North Carolina Lawyers Weekly
In re C.A.D. (Lawyers Weekly No. 011-175-16, 19 pp.) (Robert Hunter Jr., J.) Appealed from Cumberland County District Court (Edward Pone, J.) N.C. App.
Holding: In the home they shared, the respondent-mother and her parents repeatedly failed to meet “Beth’s,” “Charlie’s,” and “Richard’s” needs, and they created a home environment where a baby, “Oliver,” died and decomposed for some time, without any explanation from the four adults living in the home. Furthermore, respondent stipulated to Beth’s and Charlie’s neglect multiple times and admitted to violating court orders. The trial court did not abuse its discretion in terminating respondent’s parental rights to serve the best interests of Beth and Charlie.
We affirm the termination of respondent’s parental rights.
We observe that this just result took almost seven years to achieve since Oliver’s death, a tragic delay.
The maternal grandparents have not appealed the trial court’s permanency plan, so respondent lacks standing to argue that they “offered a safe, loving home, [and] the trial court’s permanent plan of adoption or placement with a non-relative was error.”
Affirmed.
