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You can search the entire site. or go to the recent opinions, or the chronological or subject indices. Stephanie F. v. George C. (1/20/2012) sp-6640
Notice: This opinion is subject to correction before publication in the PACIFIC REPORTER.
Readers are requested to bring errors to the attention of the Clerk of the Appellate Courts,
303 K Street, Anchorage, Alaska 99501, phone (907) 264-0608, fax (907) 264-0878, email
corrections@appellate.courts.state.ak.us.
THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF ALASKA
STEPHANIE F., )
) Supreme Court Nos. S-14035/14055
Appellant and )
Cross-Appellee, ) Superior Court No. 3AN-06-11050 CI
)
v. ) O P I N I O N
)
GEORGE C., ) No. 6640 - January 20, 2012
)
Appellee and )
Cross-Appellant. )
)
Appeal from the Superior Court of the State of Alaska, Third
Judicial District, Anchorage, William F. Morse, Judge.
Appearances: Allen M. Bailey, Anchorage, for Appellant
and Cross-Appellee. Susan Orlansky, Feldman Orlansky &
Sanders, and Mary-Ellen Meddleton, Anchorage, for
Appellee and Cross-Appellant.
Before: Carpeneti, Chief Justice, Fabe, Winfree, Christen,
and Stowers, Justices.
CHRISTEN, Justice.
----------------------- Page 2-----------------------
I. INTRODUCTION
Stephanie F. and George C. both sought physical and legal custody of their
son and daughter.1 Following lengthy proceedings, the superior court found that it would
be in the children's best interests for custody to be awarded to George. This conclusion
was supported in part by findings that the parties' daughter had special needs resulting
from a neurological disorder and George was more capable of meeting those needs. But
the court also found that George committed two acts of violence against Stephanie in the
months leading up to their separation. The acts were described by the court as
"situational violence" not reflective of a chronic pattern of coercive abuse, but
constituting "a history of domestic violence" under AS 25.24.150(g). As a result, a
statutory presumption against awarding custody to George was triggered. The superior
court concluded that George did not rebut the presumption because he did not complete
a batterers' intervention program. Assuming - without deciding - that the perceived
conflict between the statutory presumption and the children's best interests likely
violated the children's and George's right to due process, the superior court avoided the
presumed constitutional infirmity by articulating an alternate standard for overcoming
the statutory presumption. The trial court applied the new standard and awarded sole
legal and primary physical custody to George. Stephanie appeals.
Because the completion of a batterers' intervention program is not the only
way to rebut the presumption in AS 25.24.150(g), and because AS 25.24.150(g) does not
prevent the superior court from conducting a complete best interests analysis, the statute
does not raise due process concerns. The superior court did not abuse its discretion or
make clearly erroneous findings of fact when it ruled that it was in the children's best
interests to be in George's custody, but it did not consider whether the steps George took
1 Pseudonyms have been used to protect the privacy of the parties.
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to address his history of domestic violence rebutted the presumption in AS 25.24.150(g).
We remand for consideration of this issue.
II. FACTS AND PROCEEDINGS
A. Facts
Stephanie F. and George C. married in October 1991 and separated in
August 2006. George owns a consulting and engineering firm in Homer. Stephanie has
a Ph.D. in psychology and works as an educator at the college level. The parties are the
parents of a daughter, Elizabeth, born in September 1999 and a son, Brian, born in
September 2002. Elizabeth has a neurological syndrome called Nonverbal Learning
Disorder (NLD), which shares some attributes of autism. The parties' son does not have
special needs. In December 2004, Stephanie and George learned that Elizabeth, then in
kindergarten, had been assaulted by classmates at school on more than one occasion.
The trial court found that the strain from this discovery, and its aftermath, led to the
deterioration of the parties' marriage.
Stephanie filed a petition for an ex parte domestic violence restraining order
against George in August 2006. She alleged that two instances of domestic violence
occurred in June of that year. One involved George driving dangerously and yelling
with the children in the car. In the other instance, Stephanie alleged that George pinned
her down by her wrists, screamed at her, and spit in her face. After Stephanie obtained
an ex parte domestic violence protective order, George filed for divorce and sought
shared legal and physical custody. In her answer to the complaint, Stephanie sought sole
legal and primary physical custody.
1. The hearing on the long-term protective order
In September 2006 the superior court held a hearing on Stephanie's request
for a long-term protective order. In addition to the instances alleged in her ex parte
petition, Stephanie testified that during a verbal fight in early 2006 she retreated to a
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bathroom in the parties' home and George punched a hole in the door. The superior
court found domestic violence had occurred by a preponderance of the evidence and
granted Stephanie a long-term protective order, but its order was less specific about
whether a second instance of domestic violence occurred:
Specifically, [George] has physically assaulted [Stephanie]
on the occasion of the [pinning] incident and has, through his
conduct, threatened sort of other nonspecific assaults. And
to the extent that he has blocked her from departing the
household or kept her in a certain part of the household, I
don't want to overdramatize this and elevate it to kidnapping,
but . . . I think that that's a form of essentially attempted
assault by placing her in fear that it will escalate if she tries
to depart.
The court did not order George to enroll in a rehabilitation program for perpetrators of
domestic violence though Stephanie had requested this relief in her petition. The court
issued an interim custody order granting Stephanie sole legal and primary physical
custody and granting George six hours of unsupervised visitation per week.
2. The July 2007 custody investigation report
The superior court scheduled trial for August 2007 and appointed Pamela
Montgomery to conduct a custody investigation and make a custody recommendation.2
Montgomery's first report was issued in July 2007. It incorporated a psychological
evaluation of both parties by Dr. Melinda Glass and a psychological evaluation of
Elizabeth by Dr. Cathleen von Hippel. At the time Montgomery issued her report, the
children were ages seven and four.
Dr. Glass opined that both parents had "challenges accurately assessing
their children's needs" and getting along with others, but neither had a diagnosable
2 The trial date was later changed to September 2007 when Stephanie's
motion for a continuance was granted.
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personality disorder. Her report also stated that both parents were capable of meeting
the children's needs, but it was not clear if they would "stop pointing fingers at each
other long enough" to do so. Custody investigator Montgomery reported that the parties
were "generally competent, intelligent adults who dearly love their children" and that
their marriage fell apart after Elizabeth was assaulted.
Custody investigator Montgomery was aware of the superior court's 2006
domestic violence finding, but she observed that there had been no additional allegations
of domestic violence and "no hint of any kind of violence" since that time, and that the
superior court had not ordered George's visitation to be supervised. Montgomery opined
that the children would not be endangered by contact with either parent, observing that
Stephanie asserted herself when she felt wronged and that the parties had done well
negotiating schedule modifications in the period between September 2006 and July 2007.
Dr. von Hippel's comprehensive evaluation of Elizabeth was also
incorporated into Montgomery's report. It reflected Elizabeth's diagnosis of NLD and
explained that Elizabeth required special attention and services such as an Individualized
Education Plan (IEP) at school. Montgomery reported that the parties' son, Brian, did
not have special needs.
