Virginia Court Decisions
Family Law - Parental Rights

2133074 Child Custody, Parental Rights, Drug Testing - Amanda D. Lewis v. Vincent E. Hyman 06/10/2008
Trial court did not err in allowing the child's guardian ad litem to remain in the case upon the appeal to circuit court, in awarding custody of child to appellee after considering Code § 20-124.3 factors, or in ordering monthly drug testing for appellee's live-in girlfriend

1710072 Parental Rights, Child Custody, Foster Care - Devin Jamar Jones v. Charlottesville Department of Social Services 05/27/2008
Termination of appellant's parental rights to his child affirmed under Rules 5A:18 and 5A:20 where issue raised on appeal not issue raised in trial court and argument made in appellant's brief is inadequate for appellate review

1951073 Parental Rights - Mary Jo Spain v. Roanoke County Department of Social Services 02/12/2008
Trial court did not err in finding appellee proved by clear and convincing evidence that appellant's parental rights to her child should be terminated and that termination was in child's best interest

2120072 Parental Rights Termination - Dawn Branch v. Petersburg Department of Social Services 02/12/2008
Summary affirmance - evidence was sufficient to support termination of appellant's parental rights to her child where her rights had already been terminated to an older child

2209063 Felony Child Abuse Conviction - Marcus Jermaine Miller, s/k/a Marcas Jermaine Miller v. Commonwealth of Virginia 02/12/2008
Trial court did not err in finding evidence was sufficient that appellant was a "parent, guardian, or other person responsible for the care of" the child at the time the offense occurred; conviction of felony child abuse affirmed

1787073 Termination of Parental Rights - Latricia Porter v. Roanoke City Department of Social Services 02/05/2008
Trial court did not err in terminating appellant's parental rights to her son where evidence proved appellee provided reasonable and appropriate services for her special needs and appellee presented clear and convincing evidence to support termination under Code § 16.1-283(B)

0400074 Parental Rights/Child's Best Interest - Reena Sangwan, a/k/a Mary Eldridge v. Fairfax County Department of Family Services 01/29/2008
Trial court did not err in terminating appellant's parental rights to her child where evidence proved termination was in child's best interest and appellant, without good cause, had been unwilling or unable to remedy conditions leading to child's placement in foster care within a reasonable time

1562073 Parental Rights/Child Abuse & Neglect - Gail Andrews v. Roanoke City Department of Social Services 01/22/2008
Evidence was sufficient to support termination of parental rights to four of appellant's children where it proved it was not reasonably likely conditions resulting in abuse or neglect could be substantially corrected or eliminated with reasonable period and that appellant was without good cause, unable to remedy conditions for a period in excess of twelve months

1789073 Termination of Parental Rights - Victoria M. MacLean v. Roanoke County Department of Social Services 01/22/2008
Evidence was sufficient to support termination of parental rights to appellant's daughter where it proved she was unable to remedy substantially the conditions leading to the child's placement in foster care and efforts were sufficient to assist appellant

1400073 Terminating Parental Rights - Nancy Henness v. Roanoke City Department of Social Services 01/08/2008
Judgment of trial court terminating appellant's parental rights to her child affirmed where her parental rights were terminated under two subsections of statute and appellant only presented argument on appeal with regard to one of the subsections

0129074 Parental Rights - Tracy Hensley v. Culpeper County Department of Social Services 12/04/2007
No error in trial court's decision to terminate appellant's parental rights to three of her children where evidence proved foster care plans were timely filed, the appellee met its burden of proof by clear and convincing evidence, and appellee timely pursued

0657074 Parental Rights - Leslie Neil Miles v. Culpeper County Department of Social Services 12/04/2007
No error in trial court's decision to terminate appellant's parental rights to three of his children where evidence proved foster care plans were timely filed, the appellee met its burden of proof by clear and convincing evidence, and appellee timely pursued termination petitions

0831072 Parental Rights - Tywanda Carter v. Fredericksburg Department of Social Services 11/20/2007
Evidence supports trial court's finding that DSS made reasonable and appropriate efforts to provide services to appellant; trial court did not err in terminating appellant's parental rights to her child

1815064 Parental Rights - Robin Norton v. Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington, Inc. 11/13/2007
Trial court lacked jurisdiction to terminate appellant's parental rights to her children as no valid entrustment agreements were in effect at time trial court terminated

2939062 Parental Rights - Tyrone L. Wheless v. Commonwealth Catholic Charities 11/06/2007
Trial court did not err in concluding evidence was sufficient to justify termination of appellant's parental rights to his child

0710072 Termination of Parental Rights - Lloyd Stewart, III v. Hopewell Department of Social Services 08/28/2007
Termination of appellant's parental rights to his child affirmed where issues presented on appeal are procedurally defaulted under Rule 5A:18

