In re C.M.

Citations

• 2025 Ohio 1738

Syllabus

Parental rights; adjudication; dependent; manifest weight of the evidence; res judicata; amended complaint; parental conduct; adverse conditions; R.C. 2151.04(C); Juv.R. 22(B); Civ.R. 15(B); Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services (\CCDCFS\). Judgment affirmed. Father's newly presented arguments are barred by the doctrine of res judicata and could have been raised in Father's initial appeal. The juvenile court adjudicated the children dependent under R.C. 2151.04(C) and placed the children under the protective supervision of CCDCFS. While the complaint referenced R.C. 2151.04(D), the juvenile court effectively amended the complaint pursuant to Juv.R. 22(B) and Civ.R. 15(B). Lastly, CCDCFS presented evidence of conditions that were adverse to the normal development of the children, including unsanitary conditions in the home and the fact that children did not attend school on a consistent basis, which warranted state intervention. The record supported the juvenile court's findings, and the judgments are not against the manifest weight of the evidence.