Termination of Parental Rights

By: Derek Hawkins//September 28, 2016//

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WI Court of Appeals – District IV

Case Name: R.J.M. v. M.R.H

Case No.: 2016AP1307

Officials: Lundsten, J.

Focus: Termination of Parental Rights

M.R.H. appeals the circuit court’s order terminating his parental rights to his son, now-13-year-old C.H., after a jury found two grounds for involuntary termination: abandonment and failure to assume parental responsibility. M.R.H. argues that the circuit court erred by allowing the jury to hear evidence relating to M.R.H.’s prior willingness to voluntarily terminate his parental rights and C.H.’s wish to be adopted by his stepfather. I assume, without deciding, that the circuit court erred in allowing the jury to hear that evidence. I conclude, however, that this claimed error was harmless because there is no reason to think that it would have changed the jury’s verdict on at least one of the grounds, abandonment. The order terminating M.R.H.’s parental rights is affirmed.

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Attorney Derek A. Hawkins is the managing partner at Hawkins Law Offices LLC, where he heads up the firm’s startup law practice. He specializes in business formation, corporate governance, intellectual property protection, private equity and venture capital funding and mergers & acquisitions. Check out the website at www.hawkins-lawoffices.com or contact them at 262-737-8825.

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