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Hartleib v. Simes

Docket No. 20080307
Oral Argument: Thursday, September 17, 2009 10:30am

Docket Info

Title
Brock Hartleib, Plaintiff, Appellee
and Cross-Appellant
v.
Ashley Simes, n/k/a Ashley
Farrell,and Susan Simes,
Guardian of L.S.,
a minor child, Defendants, Appellants
and Cross-Appellees
--------------
Guardian ad Litem for L.S.,
a minor child, Wayne D. Goter,
Attorney at Law, Defendant and Appellee
Case Type
CIVIL APPEAL : CHILD CUST & SUPPORT (Div.\Other)
Appeal From
Case No. 06-C-00674
South Central Judicial District, Morton County
David E. Reich
2009 ND 205776 N.W.2d 217
Oral Argument 9/17/2009

Highlight

Procedural due process generally requires fundamental fairness, including notice and a meaningful opportunity to he heard, but the specific requirements of procedural due process are flexible and vary depending upon the circumstances of each case.
The district court has broad discretion over the presentation of evidence and the conduct of a trial or hearing, and the court may impose reasonable restrictions upon the length of the trial or hearing and upon the number of witnesses allowed.
When a parent seeks to terminate a guardianship and regain custody of his or her child, the parent initially has the burden of showing that the impediments leading to creation of the guardianship have been removed; the burden then shifts to the non-parent guardian to rebut the presumption that parental custody is in the best interest of the child by showing "exceptional circumstances"; and, if exceptional circumstances exist, a "best interest of the child" analysis is triggered, with the burden of proof upon the non-parent to establish that it is in the best interest of the child that the guardianship continue.
The fact that a guardianship was voluntarily created with the consent of the parents is, as a matter of law, an "exceptional circumstance" triggering the best interest of the child analysis.
As a prerequisite to awarding grandparent visitation under N.D.C.C. 14-09-05.1, the district court must determine whether the visitation would be in the best interest of the child and whether the visitation would interfere with the parent-child relationship.


Briefs

Filing Date Description
05/01/2009 APPELLANT BRIEF View
07/29/2009 APPELLEE BRIEF (Guardian ad Litem) View
08/06/2009 APPELLEE BRIEF (Hartlieb) View
09/08/2009 REPLY BRIEF of Appellant (E-filed) (PDF) View

Counsel

Party Type Name
APPELLEE PRIVATE PRACTICE Brenda A Neubauer - 05210
APPELLANT PRIVATE PRACTICE Suzanne Marie Schweigert - 05480
APPELLANT PRIVATE PRACTICE Tracy JoHanna Lyson - 06138
APPELLEE GUARDIAN AD LITEM Wayne D Goter - 03791

(Note: Attachments may not be available for recently filed cases and/or confidential documents.)