Montgomery did not make a final custody recommendation in her July 2007
report. Because of her concern that both parties had psychological issues that could
prevent them from fully meeting Elizabeth's needs, she recommended an additional
observation period and an updated report after George and Stephanie had the opportunity
to participate in counseling. Montgomery recommended shared physical custody on a
three-days-per-week/four-days-per-week schedule in the interim. Because Stephanie
was more involved in the children's day-to-day caretaking at that point, the report
suggested Stephanie receive interim legal custody.
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After receiving the custody investigator's report, Stephanie and George
stipulated to George having unsupervised visitation every other weekend and after school
on Tuesday and Thursday. The children otherwise resided with Stephanie.
3. The proceedings between September 2007 and April 2008
The custody trial began in September 2007 but it was continued to January
and February 2008. Both parties offered extensive testimony from several fact and
expert witnesses.
Stephanie's case relied heavily on the expert testimony of Dr. Noƫl Busch,
who the court deemed qualified as an expert on domestic violence. Dr. Busch did not
evaluate the parties; she testified about the dynamics of domestic violence generally.
Dr. Busch claimed the "negative consequences" of a child's continued post-divorce
contact with an abusive parent are greater than the consequences of having no contact
with that parent at all.3
In response to questions posed by Stephanie's counsel about an exhibit
describing a series of events in a hypothetical marriage, Dr. Busch testified that the series
of scenarios represented a dynamic of coercive control and abuse. When Stephanie
testified, she stated that the hypotheticals accurately reflected scenarios that occurred
during the parties' marriage. But she also conceded in her closing argument that the risk
of George posing a threat of mental or physical harm was outweighed by the children's
need to have contact with George.
3 At the court's request, Stephanie submitted two chapters of a book that
Dr. Busch referred to in her testimony and several journal articles that Dr. Busch
provided. The literature discussed the relationship between the well-being of children
and contact with a nonresident father, and the harmful effects on children of exposure to
domestic violence.
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The superior court also heard testimony from Dr. Glass, the psychologist
who evaluated the parties in March, April, and May of 2007. Dr. Glass opined that there
was a breakdown in the marriage after Elizabeth was assaulted, the parties disagreed
about how to help her in the aftermath, and "problems between [Stephanie and George]
escalated and became quite traumatic." For George, it resulted in what Dr. Glass called
"situational violence as the result of a high conflict." Dr. Glass testified that George's
behavior did not amount to "a pattern of intimate partner violence."
Custody investigator Montgomery testified that Elizabeth's challenges with
NLD made school and interacting with other children particularly difficult. Stephanie
also testified about NLD. In her testimony, Stephanie referred to a book on NLD that
described children with this diagnosis as lacking the "filtering mechanism to block out
extraneous stimuli."4 According to the book Stephanie referred to, children with NLD
are often "unable to anticipate what will happen next,"5 "thrive on routine . . . [and]
need[] as much predictability as possible in order to get through the day without
becoming totally overwhelmed."6
It was uncontested that NLD impacts Elizabeth's ability to function and
learn. Dr. von Hippel's evaluation explained:
[Elizabeth's] weakness in the speed of processing routine
information may make the task of comprehending novel
information more time-consuming and difficult for [her].
Thus, this weakness in simple visual scanning and tracking
4 PAMELA B. TANGUAY, NONVERBAL LEARNING DISABILITIES AT HOME: A
PARENT 'S GUIDE (2001). Rather than allowing Stephanie to read from this book, the
court allowed Stephanie to provide a copy of it to the court. The final set of findings of
fact and conclusions of law cited several passages from this book, including pages 89-90.
5 Id. at 91-92.
6 Id. at 89-90.
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may leave her less time and mental energy for the complex
task of understanding new material.
Dr. von Hippel observed that Elizabeth exhibited: (1) a lack of coordination, balance and
fine motor skills; (2) difficulty with spatial relations; and (3) "misinterpretation of body
language or tone of voice, deficits in social judgment and interactions, [and] difficulty
with personal space."
In January 2008 the custody investigator testified that for children with
difficulties like Elizabeth, among other strategies, "the recommendation is to . . . get
them [to school] early, so they have a longer period of time to settle in, [and] be ready
to roll at the beginning of the school day. . . ." But in the fall 2007 semester, Elizabeth
was tardy 37 days and absent seven days out of a total of 85 school days while in
Stephanie's custody. When asked to explain the tardies and absences, Stephanie testified
that Elizabeth was late to school because Elizabeth was "very resistant and
noncompliant" in the mornings making it hard for Stephanie to get her up, dressed, and
out the door. Stephanie testified that she also had difficulty getting Brian to preschool;
she explained he did not like school on the days George was going to be picking him up
and that Brian told her he did not like his dad. George presented conflicting testimony
on this point.
In January 2008 the superior court expressed to the parties that the
presumption in AS 25.24.150(g) against awarding custody to a parent with a history of
perpetrating domestic violence might prevent the court from awarding George joint
physical custody.7 George's counsel expressed surprise that the presumption might
7 AS 25.24.150(g) states:
There is a rebuttable presumption that a parent who has a
history of perpetrating domestic violence against the other
(continued...)
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apply, and asked that the evidence be reopened to permit the presentation of testimony
from George's private therapist, Lisa Turner.8 George's argument was that private
counseling Turner provided after Elizabeth was assaulted and after the parties separated
amounted to the "same thing" as the "intervention program for batterers" identified in
AS 25.24.150(h) as a way of rebutting the presumption against awarding George
custody.9 The superior court granted George's motion. An evidentiary hearing was held
in April 2008 where both parties were allowed to present evidence and argument on
whether George rebutted the presumption in .150(g).
(...continued)
parent, a child, or a domestic living partner may not be
awarded sole legal custody, sole physical custody, joint legal
custody, or joint physical custody of a child.
8 The long-term domestic violence protective order issued by the superior
court found that George committed a crime involving domestic violence by a
preponderance of the evidence, but it did not indicate how many acts occurred, it did not
order George to complete a batterers' intervention program, and it did not require
George's visitation to be supervised. These provisions of the order were inconsistent
with the relief Stephanie sought in her petition for a protective order, but Stephanie did
not object to the terms of the visitation or seek reconsideration of the order.
9 AS 25.24.150(h) states:
A parent has a history of perpetrating domestic violence
under (g) . . . if the court finds that during one incident of
domestic violence, the parent caused serious physical injury
or the court finds that the parent has engaged in more than
one incident of domestic violence. The presumption may be
overcome by a preponderance of the evidence that the
perpetrating parent has successfully completed an
intervention program for batterers, where reasonably
available. . . .
