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In the Interest of A.R., Minor Child
A.R., Father-Appellant
Attorney for Appellant Father
Nellie D. O'Mara
Attorney for Appellee State
Tabitha J. Gardner, Assistant Attorney General
Guardian ad Litem
Alesha M. Sigmeth Roberts
Court of Appeals
Court of Appeals Opinion
Opinion Number:
Date Published:
Summary
Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Franklin County, Peter B. Newell, District Associate Judge. AFFIRMED. Considered by Doyle, P.J., Tabor, J., and Potterfield, S.J. Opinion by Potterfield, S.J. (6 pages)
The father appeals the termination of his parental rights to his child, A.R., born in 2019. He claims the State failed to make reasonable efforts to reunify him with A.R. and he should get additional time because of this failure. The father maintains his first counsel—who withdrew about six weeks before the State filed the petition to terminate—provided ineffective assistance. Specifically, he claims counsel breached duties in failing to advise the father (1) there were additional services he could request and (2) advise the father the failure to participate in services would lead to the termination of his parental rights. OPINION HOLDS: The father’s claims of ineffective assistance fail. And he does not otherwise contest the termination of his parental rights, so we affirm without further consideration.