Seq. # Filing Date Description Attachment
1 11/25/2008 NOTICE OF APPEAL : 11/21/2008
2 11/25/2008 ORDER FOR TRANSCRIPT : 11/21/2008
3 11/28/2008 Acknowledgment of OTR from Cynthia Kurtz
4 11/28/2008 Acknowledgment of OTR & RETENTION OF RECORD ON APPEAL from Sharon Fox : 01/10/2009
5 12/05/2008 NOTICE OF CROSS APPEAL, filed in trial court on 12-3-08
6 12/29/2008 Transcripts dated November 30, 2007
7 12/29/2008 DISK-TRA (11/30/07) e-mailed
8 12/29/2008 CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE OF COPIES OF TRANSCRIPTS (11/30/07).
9 01/06/2009 MOT. EXT/TIME TRANSCRIPT
10 01/06/2009 ACTION BY TRIAL COURT - MTR - Granted : 02/20/2009
11 01/06/2009 TRANSCRIPT DATED April 18, 2008
12 01/06/2009 DISK - TRA (4-18-08) (e-mailed)
13 01/07/2009 Certificate of Service of TRA (4-18-08)
14 02/20/2009 TRANSCRIPTS DATED 1-22-07; 7-17-07; 1-31-08; 4-22-08; 4-23-08; 04/24/08; & 04/25/08 (7 vols.)
15 02/20/2009 DISK - TRA (1/22/07;7/17/07;1-31-08;4/22/08;4/23/08;4/24/08; & 4/25/08)(Also rec'd electronic
16 02/20/2009 copies of transcripts dated 7-24&25-07 & 8-9-07 (See Entry Nos. 137 & 245 of ROA for hard copies)
17 02/23/2009 MOT. EXT/TIME APPELLANT BRIEF (faxed letter from Suzanne Schweigert dated 2-23-09)
18 02/23/2009 E-FILED MOTION (Mot/Ext/ATB) (faxed)
19 02/23/2009 ACTION BY CLERK (Mot/Ext/ATB) - Granted : 05/01/2009
20 02/20/2009 RECORD ON APPEAL 5 Volumes and separates including exhibits, tapes, CD's and sealed items
21 03/24/2009 MOTION FOR Enlargement of Word Limit
22 04/07/2009 Letter identifying issues for the Appellant's brief
23 04/07/2009 ACTION BY CHIEF JUSTICE (granted a total of 13,000 words for the Appellants' brief) - Granted
24 04/29/2009 MOTION FOR extension of page limits
25 04/29/2009 E-FILED MOTION
26 04/29/2009 ACTION BY CHIEF JUSTICE - Denied
27 05/01/2009 APPELLANT BRIEF View
28 05/01/2009 APPELLANT APPENDIX
29 05/07/2009 DISK - atb (e-mailed)
30 05/08/2009 Corrected cover pages for ATB & ATA
31 05/21/2009 MOT. EXT/TIME APPELLEE BRIEF
32 05/21/2009 E-FILED MOTION (MAE)
33 05/21/2009 ACTION BY CLERK (MAE) - Granted : 07/06/2009
34 06/08/2009 MOT. EXT/TIME APPELLEE BRIEF (Guardian ad Litem)
35 06/08/2009 ACTION BY CHIEF JUSTICE (Guardian ad Litem) - Granted : 08/06/2009
36 06/23/2009 MOT. EXT/TIME APPELLEE BRIEF
37 06/23/2009 E-FILED MOTION (MAE)
38 06/24/2009 ACTION BY CHIEF JUSTICE (MAE) - Granted : 08/06/2009
39 07/24/2009 NOTICE OF ORAL ARGUMENT MAILED
40 07/29/2009 APPELLEE BRIEF (Guardian ad Litem) View
41 08/03/2009 DISK-AEB (Guardian ad Litem) CD-ROM
42 08/03/2009 Rec'd 8 copies of corrected cover page for AEB (Guardian ad Litem)
43 08/06/2009 APPELLEE BRIEF (Hartlieb) View
44 08/06/2009 APPELLEE APPENDIX (Hartlieb)
45 08/06/2009 DISK - AEB (Hartlieb) (e-mailed)
46 08/10/2009 MOT. EXT/TIME REPLY BRIEF (e-mailed)
47 08/10/2009 E-FILED MOTION (MRY)
48 08/11/2009 ACTION BY CLERK (MRY) - Granted : 09/08/2009
49 08/27/2009 Motion for extension of word limit of RYB
50 08/28/2009 ACTION BY CHIEF JUSTICE (Request for word limit of Reply Brief granted to a total of 4,000 words) - Granted
51 09/08/2009 REPLY BRIEF of Appellant (E-filed) (PDF) View
52 09/08/2009 E-FILED BRIEF (RYB)(PDF)
53 09/09/2009 Made 7 copies of RYB
54 09/17/2009 APPEARANCES: Suzanne Schweigert and Tracy Lyson/Brenda Neubauer/Wayne Goter, Guardian Ad Litem
55 09/17/2009 ARGUED: Schweigert/Neubauer/Goter
56 09/17/2009 ORAL ARGUMENT WEBCAST
57 12/15/2009 DISPOSITION
58 12/15/2009 UNANIMOUS OPINION : VandeWalle, Gerald W. View
59 12/15/2009 Costs on appeal taxed in favor of appellee
60 12/16/2009 Judgment E-mailed to Parties
61 01/11/2010 MANDATE
62 01/13/2010 RECEIPT SIGNED BY DISTRICT COURT CLERK'S OFFICE
63 01/13/2010 Returned 1st, 2nd & 3rd supplemental certificates to District Court
64 01/15/2010 RECEIPT SIGNED BY DISTRICT COURT CLERK'S OFFICE
65 01/19/2010 RECEIPT SIGNED BY DISTRICT COURT CLERK'S OFFICE
66 10/19/2020 EXPUNGED - Nonpermanent record items destroyed