Termination of Parental Rights

82.21 Appeals After Remand

In Re P.P. and M.P., COA07-18, Michael Reece for appellant-mother
Mother had appealed permanency planning hearing and the COA vacated and remanded. No remand hearing was held and DSS instead filed TPR petitions. There was a 5 month delay between the filing of the petitions and the hearing. This was prejudicial to respondent-mother since she had already been denied the right to the remand and review hearings and violated her constitutional rights.
COA Opinion

In Re I.J. and T.J., COA07-608, Michael Casterline for appellant-mother
A second TPR petition is barred by principle of res judicata as the first petition had been involuntarily dismissed and second petition contained no new allegations.
COA Opinion

In Re Z.L.H., B.L.H., COA09-1355, Leslie Rawls for appellant-mother
The trial court erred when it denied Mother's motion to dismiss because the previous trial court order operated as res judicata on matters presented in the prior TPR Petition and not found by the trial court as grounds to terminate.
COA Docket