WPC En VVy14Iɽrqa2ѬN9S ~#~Wk_,F mLF6{L((\sFK*l׋\Igr2!ܭBMa!ĸFvQ^O,QW\~ #dbQPndEELjl_kidbf2;hUe)^&Ȼ7U K;)67EC{?cbфŹg66UӘȡ,A%!1G1Up[ ~6FwxhmY6X"eAvnܔ1.3(`Jzj 輴L=%ƕ 8nU~dطd 6RwG+9Ɲս$(fPzʰ5%G!$[Jx )%TӃ!BR[uC6KsXubb#\ %% ^ + 07 UN w@ 4M za    m 1 \ " 0DtN 0cTEUNUB 1uI 72btttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt 0|||| Bgg 0 D3( D-[ 0K AS& 0 0D A\\IB01S08\KNOXCLERK4,,,,0l/ (`$.8dd8    ("  Z6Times New Roman Regular {|D}D~DDDE=.:i+00 C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wpt3|xU(CEKQW]cioAutoList11)1)1)1)1)1)1)1)Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(#$  0    RDM AGMRoaneBrunerVillasenorSantoskyC.W.W.ODaniel(;3$2#  0  .3  0  (9 Z6Times New Roman Regular\  `*Times New RomanTT3#37=CIQYag1.a.i.(1)(a)(i)1)a)i) R؈$      1  XEX  _Themotherdidnotperfectanappeal. RXx$      2  XAiX  _ThemotherdidnotappealtheTrialCourtsterminatingherparentalrights.- -(|G2؈$ !.8dd8         0  XEX d(|3q$ !.8dd8     VVVV'dxd)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3q$ !.8dd8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.8dd8     _8EXXdd8@ INTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE  @$ATKNOXVILLE  @44October17,2003Session $ XEX #XXE#  RDMv.STATEOFTENNESSEE,DEPARTMENTOFCHILDRENS " SERVICES,INTHEMATTEROF:AGM,AChildUnderEighteenYearsof  6 AgeXEX   J @  DirectAppealfromtheCircuitCourtforRoaneCounty  J @ No.12079Hon.RussellSimmons,Jr.,CircuitJudge  6  _   `  _   h FILEDNOVEMBER12,_2003_@*AV) ` dE<` A߈   @No.E200300330_COA_ԄR3CV   AV) ` dE<|` A }  TheTrialCourtterminatedparentsparentalrights.Thefatherhasappealed.WeaffirmtheTrial x Court. d #XXE#XEX|| Tenn.R.App.P.3AppealasofRight;JudgmentoftheCircuitCourtAffirmed.  < }}HerschelPickensFranks,J.deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhichCharlesD.Susano, d Jr.,J.,andD.Michael_Swiney_,J.,joined. P #XXE#XEX~~SpenceR.Bruner,Kingston,Tennessee,forAppellant. ( PaulG.Summers,AttorneyGeneralandReporter,and  JuanG.Villasenor,AssistantAttorneyGeneral,Nashville,Tennessee,forAppellee.  @66' OPINION #XXE#XEXԈ L"! XXXXE   ` TheTrialCourtseveredtheparentalrightsoftheparentstoAGMatthebehestofthe $$t# DepartmentofChildrensServices( DCS).Thebiologicalfather,RDM,hasappealed. #  1      ׀ %` $ @% BACKGROUND  p    &8"&    ` ThiscaseoriginatedwithaPetitionforTemporaryCustodyfiledbyDCSregarding ($( aminorchild,AGM,againstherparents.Atthetimethemotherwasincarcerated,andtherewas )$) noonelefttotakecareofthechild.AProtectiveCustodyOrderwasenteronMarch24,1998, *%* _grantingcustodyofthechildtoDCS,duetotheemergencysituation.ByOrderdatedOctober19,  1998,RDMwasdeterminedtobethefather(sincethemotherwasmarriedtosomeoneelseatthe  timethechildwasborn).Hewasgranted4hoursvisitationpermonthattheDCSofficepending  furtherhearing.However,afewmonthslater,thevisitationwaschangedtosupervisedvisitation, t andaprovisowasaddedthatiftherewere anyfurtherproblemsorifeitherparentwasarrested, ` thevisitationwouldbesuspended. L     ` Thepaternalgrandmotherfiledaseriesofpetitionsseekingcustodyofthechild,all $ t withoutsuccess.  ` @& THETRIAL   8     ` InJanuary2002,DCSfiledaPetitiontoTerminateParentalRights,settingforth   numerousgroundsfortermination,andthatterminationwouldbeinthechildsbestinterest.   