0619072 Parental Rights - Tawanda Evans Saunders v. Charlotte County Department of Social Services 08/21/2007
Summary affirmance - evidence was sufficient to support termination of appellant's parental rights to her child was in child's best interest

1469061 Parental Rights Modification - Elizabeth Anderson v. City of Hampton Department of Social Services 07/31/2007
Trial court did not err in admitting expert's testimony, in approving modification in foster care goal or finding child suffered abuse or neglect; however, as evidence did not support conclusion that appellant was unwilling or unable to remedy alleged abuse within reasonable time, order terminating parental rights reversed

2575064 Parental Rights - Allen Lewis v. Culpeper County Department of Social Services 07/31/2007
Trial court lacked jurisdiction over the petition to terminate appellant's parental rights after appellee's nonsuit; order is vacated and petition is dismissed

0192072 Parental Rights - Timothy Antonio Jones v. City of Richmond Department of Social Services 07/17/2007
Summary affirmance - no error in trial court's finding evidence sufficient to terminate appellant's residual parental rights to his daughter pursuant to Code Section 16.1-283(C)(2)

3091064 Parental Rights - Barbie Bailey v. City of Alexandria Department of Human Services 06/19/2007
Summary affirmance - trial court did not err in terminating appellant's residual parental rights to her minor child pursuant to Code Section 16.1-283(C)(2)

060869 Parental Rights - Haugen v. Shenandoah Valley Dept. of Social Services 06/08/2007 (Revised 06/13/2007) (VIRGINIA SUPREME COURT)
The Court of Appeals of Virginia did not err in ruling that a transcript or statement of facts was necessary in an appeal asserting that the circuit court erred by refusing to require an incarcerated parent's presence during a hearing to terminate her parental rights. However, the present record is sufficient to show that the circuit court abused its discretion by failing to grant a continuance to that parent, who participated by telephone, when federal prison officials terminated her participation before the evidence was completed. The judgment is reversed and the case is remanded.

0593061 Parental Rights - Veto Battle v. City of Portsmouth Department of Social Services 05/29/2007
Trial court did not err in finding the evidence was sufficient to terminate appellant's residual parental rights under to Code Section 16.1-283(B); judgment affirmed

2836051 Parental Rights - Aimee Battle v. City of Portsmouth Department of Social Services 05/29/2007
Trial court did not err in finding the evidence was sufficient to terminate appellant's residual parental rights under to Code Section 16.1-283(B); judgment affirmed

1653064 Termination of Parental Rights - John Hart v. Arlington County Department of Human Services 05/15/2007
Trial court did not err in denying appellant's request for a continuance and finding that termination of appellant's parental rights was in child's best interest

2757061 Parental Right Termination - Tiffany Jackson v. City of Portsmouth Department of Social Services 05/15/2007
Trial court did not err in terminating appellant's parental rights to her child where evidence proved termination was in child's best interest

1462061 Termination of Parental Rights - Christopher L. Luciano v. City of Hampton Department of Social Services 04/24/2007
Trial court did not err in terminating appellant's residual parental rights to his son as the department of social services presented clear and convincing evidence satisfying the statutory requirements of Code Section 16.1-283(C)(2) and establishing that termination of appellant's residual parental rights was in the child's best interests

1777062 Termination of Parental Rights - Kate Rose Trent v. Prince Edward County Department of Social Services 04/24/2007
Trial court did not err in terminating appellant's parental rights to her daughter pursuant to Code Section 16.1-283(B)

1881061 Termination of Parental Rights - Warren Ridley, Sr. v. Chesapeake Department of Human Services 04/24/2007
As this case does not satisfy the ends of justice exception to Rule 5A:18, trial court's decision terminating appellant's residual parental rights to his minor son is affirmed

2896063 Termination of Parental Rights - Tamika Kasey v. Roanoke City Department of Social Services 04/10/2007
Trial court did not err in finding the evidence sufficient to terminate appellant's parental rights to her minor children

1198-06-4 Parental Rights - Lewis v. Sharman 12/12/2006
Trial court erred in ruling the case could proceed on the petition of the guardian ad litem; trial court's decision terminating appellant's residual parental rights to his child is reversed

3010051 Parental Rights - Glenn R. Cartwright v. Kimberly R. Cartwright 10/24/2006
Trial court did not err in holding that Code Sections 16.1-277.02(C) and 16.1-278.3(D) do not permit a non-custodial parent to petition for voluntary relinquishment and termination of parental rights, and in awarding appellee attorney's fees; trial court's dismissal of appellant's petitions to voluntarily relinquish his parental rights is affirmed

1220052 Parental Rights - Richmond Department of Social Services v. Ashley Crawley 01/31/2006
Trial judge did not err in denying the petitions to terminate appellee's residual parental rights as the department of social services did not prove with clear and convincing evidence that terminating appellee's parental rights would serve the children's best interests

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