In re Roger S.

Mother challenged the sufficiency of the evidence supporting the jurisdiction finding against her in this dependency case. The Court of Appeal held that the evidence presented at the adjudication hearing was insufficient to support jurisdiction where there was no nexus cited between the child's hygiene and any medical or dental condition. In this case, nothing in the record indicated that having body odor or wearing clothes that were dirty or too small—the only circumstances alleged in the petition the juvenile court sustained—placed the child at substantial risk of physical harm or illness. Therefore, the court reversed and remanded to the family court for a hearing on custody and visitation. View "In re Roger S." on Justia Law