Sheboygan County DHHS v. J.L., 2023AP1884, 1/3/24, District 2 (one-judge decision; ineligible for publication); case activity In yet another appeal of the circuit court’s discretionary decision to terminate a parent’s rights, COA easily rejects J.L.’s invitation to reweigh the evidence. J.L.’s appellate challenge is narrow. Having stipulated to grounds, his only argument on appeal is… Read more
G. Disposition, Secs. 48.426-427
State v. S.H., 2023AP1786, 12/19/23, District I (one-judge decision; ineligible for publication); case activity S.H. raises a very specific challenge to the order terminating her parental rights to her son, H.C.: that the circuit court failed to consider the age of H.C.’s foster mother with regard to the best interests of the child at disposition… Read more
State v. M.E.E., 2023AP1510, 11/28/23, District I (one-judge decision; ineligible for publication); case activity In a dense and fact-dependent opinion, COA affirms under well-settled standards of review. “Michael” attacks the sufficiency of the evidence with respect to both grounds found by the jury in this TPR appeal–continuing CHIPS and failure to assume parental responsibility. (¶7)… Read more
State v. T.J., 2023AP1239-1242, 11/28/23, District I (one-judge decision; ineligible for publication); case activity Despite a battery of legal challenges, COA swiftly and efficiently marches toward affirmance in this TPR appeal. “Tony’s” parental rights to four of his children were terminated following a jury trial. Accordingly, he first attacks three evidentiary rulings made during the… Read more
D.T.S. v. B.E.C., 2023AP1081, 10/5/23, District 4 (one-judge decision; ineligible for publication); case activity B.E.C. is A.R.G.’s birth mother. D.T.S. is A.R.G.’s father. D.T.S. had sole physical custody after her mother left A.R.G. in his care when A.R.G. was two. Later, D.T.S. remarried and moved for termination of B.E.C.’s rights to A.R.G., alleging, as relevant… Read more
Chippewa County Department of Human Services v. T.M.J., 2023AP463 & 2023AP464, 10/24/23, District III (one-judge decision; ineligible for publication); case activity In another fact-dependent decision, COA affirms the circuit court’s order terminating parental rights with respect to 2 children. After a bench trial, the circuit court found “Tracy” unfit under the “Continuing CHIPS” standard. (¶3)… Read more
State v. S.A., 2023AP1288-1292, 10/10/23, District I (one-judge decision; ineligible for publication); case activity In a fact-dependent decision, COA affirms the circuit court’s order terminating parental rights with respect to 5 children. After exhaustively laying out the sad underlying facts in this TPR appeal over the span of 12 pages, COA begins its legal analysis… Read more
State v. R.T., 2023AP1095 & 2023AP1096, District I, 9/12/23, 1-judge decision ineligible for publication; case activity (briefs not available) R.T. (“Richard”) pled no contest to grounds but disputed whether his parental rights should be terminated at disposition. Specifically, Richard argued that “there was no support in the record for the court’s finding that it was in… Read more
