IN RE TONI S. - Articles

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IN RE TONI S.

Posted by: Azya Thornton on Aug 14, 2025

Court: TN Court of Appeals

Attorneys 1: Jonathan Skrmetti, Attorney General and Reporter, J. Matthew Rice, Solicitor General, and Amber L. Barker, Senior Assistant Attorney General, for the appellant, Tennessee Department of Children’s Services.

Attorneys 2: Ashley Preston, Franklin, Tennessee, for the appellee, Teia S.

Attorneys 3: Thomas H. Miller, Franklin, Tennessee, guardian ad litem.

Judge(s): ARMSTRONG

This is a termination of parental rights case. The trial court determined that the Department of Children’s Services failed to meet its burden of proof as to any of the statutory grounds set out in its petition to terminate appellee/mother’s parental rights to the minor child. Although unnecessary in view of its determination that there were no grounds for termination, the trial court undertook a best interest analysis and found that it was not in the child’s best interest to terminate mother’s rights. Because the evidence does not support the trial court’s findings as to either grounds or best interest, we reverse the trial court’s order and remand for entry of an order terminating appellee/mother’s parental rights.

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