holding that “[e]vidence of illegal drug use or alcohol abuse by a parent is often cited as conduct which will support an affirmative finding that the parent has engaged in a course of conduct which has the effect of endangering the child.”
How later courts described this case
- holding that “[e]vidence of illegal drug use or alcohol abuse by a parent is often cited as conduct which will support an affirmative finding that the parent has engaged in a course of conduct which has the effect of endangering the child.”
- stating that a parent’s history of substance abuse and an inability or unwillingness to admit to having such a problem can support an endangerment finding
- noting that, “to mount a successful challenge on appeal based on evidentiary insufficiency, a party must challenge each affirmative finding of a predicate ground for termination or at minimum challenge the best interest finding”
- stating that a parent’s illegal drug use is relevant to determining present and future risk to a child’s physical and emotional well-being
Written by the judges who cited it.
The opinion
Chief Justice GRAY
concurs in the judgment only to the extent it affirms the trial court’s order that terminated the parental rights. A separate opinion will not issue.