Preview:

STATE OF MICHIGAN
COURT OF APPEALS

In the Matter of ANGEL MILES-COOPER, TIONNE MILES, and NA'IA MILES, Minors.

DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, Petitioner-Appellee, v PHILIPPA MILES, Respondent-Appellant, and LARRY SULLIVAN and ROOSEVELT POLLARD, Respondents.

UNPUBLISHED February 12, 2008

No. 281056 Berrien Circuit Court Family Division LC No. 2006-000080-NA

Before: Talbot, P.J., and Cavanagh and Zahra, JJ. MEMORANDUM. Respondent Miles appeals as of right from a circuit court order terminating her parental rights to the minor children pursuant to MCL 712A.19b(3)(g), (h), (j), and (l). We affirm. The trial court did not clearly err in finding that the statutory grounds for termination were established by clear and convincing evidence. In re IEM, 233 Mich App 438, 450; 592 NW2d 751 (1999). Respondent physically abused her minor nephew and failed to protect her own children from physical and sexual abuse. She was serving a prison sentence for two counts of second-degree child abuse and had three years left to serve on her sentence. Because of her incarceration, she was unable to participate in services designed to rectify her poor parenting skills. Even after her release from prison, it would be necessary for respondent to participate in services for nine months to a year before reunification could be considered. Also, respondent's parental rights to another child were previously terminated after the child became a court ward. Respondent's reliance on Fritts v Krugh, 354 Mich. 97, 114; 92 NW2d 604 (1958), overruled on other grounds by In re Hatcher, 443 Mich. 426, 444; 505 NW2d 834 (1993), for the -1-


proposition that petitioner was required to prove, and the trial court was required to find, that she would neglect her child for the long-term future is misplaced. Fritts predates the enactment of

Download IN RE MILES-COOPER/MILES MINORS.pdf

Michigan Law