COURT OF APPEALS OF VIRGINIA
Present: Judges Annunziata, Agee and Senior Judge Coleman
THOMAS L. SWITZER
MEMORANDUM OPINION *
v. Record No. 3025-01-3 PER CURIAM
JULY 23, 2002
SAMUEL S. SMITH, JODY B. SMITH AND
PAULA SWITZER
FROM THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF STAUNTON
Humes J. Franklin, Jr., Judge
(Thomas L. Switzer, pro se, on brief).
No brief for appellees.
On October 12, 2001, the trial court dismissed a child in
need of services (CHINS) petition filed by Thomas L. Switzer
(appellant) regarding his natural child, Daniel. On appeal,
Switzer argues that: (1) the trial court was without
jurisdiction to sanction him; (2) the juvenile and domestic
relations district court (juvenile court) and trial court were
without jurisdiction to prevent him from caring for his son; (3)
the juvenile and trial courts were without jurisdiction to
recognize the Smiths as legal guardians of his son when that
decision is currently on appeal to the Supreme Court; (4) the
Smiths had no legal standing to object to his petition; and (5)
the trial court violated several provisions of the state and
* Pursuant to Code § 17.1-413, this opinion is not
designated for publication.
federal constitutions. Upon reviewing the record and opening
brief, we conclude that this appeal is without merit.
Accordingly, we summarily affirm the decision of the trial
court. Rule 5A:27.
BACKGROUND 1
The record on review includes the trial court's manuscript
record and a statement of facts approved and signed by the trial
court. 2 No hearing transcripts are included in the record.
1
In prior litigation involving these parties, Augusta
County Circuit Court Judge Wood awarded custody of appellant's
son to Samuel Smith and Jody Smith, nee Botkin, in March 2000.
We affirmed the trial court by unpublished opinion. See Switzer
v. Smith, Record No. 0779-00-3 (Va. Ct. App. July 31, 2001).
On September 6, 2001, we denied appellant's petition for a
rehearing en banc. That case is currently on appeal to the
Supreme Court of Virginia.
2
Appellant had the burden on appeal of providing a record
which substantiates his claims of error. See Jenkins v.
Winchester Dep't of Soc. Servs., 12 Va. App. 1178, 1185, 409
S.E.2d 16, 20 (1991). He initially submitted a statement of
facts on November 21, 2001, pursuant to Rule 5A:8. On December
12, 2001, the Smiths filed objections to appellant's proposed
statement of facts and moved the trial court to reject it. They
also moved for additional time in which to submit their own
statement of facts. On December 14, 2001, the trial court
issued notices to the parties that it would conduct a hearing on
the matter on December 21, 2001.
Following that hearing, the trial court signed the Smiths'
statement of facts with the following handwritten addition:
The Respondents', Smiths', objection to the
[appellant's] Statement of Facts are [sic]
sustained in their entirety. The
Petitioner's, Thomas Switzer's, Statement of
Facts numbered 1-16 are [sic] totally
incorrect. The numbered statements 1-16
were not incidents of trial or evidence
submitted at any time. I certify that the
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On June 13, 2001, appellant filed a petition pursuant to
Code § 16.1-241(A)(1), alleging his child, Daniel,
is a child in need of services whose
behavior, conduct, or condition may present
or result in a threat to the well being and
physical safety of the child.
The juvenile court dismissed the petition on July 11, 2001,
and appellant appealed to the circuit court for a trial de novo.
On August 3, 2001, the appellees (the Smiths and mother,
Paula Switzer) filed a motion for a bill of particulars
requesting "specifically what facts led [appellant] to believe
that" the child is in need of services and "what specific
services the child is alleged to need." On August 7, 2001, the
trial court ordered appellant to file a bill of particulars. On
that same date, the trial court dismissed the Department of
Social Services (DSS) as a party and scheduled October 1, 2001
to hear motions. The trial court cautioned appellant that it
"would not relitigate issues of custody or visitation during
this appeal of his CHINS petition."