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Turner testified that George began therapy in May 2006 when he sought
help coping with the discovery of the assaults on Elizabeth. She testified that George
completed twelve sessions, and that he did not exhibit characteristics consistent with a
"pattern of behavior to gain and maintain control and power over another person in the
context of an intimate relationship." Turner also testified that it was not appropriate to
refer George to a batterers' intervention program; in fact, she testified that traditional
batterers' intervention group sessions would be "contraindicated" in George's case and
"could be more detrimental than productive." Turner testified to the "significant
progress" George made in improving his empathy skills through the course of his
therapy.10 At the conclusion of the hearing, the court took the custody decision under
advisement.
4. Stephanie's relocation to Anchorage
In July 2008, before a final custody order was issued, Stephanie informed
the court that she had accepted a job in Anchorage and would be relocating from Homer
with the children. She explained that the position in Anchorage would provide her with
a significant pay increase and better working conditions, and that Elizabeth would no
longer need to travel to Anchorage for therapy. George objected to the children moving
to Anchorage and filed a motion to again reopen the evidence. The superior court
allowed the children to move to Anchorage with Stephanie beginning in the fall of 2008
and ordered an updated custody investigation report. Unbeknownst to the court, the
parties agreed to share custody on a three-day/four-day schedule during the fall semester
of the 2008-2009 school year. George drove to Anchorage each week and spent
10 Turner testified that George had "Asperger-type traits" but that he did not
meet the diagnostic criteria for Asperger's syndrome. Turner testified that his Asperger-
like traits "could compromise [his] sense of empathy." The superior court found that
George had "difficulty reading some social cues."
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Thursday evening with Elizabeth and Brian. He took the children to school on Friday
morning, and they stayed in his custody until Sunday evening. Elizabeth and Brian were
in Stephanie's custody from Sunday evening until Thursday of each week.
5. The December 2008 hearings and the second custody
investigator's report
Custody investigator Montgomery issued a second report after the children
had completed a semester of school in Anchorage. And in December 2008, the superior
court heard two days of additional testimony about the children's experiences in
Anchorage relative to Homer, focusing largely on the events and observations described
in the updated custody investigation report.
The evidence showed that Stephanie enrolled the children in a German
immersion charter school in Anchorage despite the principal's warning that the school
had "minimal special education services" and could not admit Elizabeth until they had
seen her IEP. The court also heard that, after receiving this warning, Stephanie took the
children to the charter school on the first day of class without providing Elizabeth's IEP.
Montgomery opined that Stephanie's decision to take Elizabeth to the charter school
without her IEP "set this child up for a painful school failure," that Elizabeth's special
needs were beyond the school's capacity, and "socially [she] did not fit in at all." Brian
struggled at the German immersion school as well. His teacher reported that Brian
"often was the only one not participating in an activity. . . . He excluded himself from
group activities on a daily basis to an extreme - like sitting alone at a table." The
evidence showed that on most days the children arrived at school late. After one month,
the school informed Stephanie that she would need to remove the children from the
school. Unlike the school in Homer, the neighborhood school in Anchorage did not
provide Elizabeth with a designated aide, occupational therapy, or socialization training.
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Montgomery's updated custody investigation report observed that
Stephanie was unwilling or unable to "accept responsibility for the children's behavior
while in her care," instead attributing any problems to George. As examples,
Montgomery explained that Stephanie faulted George for her inability to get Elizabeth
to school on time and claimed that the children were acting out with her because she was
the "safer parent."
Montgomery recommended that it was in the children's best interest to
return to school in Homer under George's primary physical custody. She recommended
either joint legal custody or that George should have sole legal custody. On
December 31, 2008, the court issued a brief final custody order granting George primary
physical custody effective January 2009.11 The order was issued in time to allow the
children to be transferred back to school in Homer prior to the start of the second
semester.
6. The December 2009 proceedings
In January 2009, Stephanie filed a motion to supplement the factual record
or for a new trial. The court denied this motion, but Stephanie filed a second motion to
supplement the record or for a new trial in August 2009 due to changed "educational
circumstances" and "emotional conditions" of the children. The court scheduled a two-
day evidentiary hearing in December 2009. By the time of the December hearing, the
children had been back in Homer for approximately one year.
Elizabeth's teachers and former principal from Homer, her psychologists,
and the custody investigator all testified that Elizabeth was thriving in Homer in
11 The court stated that it was announcing its basic decision and would follow
with a more complete opinion.
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George's custody. Community members testified that Brian also appeared happy and
comfortable with his father.
7. The superior court's final custody order
In June 2010, the superior court issued findings of fact, conclusions of law,
and a final custody order granting sole legal and physical custody of both children to
George.
The superior court's written findings of fact reflect its analysis of the
statutory "best interest" factors under AS 25.24.150(c) for both children, including
consideration of Elizabeth's special needs. In particular, the court found that arriving
late to school was "very disruptive" for Elizabeth, and that Stephanie failed to meet
Elizabeth's basic and critical need to arrive at school on time, "depriv[ing Elizabeth] of
academic and social opportunities."
In contrast, the court found George was able to get Elizabeth to school on
time, and that the school in Homer provided Elizabeth with a regular routine, special
attention, and services. As a result, the court found Elizabeth was better adjusted and
happier in Homer and that her emotional state and behavior had improved under
George's care. The court concluded that "[t]o move [Elizabeth] to Anchorage for the
sixth grade would be disastrous for her."
The superior court found that Stephanie's characterization of the marriage
as "marked by domestic violence" was not credible. The superior court was persuaded
that the domestic violence that occurred was "situational violence" and not a "tool[] used
to effectuate . . . control." The court also found that George had regularly seen a
therapist to help him "understand and change his behavior," and that treatment helped
George significantly improve his empathy skills. The court agreed with Dr. Glass that
Stephanie's "world view and her interpretation of [George's] responsibility" negatively
impacted her ability to meet the needs of the children and allow them to have a
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relationship with their father. The order concluded that it was in the children's best
interest to be in George's physical custody.12
The court recognized that George's two acts of domestic violence amounted
to a "history of perpetrating domestic violence" under AS 25.24.150(g), and it articulated
its understanding that AS 25.24.150(h) allows for "only one way for the presumption
concerning custody to be overcome - the perpetrator must complete an intervention
program for batterers."13 It was undisputed that George had not completed an
intervention program for batterers and the court ruled that the twelve counseling sessions
George had completed with Turner had not been a "substitute in nature or duration for
an intervention program for batterers" as described in AS 25.24.150(h). The court
concluded that application of the presumption in .150(g) would leave the court with "no
option" but to grant Stephanie physical and legal custody, contrary to the children's best
interests.
12 The superior court stated:
The Court has no doubt that [the children] must be in the
primary physical custody of [George]. He, and not
[Stephanie], can navigate the difficulties of [Elizabeth's]
emotional life so that she has academic and social
opportunities during the school year. . . . The fact that
[George] assaulted [Stephanie], after the parties' marriage
deteriorated in reaction to the trauma the family experienced
after [Elizabeth] was assaulted, is tragic. . . . But the Court
has no doubt that those acts of domestic violence were
isolated events and will not be repeated. The children are not
at risk that [George] will engage in acts of violence directed
at them or at others in their presence.
