AI Generated Opinion Summaries

This summary was computer-generated without any editorial revision. It is not official, has not been checked for accuracy, and is NOT citable.

Facts

• In September 2017, the Children, Youth, and Families Department (the Department) filed an abuse and neglect petition against Angela C. (Mother), alleging endangerment, failure to provide care, and failure to protect Children’s older sibling from abuse. Children were placed in the Department's custody. Mother initially complied with a treatment plan but was later found to have substance abuse issues, leading to Children's removal from her home. The Department filed a motion to terminate parental rights due to Mother's inability to provide care (paras 2-4).

Procedural History

• District Court of San Juan County: Found Children were neglected and ordered Mother to comply with a treatment plan (para 2).
• District Court of San Juan County: Changed Children’s permanency plan to adoption and filed a motion to terminate parental rights (para 4).

Parties' Submissions

• Petitioner-Appellee (the Department): Argued that Mother was unable or unwilling to provide parental care or control for Children, citing substance abuse, domestic violence, and lack of supervision (para 4).
• Respondent-Appellant (Mother): Contended that the district court abused its discretion by admitting hair follicle drug test results and argued that their admission was reversible error (para 1).

Legal Issues

• Whether the district court abused its discretion in admitting hair follicle drug test results.
• Whether the admission of hair follicle drug test results constituted reversible error.

Disposition

• The Court of Appeals affirmed the district court's order terminating Mother's parental rights to Children (para 13).

Reasons

• The Court of Appeals, with Judges B. Zamora, Kristina Bogardus, and Zachary A. Ives concurring, found that even if the admission of the hair follicle drug test results was error, substantial evidence supported the termination of parental rights. The court highlighted Mother's continued struggle with substance abuse, failure to complete treatment programs, and the negative impact on Children's welfare. The court determined that the Department met its burden of proving by clear and convincing evidence that the conditions and causes of neglect were unlikely to change in the foreseeable future, thus supporting the termination of parental rights even without the contested drug test results (paras 5-12).