Numerouswitnessestestified,andtheCourtfoundthatalthoughneitherparenttestified,themother   hadadvisedtheCourtatahearinginFebruarythatshehadresumedlivingwiththefather,despite   injuriesheinflicteduponherinAugust2001.TheCourtfoundthatbothparentshadwillfullyfailed p tovisitthechild,thatthechildhadbeenremovedformorethansixmonths,theconditionsleading \ toremovalstillpersisted,andthefatherwasincompetenttocareforthechildbaseduponhismental H condition.TheCourtfoundthatbothparentshadfailedtocomplywiththePlanofCare,andthat 4 returningthechildtotheparentswouldposeariskofsubstantialharm.Further,theCourtheldthat  p itwasinthechildsbestinteresttoterminateparentalrights.Theevidencedoesnotpreponderate  \ againsttheTrialCourtsfactualdetermination.Tenn.R.App.P.13(d). H @% DsISCUSSION   s    ` Thefatherraisesonappealwhethertherewasclearandconvincingevidenceto  supportthegroundsfortermination,andwhetherterminationwasinthechildsbestinterests?t #  2      t     ` #XFXXX#XFXXXFAparenthasafundamentalrighttothecare,custody,andcontrolofhischild. l Stanleyv.Illinois,405U.S.645,92S.Ct.1208(1972).#XFXXXFW#XXXXFSuchrightisnotabsoluteandmaybe X  terminatedifthereisclearandconvincingevidencetojustifysuchterminationundertheapplicable D! statute,andadditionally,thecourtmustfindthatterminationisinthechildsbestinterest.Santosky 0"  v.Kramer,455U.S.745,102S.Ct.1388(1982);TennesseeDept.ofHumanServicesv.Riley,689 #l! S.W.2d164(Tenn.Ct.App.1984);Tenn.CodeAnn.361113(c). $X"      ` Terminationofparentalrightsisappropriateiftherecordcontainsclearand %0!$ convincingevidencetosupportanyofthebasesfoundbythetrialcourtfortermination.See:Inre &"% C.W.W.,37S.W.3d467(Tenn.Ct.App.2000),and_ODaniel_Ԁv.Messier,905S.W.2d182(Tenn. '#& Ct.App.1995). (#'    ` Inthiscase,theTrialCourtterminatedtheparentalrightsbaseduponthefollowing |*%) statutorygrounds: h+&* _ (83     ` 1.0 abandonment; (# (#   0 ` 2.0 ` (#` (#failuretosubstantiallycomplywiththeplanofcare;andt (# (#   0 ` 3.0 ` (#` (# thatthechildhadbeenremovedformorethansixmonths,andtheconditions L  requiringremovalstillpersistedandwouldnotlikelyberemediedinthenear 8  future.$ t (# (# Additionally,theCourtfoundthattherewasclearandconvincingevidencethatterminatingthe  L  fathersparentalrightswasinthechildsbestinterest.  8  I.0   (#(#    ` zInthiscase,tz{T{heproofwasundisputedthatthefatherhadnotvisitedthechildsinceSeptember   2001,andthePetitiontoTerminatewasfiledinJanuary2002.Undisputedproofalsoshowedthat   thefathercouldhavescheduledvisitationwiththechild,butfailedtodoso,andhehadneverpaid   anychildsupport,althoughhereceiveddisabilitybenefits.        ` Moreover,theevidenceshowsthatDCShadattemptedtoassistthefathertomake \ asuitablehomeforthechild,butinsteadhepersistedinacourseofviolentbehaviortowardthe H motherandothers,ofalcoholism,andofsuicidalbehavior.WeaffirmtheCourtsfindingthat 4 abandonmentwasprovedbyclearandconvincingevidence.TheCourtalsofound,andtheproof  p was_undisputed_Ԁthatthefathersignedoffontheplanofcareandwasmadeawareofitsrequirements,  \ buthefailedtocomplywiththeparentingplan.TheevidenceplainlysupportstheCourtsfinding H onthisissue. 4    ` Finally,theTrialCourtfoundthechildhadbeenremovedformorethansixmonths,   andthattheconditionswhichledtotheremovalpersisted,andwereunlikelytoberemediedinthe  nearfuture.Theevidenceinthisregardestablishedthefatherhadtakennostepstoremedyor  changehissituationinanymeaningfulway.TheCourtwaspresentedwithproofthatthefoster  familywaswellbondedtothechild,andwouldbewillingtoadopther.Failingtoterminatewould l leavethechildinthesamestatethatshehadbeeninforthelastfouryears,withnorealhopeof X  improvement.Clearlyitwasinthechildsbestintereststoterminatetheparentalrightsofthefather D! sothatthechildcouldbeintegratedintoasafe,stable,andpermanenthome. 0"     ` WeaffirmtheJudgmentoftheTrialCourtandremand,withthecostoftheappeal $X" assessedtothefather,RDM. $D # #XFXXXA#XXXXF# XXu#tX-X att# XXe)#tXX    `     h     _________________________ (#'    `     h     HerschelPickensFranks,J.#XFXXX%)##=XXF)#XFX=