13 Emphasis added.
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The court interpreted AS 25.24.150(g)-(h) as preventing it from considering
any of the best interests factors in AS 25.24.150 other than George's history of domestic
violence. The court assumed, without deciding, that if the statutory presumption
prevented it from considering evidence other than the history of domestic violence, it
could not provide a meaningful hearing, and that George and the children would be
denied their right to due process. Rather than find AS 25.24.150(g) and (h)
unconstitutional as applied, the superior court construed the statute to permit the
rebuttable presumption against custody to be overcome if "[t]he trial court . . . finds by
clear and convincing evidence that to follow the presumption and award legal and/or
physical custody to the victim of domestic violence would clearly be detrimental to the
child." Applying this standard, the superior court decided that awarding custody to
Stephanie would be detrimental to the children and it awarded George sole legal and
physical custody. Stephanie appeals.14
III. STANDARD OF REVIEW
The superior court has broad discretion in determining custody awards "so
long as the determination is in the child's best interests."15 We "will not reverse a
superior court's custody determination unless it abused its discretion or its controlling
factual findings are clearly erroneous."16
We will find an abuse of discretion when the superior court "considers
improper factors in making its custody determination, fails to consider statutorily
mandated factors, or assigns disproportionate weight to particular factors while ignoring
14 George filed a Notice of Cross-Appeal, but ultimately did not pursue one.
15 Misyura v. Misyura, 242 P.3d 1037, 1039 (Alaska 2010) (quoting Thomas
v. Thomas, 171 P.3d 98, 102 (Alaska 2007)).
16 Id. (quoting Thomas, 171 P.3d at 102).
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others."17 However, we grant "particular deference to the trial court's factual findings
when they are based primarily on oral testimony, because the trial court, not this court,
performs the function of judging the credibility of witnesses and weighing conflicting
evidence."18 We find "clear error when, after review of the entire record, 'we are left
with a definite and firm conviction' a mistake occurred."19
"The interpretation of a statute is a question of law to which we apply our
independent judgment, interpreting the statute according to reason, practicality, and
common sense, considering the meaning of the statute's language, its legislative history,
and its purpose."20 "Issues of constitutional interpretation are questions of law which we
review de novo."21 "The constitutionality of a statute and matters of constitutional or
statutory interpretation are questions of law to which we apply our independent
judgment, adopting the rule of law that is most persuasive in light of precedent, reason,
and policy."22
17 Id. (quoting Jenkins v. Handel, 10 P.3d 586, 589 (Alaska 2000)).
18 Millette v. Millette, 177 P.3d 258, 261 (Alaska 2008) (quoting Ebertz v.
Ebertz, 113 P.3d 643, 646 (Alaska 2005)).
19 Wee v. Eggener, 225 P.3d 1120, 1124 (Alaska 2010) (quoting Dingeman
v. Dingeman, 865 P.2d 94, 96 (Alaska 1993)).
20 Parson v. State, Dep't of Revenue, Alaska Hous. Fin. Corp., 189 P.3d 1032,
1036 (Alaska 2008) (citing Parker v. Tomera, 89 P.3d 761, 765 (Alaska 2004)).
21 State v. Alaska Civil Liberties Union, 978 P.2d 597, 603 (Alaska 1999)
(citing Revelle v. Marston, 898 P.2d 917, 925 n.13 (Alaska 1995)).
22 Premera Blue Cross v. State, Dept. of Commerce, Cmty. & Econ. Dev., Div.
of Ins., 171 P.3d 1110, 1115 (Alaska 2007) (quoting State Commercial Fisheries Entry
Comm'n v. Carlson, 65 P.3d 851, 858 (Alaska 2003)).
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IV. DISCUSSION
A. The Superior Court Did Not Clearly Err By Finding That It Was In
The Children's Best Interests To Be In George's Custody.
Stephanie argues that the superior court's best interest analysis was
erroneous because it overemphasized her failure to get Elizabeth to school on time and
undervalued the harm of granting custody to a parent with a history of perpetrating
domestic violence. She also argues that the court mischaracterized George's abuse as
"situational violence" rather than "a strategy of control, overbearing power, or
manipulation," and that the superior court "ignored the history of intimidation, isolation,
control and physical abuse" Stephanie described in her testimony. George counters that
the superior court's determination that he only committed isolated acts of domestic
violence is supported by the expert testimony of Dr. Glass, custody investigator
Montgomery, and therapist Lisa Turner. He also argues that Stephanie's expert,
Dr. Busch, did not evaluate the parties and was unable to apply her general knowledge
and theories regarding domestic violence to the parties' actual marriage. George also
calls our attention to Dr. Glass's description of Stephanie's "tendency to re-interpret past
events."
Having reviewed the record, including the superior court's findings of
domestic violence and its analysis of the best interest factors in AS 25.24.150(c), we
conclude that the superior court's determination that it was in the children's best interests
to be placed in George's custody is supported by the record.
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1. The court did not give undue weight to Elizabeth's need to get
to school on time.
"The paramount consideration in the determination of child custody is the
best interests of the child."23 Alaska Statute 25.24.150(c) provides a list of factors the
trial courts must consider in determining a child's best interests. "The superior court
need not discuss each of the factors; it must only address those that are 'actually relevant
in light of the evidence presented.' "24 We review "the adequacy of findings for 'whether
they give a clear indication of the factors considered important by the trial court or allow
us to determine from the record what considerations were involved.' "25 In this case, the
superior court found the most salient factors to be the needs of the children, the ability
of the parents to meet those needs, and the nature of the parties' domestic violence.
The superior court found that Elizabeth had "a complex and profound
neurological syndrome called Nonverbal Learning Disorder" that shares some attributes
of autism. Relying on a text provided by Stephanie and testimony offered at trial, the
court found that children with NLD lack the "filtering mechanism to block out
extraneous stimuli . . . . [e]verything comes at them with equal force - noise, lights,
images, people - and they are virtually bombarded with information that they are
unable to sort." As such, children with NLD "thrive on routine . . . [and] need[] as much
predictability as possible in order to get through the day without becoming totally
overwhelmed." The court called arriving at school on time a "basic need" for Elizabeth.
23 Starkweather v. Curritt, 636 P.2d 1181, 1182 (Alaska 1981).
24 Thomas v. Thomas, 171 P.3d 98, 102-03 (Alaska 2007) (quoting Virgin v.
Virgin, 990 P.2d 1040, 1045 (Alaska 1999)).
25 Id. (quoting Borchgrevink v. Borchgrevink, 941 P.2d 132, 137 (Alaska
1997)).
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The superior court was troubled that Elizabeth was late getting to school
frequently while in Stephanie's custody. She was late getting to school 37 times in the
fall 2007 semester, and 33 times during the spring semester. When George had custody,
Elizabeth arrived at school on time if not early. The court found unconvincing
Stephanie's explanation that NLD was the cause of Stephanie's inability to get Elizabeth
to school on time, noting that George was able to do so.
