In the Interest of O.P., Minor Child
R.P., Father-Appellant
J.V., Mother-Appellant
Attorney for Appellant Father
Blake D. Lubinus (until withdrawal)
Marshall Orsini
Attorney for Appellant Mother
Cole J. Mayer
Attorney for Appellee State
Meredith L. Lamberti, Assistant Attorney General
Guardian ad Litem
Paul White
Court of Appeals
Court of Appeals Opinion
Opinion Number:
Date Published:
Summary
Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Polk County, Kimberly Ayotte, District Associate Judge. AFFIRMED ON BOTH APPEALS. Considered by Doyle, P.J., and Mullins and Greer, JJ. Opinion by Greer, J. (7 pages)
The mother and father separately appeal the termination of their respective parental rights to their child, O.P., born in July 2017. The juvenile court terminated each parent’s rights under Iowa Code section 232.116(1)(h) (2020). On appeal, the mother maintains the State failed to prove the statutory ground for termination, the loss of her rights is not in the child’s best interests, and two exceptions to termination are applicable and should preclude termination. Alternatively, she asks for a six-month extension to work on reunification. The father echoes the mother’s claims and also challenges the court’s March 2020 permanency order, claiming the court should have delayed permanency and given him a six-month extension rather than ordering the termination-of-parental-rights petition to be filed. OPINION HOLDS: We affirm the termination of each parent’s rights to O.P.