In his bill of particulars, appellant focused on the
effects of the earlier custody determination, namely, his lack
of access to and involvement with his son. Appellant alleged
foregoing is a true and accurate statement
of the proceedings in this matter.
Therefore, we rely on the statement of facts, the trial
court's final order and other relevant documents in the trial
court's manuscript record.
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the child is being "emotionally abused" by not allowing
appellant, the father, to have more contact with and impact on
the child. He also asserted that DSS failed to provide services
to him in order to return the child to him "in the shortest
practicable time."
On August 16, 2001, the trial court appointed a guardian ad
litem for the child. On September 11, the Smiths moved to
dismiss the petition and for sanctions.
On October 1, 2001, the trial court heard evidence and
argument ore tenus. The guardian ad litem interviewed the child
and the Smiths and reported that the child appeared "happy,
healthy and well cared for." She found no evidence that the
child's well-being or physical safety was at risk or that he was
in need of services. Counsel for the Smiths argued that the
facts alleged in the bill of particulars were insufficient to
support a CHINS petition, that several allegations were wrong or
immaterial, and that appellant had no basis for making such
allegations because he had not seen the child in more than one
year.
By order dated October 12, 2001, the trial court made the
following ruling:
Upon consideration whereof, even when viewed
in the light most favorable to the
Petitioner[, appellant], it appearing to the
Court that the matters alleged in the bill
of particulars are wholly insufficient to
support a CHINS petition, that nothing
alleged by the Petitioner[, appellant] in
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open court would support the CHINS petition,
either standing alone or in combination with
the allegations in the bill of particulars,
and that the Petitioner ought to bear some
of the costs incurred for filing an
unsupported petition; it is therefore
ORDERED, ADJUDGED and DECREED that the
Petitioner, Thomas L. Switzer, shall
reimburse the Court for the expense of
employing the guardian ad litem in the
amount of $350.00, payable to the Court.
DISCUSSION
I. Circuit Court Without Jurisdiction to Impose Sanctions
II. Juvenile and Circuit Courts Without Jurisdiction
to Prevent Father from Caring for His Child
Appellant argues it is his "right coupled with [his] high
duty to foster [his] child's best interest and protect his
welfare." Accordingly, appellant asserts that "parents have a
fundamental right to raise their children as they see fit," and
"[s]tate interference with a parent's right to raise his/her
child must be to protect the health and welfare of the child."
Appellant put forth no arguments and cited no law
demonstrating that the juvenile and/or circuit courts were
without jurisdiction. Appellant filed the CHINS petition and
the appeal of the juvenile court's decision, and he was present
at each hearing. Appellant's voluntary appearances provided
each court with personal jurisdiction over him.
Code § 16.1-241(A)(1) provides:
Each juvenile and domestic relations
district court shall have . . . exclusive
original jurisdiction . . . over all cases,
matters and proceedings involving the
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custody, visitation, support, control or
disposition of a child who is alleged to be
abused, neglected, in need of services, in
need of supervision, a status offender, or
delinquent . . . .
Circuit courts have subject matter jurisdiction to conduct
de novo appeals from decisions rendered by a juvenile court.
See Code §§ 16.1-296 and 17.1-513. Therefore, the juvenile
court and the circuit court properly had subject matter
jurisdiction over the case. Accordingly, appellant has failed
to establish a jurisdictional defect.
III. Juvenile and Circuit Courts Without Jurisdiction
to Recognize the Smiths as Legitimate Custodians
of Child and to Impose Sanctions when Custody Issue
is on Appeal to the Supreme Court
Code § 8.01-271.1, places upon a party the responsibility
to sign the pleading, motion, or other paper and certify
that (i) he has read the pleading, motion,
or other paper, (ii) to the best of his
knowledge, information and belief, formed
after reasonable inquiry, it is well
grounded in fact and is warranted by
existing law or a good faith argument for
the extension, modification, or reversal of
existing law, and (iii) it is not interposed
for any improper purpose, such as to harass
or to cause unnecessary delay or needless
increase in the cost of litigation.