The court's findings that Elizabeth's semester in Anchorage "was
detrimental to Elizabeth," and that Stephanie "again proved to be incapable of providing
the stability in their daily lives that both children needed . . . [Elizabeth] desperately so"
are supported by the record. Stephanie clearly understood that Elizabeth's special needs
caused her to experience the world as bombarding her with light, sound, and sensory
overload, but Stephanie placed her in a German immersion school. She took this step
without providing Elizabeth's IEP or making prior arrangements, despite the principal's
warning that the school had "minimal special education services" and that they would
need to see Elizabeth's IEP before admitting her. Custody investigator Montgomery
stated that this lack of coordinated planning had been a setup for failure. After hearing
considerable testimony and receiving documentary evidence pertaining to the month the
children were enrolled at the German immersion school, the superior court described the
experience as a "debacle."
Elizabeth's therapist reported that Elizabeth continued to experience
academic difficulties after she and Brian were transferred to an Anchorage neighborhood
school, and they continued to arrive late.26 Custody investigator Montgomery reported
26 Custody investigator Montgomery observed Elizabeth at the Anchorage
neighborhood school on a day when Stephanie had custody. Elizabeth was the only
child to arrive late on that day, and the other students were already engaged in their first
(continued...)
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that the Anchorage school did not provide Elizabeth with a designated aide, occupational
therapy, or socialization training.
The record supports the superior court's findings that Elizabeth's
experience in George's custody was far more successful. Elizabeth's special services
teacher and case manager testified that since transferring back to Homer, Elizabeth
arrived at school early to participate in extracurricular activities and made a "tremendous
amount of progress."
We agree with Stephanie that the superior court placed considerable weight
on the parties' respective abilities to get the children to school on time, but we cannot say
that this factor was inappropriately weighed under the circumstances of this case. The
evidence was uncontroverted that Elizabeth had a greater need for structure and routine
than most children. Her struggles with NLD made it essential that she arrive at school
on time and she was clearly more successful at school after she was returned to George's
custody. School personnel and custody investigator Montgomery specifically cited
prompt arrival in the classroom as particularly important to Elizabeth's success. The
superior court did not inappropriately weigh the respective abilities of the parties to get
the children to school on time.
2. The superior court considered the other best interests factors in
AS 25.24.150(c).
The findings show that the superior court considered a broad spectrum of
factors concerning the children's best interests, including their emotional needs. A
community member who had long known the children agreed that they were happier and
26(...continued)
assignment. Montgomery reported that Elizabeth came in frowning, her hair was
disheveled, she had dried food on her face, and she did not interact with the other
children.
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better behaved after George received primary custody, and the superior court agreed with
the parties that the children's interests would best be served by remaining together. The
evidence showed that Elizabeth was accepted by her peers in Homer and she voluntarily
participated in class activities. Elizabeth's teacher testified that George came to the
classroom almost daily to check in on Elizabeth's progress, guest-taught science lessons
on several occasions, took the students on field trips, was very supportive of Elizabeth,
and helped her overcome feelings of anxiety. The court heard testimony from the Homer
school psychologist and teachers that Elizabeth was receiving services in Homer to meet
her special needs, arriving to school on time, and that she was happier, more confident,
and doing well academically and socially. Elizabeth's therapist in Anchorage
recommended that she remain in Homer through sixth grade because she was doing
better there. The court found that the Homer school was comfortable for Elizabeth and
that transferring to school in Anchorage would be difficult.
The court also considered the parties' respective abilities to meet the
children's needs. Both parents were initially found to have psychological issues that
impacted their parenting ability, but the superior court received evidence showing that
George made progress through therapy. The record does not include evidence that
Stephanie made similar progress. Citing Dr. Glass's 2007 evaluation, the superior court
found "[Stephanie] does appear to feel victimized by others, in particular her husband,
and blames him for the failure of the marriage and most of the problems with the
children." The court agreed with Dr. Glass that Stephanie had "difficulty allowing her
children to express themselves emotionally" and that she may have problems "allow[ing]
her children to have a relationship with their father."
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3. The court considered the domestic violence that occurred
during the parties' marriage.
Stephanie argues that the court did not properly consider the evidence
concerning domestic violence. She citesBorchgrevink v. Borchgrevink,27 and argues that
our court has recognized the "deleterious impact on children of witnessing domestic
violence." She also cites a series of academic articles discussing the negative effect
exposure to domestic violence has on children, and Farrell v. Farrell,28 for the
proposition that joint legal custody is inappropriate where domestic violence has
occurred between parents.
But the superior court was very aware that George committed at least two
acts of domestic violence during the parties' marriage, and that this triggered the
statutory presumption in AS 25.24.150(g). The court found Stephanie's testimony
describing the June 2006 incident to be credible, as it did her description of a March
2006 incident when George punched a hole in a door of their house. The court did not
find credible Stephanie's overall characterization of the marriage as being marked by
domestic violence. The superior court found that Stephanie "re-evaluated her
relation[ship] with [George] through the distorting lens of a particular, simplistic theory
of domestic violence" after the 2006 incident when George pinned her down by her
wrists.
The court's finding that the "children are not at risk that [George] will
engage in acts of violence directed at them or at others in their presence" is supported not
only by the testimony of experts who evaluated the parties, but also by Stephanie's
concession that the danger of mental or physical harm to the children was outweighed
27 941 P.2d 132.
28 819 P.2d 896 (Alaska 1991).
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by their need to have contact with George and her position that his visitation did not need
to be supervised. The superior court's findings concerning domestic violence relied in
part on its evaluation of the extensive expert testimony offered by Dr. Glass, Dr. Busch,
custody investigator Montgomery, and George's therapist, Lisa Turner. Dr. Glass
evaluated both parents as part of the initial custody investigation. She did not find a
history of abuse in the marriage prior to Elizabeth being assaulted and she concluded that
the stress of the assault ultimately led to the breakdown of the parties' marriage. She
also testified that Stephanie's perceptions of past events in the marriage were based on
her interpretation of what happened, not necessarily what actually happened. Dr. Glass
explained:
[A]ny time a marriage starts to fall apart and a person looks
back towards what's happened previously in their marriage,
there's a tendency to see things with a different eye. . . .
[T]hings that you deal with with your spouse can look very
different[] when you're angry at them and you're finished
with a relationship than they do when you're moving forward
in the relationship.[29]
Dr. Glass did not excuse George's acts of domestic violence, but she
testified that in her opinion it was "situational violence as [a] result of a high conflict,"
not "a pattern of intimate partner violence" which Dr. Glass defined as a "pattern of
control, [or] intimidation, often solidified through some type of violence by one partner
29 Dr. Glass noted that another psychological evaluation of Elizabeth was
completed in January 2005 by a Dr. Burgess. Dr. Burgess's report apparently
memorialized Stephanie's statement that the parties' marriage was "quite stable, as is
their employment and there are no salient stressors in the family that might otherwise
explain the evolution of [Elizabeth's] symptoms." But Stephanie reported to Dr. Glass
that she later remembered being abused early on in her marriage. And Dr. Glass's report
noted that at the intake interview for Elizabeth's evaluation, Stephanie stated that
Dr. Burgess lied to the principal of her daughter's school "by telling [the principal] that
they were having family issues."
