Case Information
*1 R-645 EATTORNEY GENERAL OFTEXAS
I
Honorable John H, Winters, Honorable John H, Winters,
( txeautive Direotor, txeautive Direotor, State Departmemt or Public Weliare, State Departmemt or Public Weliare,
! Opinion No, v-311 Opinion No, v-311 Aucrtid, Texas Aucrtid, Texas I R0: Procedure tar attop-
I ~of a ohm tlon berm to an unwed nother,, ! immate of a Stat0 ~ insane hospital, I
You rake the9ollowing raquast ror aa opia-
I io@ rrom this dapmtmemt upon the abors oaptionsd sub- jeot mttir,
"On,Jamary 1; '1947 a child wa8 born $e M umarried &rl who wae at the time and @till lo WI iamato of one of tho State mental hos- pitals, The mother of the child warn duly ccmnitted. to the imntitution pursuant to a lunaoy judgRoat*
"Of'course, the child oanmot be rearm3 in the state mental herpita with it6 nmtkor,adl the drpartrrrt, hau soquested tie 8rrlat fn the pkamment or the child 10~ a&eptiO& In dimwd~ng th e l doptttior gurssrsdlingr rrdth the Di#tri@t lrd County Judgar o? tae eau*by from whirh tti mo$bmr or the ohild wa8 bollittod .thoy rr$~d bha foUmin(l qaaetiom about the ~pr68eeUngo~ WI&S born is 8itwhed
wham the ohild im a *The tor 0r rrinwthe juriadlotbn *ate hoopitd risrt quor*Im had roiermmo [*] nat- th OsuntJ other th8n the one rroi *hioh the moth- OF wan oamittodo Doer the oounty where the ,rUld warn bMm.or the Ooulptr trorr whioh the m&her wm oomritted have jurisdictionT *2 Hon. John H, Wirtors - Page 2 (T-311)
TW ahalk appnelats yam l pialon, a8 to whothor o r not tho r b $8 a&y way &mm- ental authority?" In mitiea Ne*,t*42 addm8ndto SIonmabk
Carlo8 C, Ashley, Chairmar, Stat* Bvaril bf C6*tr#l this department advieed with reape0t to e ri*ilar qu64tfom that, *a ohlld bora'to a woman who hms lrrspt'ully CON- aittb6 to a State mental institution n&y k lhr&lly a* &opt& undrr the general atatxtr8 f tiap$taa( 0 . .*
Thaw are two features w&oh uJua the aar+ an unusual oae under the adoptlon brrpr~ The uther Ir 111. umarrlod irl am& mere@ver, was at'%& time of t*slil3?bk, and otill !i II 8.p lnute of me of the Watia ,sonbtal k*spf* talsa
The pertinent general statutes applioablc, to your inquiry are the follawimg:
House Bill No, 369 passed at the Regular Sea- sion of the 50th Legislature* in Secti** 1 drrlaresz
"Any adult person may pstiti@n the district oourt in any of the followjng countios~
(1) The oounty ef hir roalideisa, (a) The county of the XW~~OM8 .f the ahild to be adoptoQ B B 0 * f+br lea+* to adopt a ainor ohildz Such pat&%ion #hull set forth the facts r~~a~Pfo to par titioner and ohild, and be ver~fiel the affidrrft of the petitionara,. oW
Section 6 of Artiols 461, Vernen's Ciril Stat- utea proridesn as otherwise uondoik (pro- “Pxoqpt
rided) in this ssct5.0nL, 81) adopties shall be permitted except with the writton &on- sent of the living parents of a ckild; *3 Hon. John H.. Winters - Page 3 (V-311)
” (L , + Uoneent shall net be required of patients whose parantal rights have been terminated by order of the juvenile court or other court of competent jurisdiction; provided, however, that in such cams a- doption shall be permitted only on oon&mt of the superintendent of the home or school or of the individual to whom the care, ous- tody, or guardianship of such child has been transferred by a juve,&la oourt or oth- er court of corppetent jm.eaiction.
*In ease of a child net bern in law- ful wedlack the conaeat of the father shall hot be oecesmary~”
since the ohild LR qusstibn me not born in lawful weUock, the consent @,f the father is wume8sary; and, since the aother is insane she is incapable of gir- ing her oonsent,
Tbexo la no exosptior to the statutory x8& quiremnt for ooaseat of a parent bamusa of lneurity, 60 that it beaOraS peaeaaarg te ~Mxu?B!%#M whether or, LWt it may be dlapense&‘with UOder the prcwiaior a* la#vUately booe quoted as me %hese parental right8 ha~o been ter- minated ordex of the juvekUe oouxt or other court of oQRp4tant jur~sliati*a*” The quastion sf an erder of the junniLo court is eut of oombsidaration fer the child is not of juveaile ageP
We are of the opldion that the pr er proad- ure is fer come iS&tsmated persoa to mabe l ppl “x oatloa to the county oourt far appointment as guardian in the coun- ty where the sethor aud infant reside (aft, 4111) where- u d* saoh guaMup wetibd be statuhai2y *sntitlsl t8 tke o r o oad ao&tro$ of the persoa ef the ward ud the oaro or h II aumrt and l iuoatloR,m fArt& 4lM) and the ardor 5
itsslf. 8hetil krmkndm the mether Parental ri ta up- tbr mation 0 of Artiale 46a a8’amoa401t (36 a* P rsc j, bsje) The yaril’ian thus appointed weuld be authorimd to oerwrt to the drptiea of the ohilL,
In ruah a guardianuhlp preoaeding it woul& proper to ixalm the mother a party and she should be aa- tually srrred with netiae therein by physioal delivery of the aotioe to hex by the efficer sorrirg the praoem,an& *4 Hon. John H. Winters - Page 4 (V-311)
the Court should appoint a guardian ad litor attormf to represent her.
A child born of an uiv&arrisd woman inmate of a State tosane hospital may lawfully adeptid under Texas law. '$hs proper prooednre would be to have a guard- ian appoPnted for the person of the child tian erder of the appointing court tern** inabing the parental right8 of the mother.
(Art, 4162 V.C*S.) The guardian thus ap- pointed wbuld be authorized to ooneent to the adoptibn of the rhild. (Art* 46a, f.C.Sp Sea 6, 39 CJ& pa 89.c)
Yours verg- truly, ATTORNEY GlCNERAL,OF TXXAS BY r3 ai , f- Ocie Spe r Assistant 0S:wb A'ITORMPPGERERAL