Ruby v. Ruby DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HEARINGS AND VOLUNTARY DISMISSAL 2008-CA-000122 PUBLISHED: REVERSING AND REMANDING PANEL: THOMPSON PRESIDING; MOORE CONCURS; HENRY CONCURS IN PART AND DISSENTS IN PART COUNTY: JEFFERSON DATE RENDERED: 1/23/2009
Husband appealed from TC’s entry of DVO, asserting that TC judge should have recused; that it should have granted his request for continuance and his request to obtain Wife’s mental health and prescription records; that his constitutional rights were violated because he was denied assistance of counsel, the right to confront witnesses against him, and to present his own witnesses; and that TC should have vacated DVO pursuant to an agreed order entered by the parties.
FACTS: EPO was issued against Husband after Petition for DVO filed by Wife. DVO hearing was scheduled to occur 11 days later, but Husband requested and was granted over Wife’s objection a continuance and the hearing was rescheduled to occur 15 days later. At the rescheduled hearing, Wife and her attorney appeared but Husband did not. Substitute counsel appeared on Husband’s attorney’s behalf and stated that Husband’s attorney was ill and that court staff informed Husband’s attorney that the hearing was continued. TC learned from staff that they did not inform Husband’s attorney that hearing was continued. TC contacted Husband’s attorney at home and informed him that the hearing would proceed. Substitute counsel moved for TC judge to recuse himself as Husband was an attorney that had practiced in his court. TC judge refused.
Wife testified as to extensive injury inflicted by Husband, and Husband’s substitute counsel was given the opportunity to cross-examine Wife. TC then ordered that it would hear testimony from Husband one week later, but that no other testimony would be heard. At that hearing, Husband testified that argument between Husband and Wife occurred because of Wife’s irrational behavior and that her injuries resulted from her tripping over an open dishwasher door.
One week after Husband’s testimony, TC found that Husband abused Wife and that abuse may occur in future and therefore entered DVO prohibiting contact between parties. Two days later, Husband filed motion to vacate DVO, stating that parties were attempting reconciliation and included Agreed Order in which Husband and Wife requested DVO dismissal. TC denied motion but amended DVO from “no contact” order to “no unlawful contact” order.
Judge Recusal: CA held that recusal is not necessary merely because an attorney has practiced before a judge. Only when a judge would be biased against one party is recusal required.
Continuance of Hearing and Constitutional Issues: KRS 403.740 requires that a DVO hearing be conducted within a limited time. Husband had already been granted one continuance, thus it was not an abuse of discretion for TC to deny second continuance. Regarding Husband’s contention that he was not allowed to present witnesses on his behalf, CA held that TC could have entered its decision based only on evidence presented at initial hearing date, which would not have included Husband’s testimony, and that TC gave Husband more than he was entitled to by granting the additional date for Husband to testify. Regarding his claim that he could not confront witnesses, substitute counsel for Husband did cross-examine Wife though Husband was not present.
Husband also contended that he should have been able to call Witnesses to testify on his behalf and specifically complained that though he subpoenaed Wife’s brother and sister-in-law to appear at the second hearing date, TC judge refused to hold those witnesses in contempt. CA held that language of Kentucky statutes regarding disobedience of a subpoena is permissive and does not require the court to issue contempt citation or warrant to bring witnesses before court. The effect of issuing the citation or warrant would be to grant Husband’s second continuance, and weighing this against the possible relevancy of the testimony in question, TC’s refusal to hold witnesses in contempt was justified. The same reasoning applied to Husband’s complaint that TC should have granted his motion to compel Wife’s medical and psychiatric records; not only was the motion improperly noticed, but granting the motion would have given Husband his second continuance.
Joint Motion to Vacate DVO: Though TC found that domestic violence had occurred and would probably re-occur, parties requested just two days later to have DVO vacated. CA held that while a domestic violence petition is pending, victim can seek dismissal under CR 41. Where DVO has been entered, however, TC has discretion to deny parties’ requests to vacate, after inquiring into the voluntariness of victim’s participation in the request. TC here only asked Wife if she agreed to vacating DVO, to which she responded only “yes.” CA held that TC should have inquired further into circumstances that caused her to enter the agreement and could deny the motion only after making specific findings supporting its denial.
Reversed and remanded.
DISSENT:
TC is in best position to determine whether hearing should be required on Joint Motion to Dismiss. Given that Motion was filed such a short time after DVO entered, there was no abuse of discretion.
Digested by Michelle Eisenmenger Mapes, Diana L. Skaggs + Associates
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