-23- 6640
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over the other." Turner agreed with this assessment. Stephanie's expert, Dr. Busch,
testified about domestic violence generally and responded to a series of hypothetical
scenarios offered by Stephanie's counsel. Though Stephanie later testified that the
hypotheticals accurately described events that occurred during the marriage,30 the court
found the hypotheticals distorting because they "cherry pick[ed]" events from over the
course of 15 years of marriage and failed to evaluate the incidents in the context of "the
devastation wrought by [Elizabeth's] victimization and the parties' response to it and her
learning difficulties."31 The court found Dr. Glass's testimony to be more credible and
persuasive in its evaluation of the nature of the parties' domestic violence. It found
Dr. Busch's testimony lacked context and was unconvincing.
Stephanie essentially argues that the superior court should have given
greater weight to her testimony and that of her expert. But the trial court was in a better
position to assess the credibility of the witnesses, the overall persuasive force of the
evidence, and the persuasiveness of the expert testimony.32 The court's characterization
of the type of violence involved - situational - was made in the context of the court
determining whether George overcame the statutory presumption and gauging the risk
of future violence. This difficult and important assessment is one best made by the trial
court. Before making this assessment, the superior court considered the testimony of
several lay witnesses and experts. We see no error in its finding that Dr. Busch's
testimony was less persuasive; Dr. Busch did not evaluate the parties. She answered a
30 George denied that those events occurred during the parties' marriage.
31 Stephanie argues that the superior court clearly erred by finding that she
failed to connect her testimony to that of her expert witness. But the superior court
determined that "even assuming that all [the hypothetical events] were true" they were
not persuasive because they failed to "fully describe the context in which they arose."
32 Millette v. Millette, 177 P.3d 258, 261 (Alaska 2008).
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series of hypothetical questions, and the parties disagreed about whether the
hypotheticals depicted actual events from their marriage. The court's factual findings
were not based exclusively on its credibility findings regarding the parties' testimony;
the court also heard testimony from experts who evaluated Stephanie and George, and
the court concluded that the "lens" through which Stephanie viewed the marriage
resulted in a somewhat distorted history. The trial court is entitled to considerable
deference when it makes findings of fact. On this record, we cannot say that it erred
when it found that the children's best interests would be served by remaining in George's
custody.33
B. The Completion Of A Batterers' Intervention Program Is Not The
Only Way To Rebut The Statutory Presumption.
Despite its finding that the children's best interests would be served by
awarding custody to George, the superior court recognized that the presumption in
AS 25.24.150(g) had been triggered by George's acts of domestic violence. The superior
court interpreted AS 25.24.150(h) as allowing "only one way" to overcome the
rebuttable presumption - completion of an intervention program for batterers. Because
33 Stephanie also argues that the court improperly relied on the
recommendation of custody investigator Montgomery, claiming she "did not perform in
a competent manner" by failing to discuss George's domestic violence. George argues
the report met the requirements for custody investigations under Alaska R. Civ. P.
90.6(e) and that Montgomery did address domestic violence when she referred the
parties to Dr. Glass for an evaluation. Rule 90.6(e) requires investigators to interview
the child and parents, observe the child's interaction with parents, review records
provided by the parties and relevant to the child, and interview others with information
as needed. Montgomery's extensive evaluation included interviews with the parties,
psychologists, and teachers; referral to Dr. Glass to evaluate the risk of physical harm
posed by each parent; and referral to Dr. von Hippel to evaluate Elizabeth. This
constituted a proper custody investigation under Rule 90.6(e). The superior court did not
err in considering Montgomery's recommendations.
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George never completed a batterers' intervention program, the superior court concluded
that George failed to rebut the presumption. The court reasoned that if it applied the
presumption to deny George custody, its ruling would not be in the children's best
interests and the statute would therefore likely violate George's and the children's right
to due process. To avoid what it perceived to be a constitutional infirmity in the statute,
the superior court construed the statutory scheme to allow the presumption in .150(g) to
be overcome by clear and convincing evidence that awarding legal and/or physical
custody to the victim of domestic violence would be clearly detrimental to the child.
Applying this new standard, the court found that awarding custody to Stephanie would
be detrimental to Elizabeth and Brian, and it awarded custody to George.
Stephanie argues on appeal that the "statutory mandate" in .150(g) required
the superior court to award custody to her. She relies on Wee v. Eggener,34
characterizing it as an instance where this court "summarily reversed a joint custody
order in violation of the statute." She also argues the superior court erred by assuming
the statutory presumption in AS 25.24.150(g) is unconstitutional.
1. The superior court correctly ruled that the presumption against
awarding custody to George was triggered by George's acts of
domestic violence.
George argues that the superior court erred by ruling that the presumption
in .150(g) was triggered by his acts of domestic violence. He concedes that the incident
when he grabbed Stephanie's wrists and pinned her down qualifies as "domestic
violence" but he argues that punching a door does not amount to "domestic violence"
because it is not "criminal mischief to damage one's own property." Stephanie counters
that because she was a co-owner of the home, the door George punched was the
"property of another" and therefore intentionally damaging it was "domestic violence"
34 225 P.3d 1120, 1126 (Alaska 2010).
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under the statute. We find no merit to George's argument that his conduct did not
constitute criminal mischief and therefore did not trigger the statutory presumption
against awarding custody to him.35
Under AS 25.90.010, "domestic violence" has the meaning given in
AS 18.66.990. Under AS 18.66.990(3)(E) "domestic violence" includes acts of criminal
mischief. A person commits criminal mischief by intentionally damaging the "property
of another."36 "Property of another" is defined in AS 11.46.990(13) as "property in
which [another] person has an interest which the defendant is not privileged to infringe,
whether or not the defendant also has an interest in the property." In Hughes v. State, a
spouse argued that he could not be convicted of criminal mischief because he and his
wife were co-owners of the property he damaged and therefore it was not "property of
another."37 The court of appeals rejected this argument. Citing the definition of
"property of another" in AS 11.46.990(13), the court of appeals held that it is "legally
possible for a spouse to be convicted of criminal mischief for vandalizing marital
property."38 We agree.
Here, Stephanie alleged that George punched a hole in a door of the parties'
family home during the course of an argument. Stephanie had an "interest in the
35 At the outset, we reject the suggestion that ownership of a door determines
whether punching a hole in it during an argument, in the presence of one's spouse, can
constitute domestic violence. Placing another person in fear of imminent physical injury
"by words or other conduct" is assault. AS 11.41.230. Assault is within the definition
of "domestic violence." See AS 25.90.010; AS 18.66.990(3)(A).
36 AS 11.46.486(a)(2); AS 11.46.484(a)(1).
37 56 P.3d 1088, 1094 (Alaska App. 2002).
