Justia Juvenile Law Opinion Summaries

After it was discovered that Katrina R., who was fifteen years old at the time, sent nude photographs of herself to her boyfriend's cellular phone, Katrina was adjudicated under Neb. Rev. Stat. 43-247(3)(b) as a child who deports herself so as to injure or endanger seriously the morals or health or herself or others. At the dispositional hearing, the juvenile court ordered that Katrina serve six months' probation, that she be placed in the legal custody of The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and that she participate in counseling and community service. DHHS appealed the order, contending that the juvenile court erred in simultaneously committing Katrina to DHHS and placing her on probation in the same juvenile court case. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding that is within the juvenile court's statutory power to issue a dispositional order for juveniles adjudicated under section 43-247(3)(b) that includes both legal custody with DHHS and supervision by a probation officer. View "In re Interest of Katrina R." on Justia Law

A county court, sitting as juvenile court, adjudicated Trey H. and committed him to the custody of the Office of Juvenile Services (OJS) with placement in his parental home. After Trey violated his treatment plan, the court changed his placement to a youth rehabilitation and treatment center (YRTC) operated by OJS. The court then conducted a review hearing in which the Department of Health and Human Services argued that the juvenile court did not have statutory authority to order the review hearings. After examining the juvenile code, the Supreme Court concluded that a juvenile court lacked subject matter jurisdiction to conduct review hearings for such juveniles. Because the order was void, the Court vacated the order and dismissed the Department's appeal. View "In re Interest of Trey H." on Justia Law

Meridian H. is a 3-year-old girl who had been in foster care for all but a few weeks of her life. Her presumed biological father had died before she was born, and her biological motherâs parental rights were terminated. She had two minor siblings who were adopted before she was born. Meridianâs adoptive parents, on behalf of the siblings, intervened in the juvenile courtâs proceedings to request that Meridian be placed in their home in Minnesota to keep the siblings together. Meridianâs maternal grandparents also intervened and filed a cross appeal seeking custody. The juvenile court denied the requests, and the adoptive parents and maternal grandparents appealed. The Supreme Court was ânot persuaded that it would be logical or prudent to conclude that a constitutionally protected sibling relationship somehow [rose] from the ashes of a lawfully terminated or relinquished parent-child relationship.â The Court concluded that neither the adoptive parents, the siblings nor the maternal grandparents had standing to challenge the juvenile courtâs ruling. The Court dismissed the appeals.