapetitiontoestablishpaternityofthe $ t childwithinthirty(30)daysafternoticeofallegedpaternitybythechild'smother,  ` orasrequiredin362318(j),oraftermakingaclaimofpaternitypursuantto  L  361117(c)(3).  8    NoticeisdefinedinT.C.A.361113(g)(9)(B)(ii)asfollows:    (ii)"Notice"alsomeanstheoralstatementtoanallegedbiologicalfather   fromabiologicalmotherthatheisbelievedtobethebiologicalfatherofherchild.     Mr.Garrettcontendsthatbecauseinaseparateproceedinghewasfoundtobethelegalas \ wellasthebiologicalfatherofthechild,theforegoingprovisiondoesnotapply,butappliesonlyto H caseswherenosuchrelationshiphasbeenestablished.WeseenothingintheStatutethatsupports 4 thisinsistence.  p   Finallyastothispoint,wenoteanunreportedopinionofthisCourt,BethanyChristian H Services,Inc.v.Jackson,filedinKnoxvilleonMay19,1999,whereinthisCourtapprovedthe 4 applicationofthesubsectioninquestionandusedthefollowinglanguage:   Lastly,ground(vi)providesthatthe"personhasfailedtofileapetitionto  establishpaternityofthechildwithinthirty(30)daysafternoticeofalleged  paternitybythechild'smother."Jacksondidnotfileapetitiontoestablish  paternity,anddidnotadmitthepaternityuntilMarch,1998,whenbloodtests l werereturned.Thestatute,however,requiresonlynoticeofallegedpaternity,not X  certainpaternity.Underthetermsofthestatute,thisgroundforterminationof D! parentalrightsexistsaswell.(Emphasisinoriginal.) 0"    Finally,Mr.GarrettcorrectlypointsoutthattheTrialCourtdidnotmakeaspecificfinding $X" byclearandconvincingevidencethatterminationofMr.Garrettsparentalrightswasinthebest $D # interestofthechild.ThisCourt,inSorrellsv.Sorrells,anopinionauthoredbytheauthorofthis %0!$ opinion,anunreportedopinionfiledinKnoxvilleonMay9,2000,reversedanddismissedasuit &"% seekingterminationofparentalrightsbecausetheTrialCourtfailedtomakesuchafinding. '#&   (#'   Subsequently,however,inthecaseofWhitev.Moody,anunreportedopinionofthisCourt,   filedinNashvilleonApril2,2001,alsoauthoredbytheauthorofthisopinion,inaddressing  Sorrells,weconcludedthatuponfurtherreflection, itismoreappropriatethatthiscaseberemanded  totheTrialCourtforabestinterestdetermination. t   Weaccordinglyremandthecaseforthatpurpose. L    FortheforegoingreasonsthejudgmentoftheTrialCourtisaffirmedinpartandvacatedin $ t part,andthecauseisremandedforfurtherproceedingsnotinconsistentwiththisopinion.Costsof  ` appealareadjudgedonehalfagainstPerryBrandonGarrettandonehalfagainstJamesLeeJones,  L  III,andStephanieTrentJones.  8     `     h   _________________________________________      `     h   HOUSTONM.GODDARD,PRESIDINGJUDGE