38 Id.
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property" because she was a co-owner.39 As in Hughes v. State, George damaged
"property in which [another] person has an interest"40 amounting to criminal mischief
and an act of "domestic violence."41 It was not error for the superior court to find
George's behavior amounted to an act of "domestic violence" for purposes of AS
25.24.150(g). Because the incident in which George pinned Stephanie by the wrists also
qualifies as "domestic violence," the superior court correctly ruled that George
perpetrated two acts of domestic violence, triggering the presumption in AS 25.24.150(g)
against awarding custody to him.
2. The superior court erred by interpreting AS 25.24.150(h) as
providing only one way to rebut the presumption in .150(g).
The superior court was well aware that the paramount consideration in child
custody proceedings is the best interests of the children.42 The legislature underscored
the important priority of protecting children from domestic violence when it adopted
AS 25.24.150(g)-(h). We have articulated this point repeatedly in our case law.43 In
Williams v. Barbee, we recognized that the bill enacting AS 25.24.150(g) "sought to
decrease the likelihood that children would be placed in the custodial household where
39 AS 11.46.990(13).
40 AS 11.46.990(13).
41 AS 18.66.990; AS 25.90.010.
42 R.I. v. C.C., 9 P.3d 274, 278 (Alaska 2000).
43 Borchgrevink v. Borchgrevink, 941 P.2d 132, 140 (Alaska 1997)
(recognizing "the deleterious impact" witnessing domestic violence has on children);see
also Puddicombe v. Dreka, 167 P.3d 73, 77 (Alaska 2007); Williams v. Barbee, 243 P.3d
995, 1004 (Alaska 2010).
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domestic violence exists by ensuring that domestic violence was adequately and
specifically included when courts analyzed a child's best interests."44
The superior court's order reflects its understanding that "AS 25.24.150(h)
allows only one way for the presumption concerning custody to be overcome - the
perpetrator [of domestic violence] must complete an intervention program for
45 46
batterers." The court's custody order cited Wee v. Eggener as authority for this
interpretation of the statute. We interpret the statute differently.
"The interpretation of a statute is a question of law to which we apply our
independent judgment, interpreting the statute according to reason, practicality, and
common sense, considering the meaning of the statute's language, its legislative history,
and its purpose."47
a. The plain language of the statute
The pertinent portion of AS 25.24.150(h) states:
The presumption [against awarding custody to a parent with
a history of perpetrating domestic violence] may be overcome
by a preponderance of the evidence that the perpetrating
parent has successfully completed an intervention program
for batterers, where reasonably available. . .[48]
The plain language of .150(h) provides that the presumption against awarding custody
to a parent with a history of perpetrating domestic violence may be overcome by
44 Williams, 243 P.3d at 1001.
45 Emphasis added.
46
225 P.3d 1120 (Alaska 2010).
47 Parson v. State, Dep't of Revenue, Alaska Hous. Fin. Corp., 189 P.3d 1032,
1036 (Alaska 2008) (citing Parker v. Tomera, 89 P.3d 761, 765 (Alaska 2004)).
48 Emphasis added.
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completing an intervention program for batterers. Had the legislature intended that
completion of an intervention program would be the only way to overcome the
presumption, one would expect the legislature to have used limiting language such as
"only." Here, the legislature declined to provide that the only way the presumption could
be overcome was through the completion of a batterers' intervention program.49
The plain language of the statute also impliedly recognizes that batterers'
intervention programs may not be reasonably available in all parts of Alaska. The statute
provides that the rebuttable presumption may be overcome by completing an intervention
program for batterers "where reasonably available."50 We interpret the words "where
reasonably available" to be the legislature's recognition and acknowledgment that such
programs may not be available throughout the state. Though Stephanie argues
strenuously that the only way to overcome the presumption is to complete a batterers'
intervention program, the language of the statute does not support her position and it
would make little sense that a program that is not available state-wide would be the only
way to overcome a presumption the legislature expressly made rebuttable. If completion
of an intervention program for batterers were the only way to overcome the statutory
presumption, the rebuttable presumption in AS 25.24.150(g) would effectively be an
49 See Garrison v. Dixon, 19 P.3d 1229, 1236 (Alaska 2001) ("The term
'may' generally denotes permissive or discretionary authority.") (quoting Gerber v.
Juneau Bartlett Mem'l Hosp., 2 P.3d 74, 76 (Alaska 2000)); see also 1A Norman J.
Singer & J.D. Shambie Singer, STATUTES & STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION § 25:4 (7th ed.
2009).
50 AS 25.24.150(h) (emphasis added).
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irrebuttable one for many rural Alaskan residents. This is contrary to the legislature's
unambiguous direction that the presumption should be rebuttable.51
The plain language "where reasonably available" supports the conclusion
that the legislature did not intend that completion of a batterers' intervention program
should be the only way to overcome the rebuttable presumption in AS 25.24.150(g). The
plain language of AS 25.24.150(h) indicates that completion of a batterers' intervention
program is one way, but not the only way, to overcome the statutory presumption.
b. The legislative history
The legislative history of AS 25.24.150(g) supports the conclusion that the
legislature used the word "may" and included the phrase "where reasonably available"
because it did not intend there should be only one way to overcome the statutory
presumption. Alaska Statute 25.24.150(g) was based on Louisiana Revised Statute
51 At oral argument before our court, Stephanie's counsel was asked how the
presumption would be applied in a hypothetical situation where one parent has a history
of domestic violence not directed at the children but is otherwise a fit and capable parent,
the other parent is a methamphetamine addict, and the court finds by clear and
convincing evidence that it would be detrimental for the children to be placed in the
custody of the parent with the addiction to methamphetamine. Stephanie's counsel first
argued that the children should be placed with the perpetrating parent but under the
State's legal custody. Later, Stephanie's counsel conceded that under his interpretation
of the statute the children could not be placed with the perpetrating parent until after the
program had been completed, leaving foster care or other out-of-home placement as the
only option. We see nothing in the language or legislative history of AS 25.24.150(g)-
(h) that evidences an intention by the legislature to require that children be moved to out-
of-home placements without allowing the perpetrating parent the opportunity to show
that the statutory presumption had been overcome by means available in rural Alaska.
We also reject the possibility that this statutory presumption was intended to be applied
differently to Alaskans living in rural areas than it is to Alaskans living in urban areas.
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9:964(A)52 which states: "The presumption shall be overcome only by a preponderance
of the evidence that the perpetrating parent has successfully completed a treatment
program . . ." When the Alaska legislature codified its rebuttable presumption against
awarding custody to a parent with a history of perpetrating domestic violence, it made
two distinct changes to the Louisiana statute. First, it deleted the word "only" and
replaced "shall" with the word "may." Second, it added the phrase "where reasonably
available." These modifications to the language of the Louisiana statute strongly support
the conclusion that the Alaska legislature did not intend for completion of a batterers'
intervention program to be the only way to overcome the statutory presumption.
c. We have not held that there is only one way to overcome
the presumption against awarding custody to a parent
with a history of perpetrating domestic violence.