Moreover,
[i]f a pleading, motion, or other paper is
signed or made in violation of this rule,
the court . . . shall impose upon the person
who signed the paper or made the motion
. . . an appropriate sanction, which may
include an order to pay to the other party
or parties the amount of the reasonable
expenses incurred because of the filing of
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the pleading, motion, or other paper or
making of the motion, including a reasonable
attorney's fee.
Id.
At the time appellant filed his CHINS petition, he had not
had contact with the child "in over one year" and had not "spent
more than a few hours with the child in over three years."
Therefore, appellant had no basis upon which to allege the child
was in need of services. Moreover, it is clear from the record
that appellant premises many of his arguments (1) his allegation
of trial court error in previously awarding custody to the
Smiths, an issue the trial court admonished appellant not to
relitigate; and (2) his erroneous view that DSS was required to
provide services to him in order to promptly effectuate the
return of the child to him.
The record shows that appellant filed the CHINS petition
without having any reasonable basis to believe the child was
"abused, neglected, in need of services, [or] in need of
supervision." Code § 16.1-241(A)(1). Accordingly, the trial
court did not err in finding that appellant filed an
"unsupported petition" and in requiring appellant "to bear some
of the costs incurred" because of that filing, namely, to pay
the $350 fee for the guardian ad litem. See Fairfax County v.
Donald, 251 Va. 227, 229, 467 S.E.2d 803, 804 (1996) (whether to
award fees is a matter left to the discretion of the trial
court).
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IV. The Smiths Had no Standing to Object to Petition
The concept of standing concerns itself
with the characteristics of the person or
entity who files suit. The point of
standing is to ensure that a person who
asserts a position has a substantial legal
right to do so and that his rights will be
affected by the disposition of the case. In
asking whether a person has standing, we
ask, in essence, whether he has a sufficient
interest in the subject matter of the case
so that the parties will be actual
adversaries and the issues will be fully and
faithfully developed.
Cupp v. Board of Supervisors, 227 Va. 580, 589, 318 S.E.2d 407,
411 (1984) (citation omitted).
The Smiths lawfully obtained custody of the child when the
Circuit Court of Augusta County entered its final order on March
7, 2000. In his petition, appellant listed the Smiths as
"GUARDIAN[S]/LEGAL CUSTODIAN[S] OR PERSON[S] IN LOCO PARENTIS."
In naming the Smiths as parties to the CHINS petition, appellant
necessarily conferred upon them standing to contest his
petition.
V. "The trial court's judgment violates several provisions
of the state and federal constitutions."
In his brief, appellant recites and discusses the substance
of the First, Fourth, Fifth, and Ninth Amendments, the Due
Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, and Article I,
Sections 1 and 11 of Virginia's Constitution. However, he
failed to link those sources of law to the facts of the case and
argue with any specificity the dismissal of the CHINS petition
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and the trial court's order to pay the guardian ad litem
violated his constitutional rights.
Merely listing several constitutional amendments and what
they stand for does not alert this Court to constitutional
errors allegedly committed by the trial court. "Statements
unsupported by argument, authority, or citations to the record
do not merit appellate consideration. We will not search the
record for errors in order to interpret the appellant's
contention and correct deficiencies in a brief." Buchanan v.
Buchanan, 14 Va. App. 53, 56, 415 S.E.2d 237, 239 (1992).
Absent any specific argument suggesting what constitutional
errors were made regarding the CHINS petition, we are unable to
consider this issue.
Accordingly, the decision of the circuit court is summarily
affirmed. Upon further consideration of appellant's brief and
the record in this case, we determine that this appeal is not
warranted by existing law or by a good faith argument for an
extension, modification, or reversal of existing law and that
the appeal is filed to harass, cause unnecessary delay, and
cause a needless increase in the cost of litigation.
Accordingly, pursuant to Code § 8.01-271.1 the Court
imposes a sanction in the amount of Five Hundred Dollars ($500)
against Thomas L. Switzer, payable to the Clerk of the Court of
Appeals of Virginia within sixty (60) days from the release of
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this opinion. See Bandas v. Bandas, 16 Va. App. 427, 437, 430
S.E.2d 706, 711 (1993).
Affirmed.
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