53 as authority for its understanding
The superior court cited Wee v. Eggener
that completion of a batterers' intervention program is the only way to overcome the
rebuttable presumption against awarding custody to a parent with a history of
perpetrating domestic violence. But Wee did not hold that a batterers' intervention
program is the only way to overcome the presumption. Wee reversed the superior court's
award of joint legal and shared physical custody because the superior court "failed to
address AS 25.24.150(g)'s presumption against custody."54 Wee cited Puddicombe v.
Dreka55 for the rule that "the path charted in subsection .150(g)-(i) must be followed
when one parent has a history of domestic violence," but this only means that the
52 Minutes, H. Jud. Comm. Hearing on H.B. 385, 23rd Leg., 2nd Sess. (Mar.
1, 2004) (testimony of Allen M. Bailey, Esq.).
53 225 P.3d 1120 (Alaska 2010).
54 Id. at 1125 (emphasis added).
55 167 P.3d 73 (Alaska 2007).
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rebuttable presumption cannot be ignored by the superior court; it does not speak to the
proof that is needed to rebut the statutory presumption.56
We recognized in O'Dell v. O'Dellthat .150(h) does not expressly state that
the presumption in .150(g) may only be overcome by completing a batterers'
intervention program: "the text of subsection .150(h) is not completely unambiguous in
explaining what a 'perpetrating parent' must do to overcome the presumption against
custody."57 The ruling we issue today was foreshadowed by O'Dell's holding that "it
was not legal error [for the superior court] to conclude that an anger management
program that includes domestic violence counseling satisfies the statute."58
Until now, we have not definitively answered whether a batterers'
intervention program is the only way to overcome the rebuttable presumption; our
previous case law only reiterates the statutory provision that a parent may or can rebut
the presumption by completing an intervention program for batterers.59 The present case
squarely presents the issue, and we now hold that the rebuttable presumption in
AS 25.24.150(g) may be overcome by means other than the completion of an
56 225 P.3d at 1125.
57 Mem. Op. & J., 2007 WL 1378153 at *5 (Alaska May 9, 2007).
58 Id.
59 See Misyura v. Misyura, 242 P.3d 1037, 1040-41 (Alaska 2010) ("If
AS 25.24.150(g)'s presumption applies, it can be overcome if the perpetrating parent
shows by a preponderance of the evidence that he or she has 'successfully completed an
intervention program for batterers [and] . . . does not engage in substance abuse.' ")
(quoting AS 25.24.150(h)) (emphasis added); see Michele M. v. Richard R., 177 P.3d
830, 838 (Alaska 2008) (stating that the "presumption can be overcome if a parent has
met certain requirements, such as attending a program for batterers and not engaging in
substance abuse") (emphasis added).
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intervention program for batterers. The plain language of the statute and its legislative
history support this conclusion.
C. The Presumption Does Not Raise Constitutional Concerns.
The superior court's conclusion that application of the presumption in
.150(g) would violate George's and the children's right to due process was premised on
its understanding that the presumption prevented the superior court from considering the
other best interests factors enumerated in AS 25.24.150(c). Because there is more than
one way to overcome the rebuttable presumption, and because the statute permits
consideration of all the best interest factors, we see no risk that application of
AS 25.24.150(g)-(h) will infringe upon a constitutionally protected right. The resolution
of this case lies in the straightforward consideration of the "path" charted in subsection
.150(g)-(h) and an analysis of the children's best interests.
1. The path charted by AS 25.24.150(g)-(h)
The superior court followed the first step in the statutory path when it found
that George engaged in two acts of domestic violence. Next, the superior court correctly
ruled that George's two acts of domestic violence triggered the rebuttable presumption
in .150(g). The third step is consideration of whether the presumption was rebutted
under .150(h). The superior court held a separate evidentiary hearing where George
argued that the presumption had been overcome. Because the superior court concluded
that AS 25.24.150(h) only allowed one way for the presumption to be rebutted - the
completion of a batterers' intervention program - it ruled that the presumption had not
been overcome. As we have explained, this was error and we remand this case so the
superior court may determine whether the presumption was rebutted by the steps George
took to address his history of domestic violence.
We are mindful that this case has become very protracted, and the decision
we issue today does not suggest that the court must take additional evidence. The record
-34- 6640
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includes the evidence presented at a two-day hearing held for the sole purpose of
evaluating whether the steps George took to respond to his acts of domestic violence
allowed him to overcome the presumption. Both parties had notice and the opportunity
to present evidence and argument on this issue, and both had the opportunity to cross-
examine the witnesses called by the opposing party. The superior court found that
George had completed twelve weeks of one-on-one therapy. It found that he made
significant progress to "understand and change his behavior," and improve his empathy
skills. George's therapist testified that traditional batterers' intervention group sessions
would be "contraindicated" in George's case and "could be more detrimental than
productive." After hearing extensive lay testimony and expert testimony, the court made
detailed findings about the nature of George's domestic violence, concluding that
"[George's] acts of domestic violence were not tools used to effectuate a strategy of
control, overbearing power, or manipulation. Instead they were acts of situational
violence and unlikely to reoccur." As explained, the court is entitled to significant
deference when making this type of determination.60 Though the superior court ruled
that the counseling George received was not comparable to the completion of a batterers'
intervention program, the superior court has not decided whether the counseling was
sufficient to rebut the statutory presumption. This question should be addressed on
remand.
If the superior court decides on remand that the presumption has been
rebutted, the final step in the path charted by the legislature will be consideration of the
60 Considering the character or type of domestic violence for purposes of
determining whether the presumption has been rebutted under .150(h) is not to be
confused with determining whether the presumption was triggered under .150(g). Any
two acts of domestic violence, or one causing serious physical injury, trigger the
rebuttable presumption against awarding custody to a person with a history of
perpetrating domestic violence. AS 25.24.150(g).
-35- 6640
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best interest factors in AS 25.24.150(c) to make a final custody decision. Even if a
parent with a history of domestic violence overcomes the statutory presumption, he or
she is not necessarily entitled to custody; a complete analysis of the best interest factors
must be undertaken. When the court considers the child's or children's best interests at
this stage, the court is not precluded from considering the perpetrating parent's history
of domestic violence. But if the presumption has been overcome, the history of domestic
violence does not prevent the court from awarding custody to the perpetrating parent
where doing so serves the children's best interests.
To resolve the questions presented in this appeal, it is sufficient for our
court to decide that the legislature's adoption of AS 25.24.150(g)-(h) did not prevent the
superior court from considering the children's best interests, that the superior court did
not abuse its discretion when it made a "best interests" determination in this case, and
that the rebuttable presumption in .150(g) does not raise due process concerns.
V. CONCLUSION
We REMAND this case so the superior court may consider whether George
rebutted the presumption in .150(g).
-36- 6640
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| Case Law Statutes, Regs & Rules Constitutions Miscellaneous |
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