{ "id": 2776921, "name": "Gerald HUEY and Bonnie Huey, Petitioners, v. Mary C. LENTE, Respondent", "name_abbreviation": "Huey v. Lente", "decision_date": "1973-09-28", "docket_number": "No. 9777", "first_page": "597", "last_page": "599", "citations": [ { "type": "official", "cite": "85 N.M. 597" }, { "type": "parallel", "cite": "514 P.2d 1093" } ], "court": { "name_abbreviation": "N.M.", "id": 8835, "name": "Supreme Court of New Mexico" }, "jurisdiction": { "id": 52, "name_long": "New Mexico", "name": "N.M." }, "cites_to": [ { "cite": "83 N.M. 772", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.M.", "case_ids": [ 5331633 ], "weight": 2, "year": 1972, "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nm/83/0772-01" ] }, { "cite": "65 N.M. 250", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.M.", "case_ids": [ 2846944 ], "weight": 2, "year": 1959, "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nm/65/0250-01" ] }, { "cite": "84 N.M. 776", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.M.", "case_ids": [ 2765063 ], "weight": 2, "year": 1973, "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nm/84/0776-01" ] }, { "cite": "168 P. 715", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "P.", "year": 1917, "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "23 N.M. 422", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.M.", "case_ids": [ 2398105 ], "year": 1917, "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nm/23/0422-01" ] }, { "cite": "195 P. 515", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "P.", "year": 1920, "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "26 N.M. 622", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.M.", "case_ids": [ 8843062 ], "year": 1920, "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nm/26/0622-01" ] }, { "cite": "62 N.M. 227", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.M.", "case_ids": [ 2712624 ], "weight": 2, "year": 1957, "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nm/62/0227-01" ] }, { "cite": "63 N.M. 267", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.M.", "case_ids": [ 2776087 ], "weight": 2, "year": 1957, "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nm/63/0267-01" ] }, { "cite": "55 N.M. 494", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.M.", "case_ids": [ 1582905 ], "weight": 2, "year": 1951, "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nm/55/0494-01" ] }, { "cite": "85 N.M. 585", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.M.", "case_ids": [ 2774295 ], "weight": 2, "year": 1973, "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nm/85/0585-01" ] } ], "analysis": { "cardinality": 376, "char_count": 4960, "ocr_confidence": 0.706, "pagerank": { "raw": 5.676389578322545e-07, "percentile": 0.9492501300268857 }, "sha256": "9047de20dd36d651765d064bbe3c0583bc533df5d7ecf632e138d0797f0585b9", "simhash": "1:1508b26326270541", "word_count": 796 }, "last_updated": "2023-07-14T15:38:26.265107+00:00", "provenance": { "date_added": "2019-08-29", "source": "Harvard", "batch": "2018" }, "casebody": { "judges": [ "McMANUS, C. J., and OMAN, MONTOYA and MARTINEZ, JJ., concur." ], "parties": [ "Gerald HUEY and Bonnie Huey, Petitioners, v. Mary C. LENTE, Respondent." ], "opinions": [ { "text": "OPINION\nSTEPHENSON, Justice.\nThis Application for Termination of Parental Rights was brought in the District Court of Bernalillo County by the Hueys in respect to an infant son of Mary Lente, pursuant to \u00a7 22-2-23, N.M.S.A.l953 (Supp. 1971).\nThe district court entered judgment:\n\u201c * * * that the parental rights of Respondent Mary Lente to the minor child, Jessie Lente, be and they are hereby terminated.\u201d\nMary Lente appealed. The Court of Appeals on June 20, 1973 handed down its opinion [85 N.M. 585, 514 P.2d 1081 (1973)] reversing the trial court\u2019s judgment. However, in doing so, the majority declared the cited statute to be unconstitutional for a variety of reasons.\nWhile not disagreeing with the result reached by the Court of Appeals, we were concerned about the statute having been struck down and granted certiorari. The New Mexico Health And Social Services Department intervened and filed a brief.\nThe majority opinion disregards at least two basic principles. Firstly, no holding that the statute was unconstitutional was required. Witness the specially concurring opinion of Judge Hernandez reaching the same result as the majority, but on the basis of the statute being constitutional. Courts will not decide constitutional questions unless necessary to a disposition of the case. Ratliff v. Wingfield, 55 N.M. 494, 236 P.2d 725 (1951).\nSecondly, if a statute is susceptible to two constructions, one supporting it and the other rendering it void, a court should adopt the construction which will uphold its constitutionality. State v. Morley, 63 N.M. 267, 317 P.2d 317 (1957); State ex rel. Dickson v. Saiz, 62 N.M. 227, 308 P.2d 205 (1957); Abeytia v. Gibbons Garage, 26 N.M. 622, 195 P. 515 (1920); and State ex rel. Clancy v. Hall, State Treasurer, 23 N.M. 422, 168 P. 715 (1917). Again witness Judge Hernandez\u2019 opinion. Actually, this principle may be of doubtful application because of our difficulty in following the construction of the majority.\nThe majority went astray in construing \u00a7 22-2-23 E., N.M.S.A.1953 (Supp. 1971) which provides:\n\u201cE. The court after hearing may grant or deny a judgment terminating parental rights. A judgment of the court terminating parental rights has the same effect as an adoption judgment has in terminating the parent-child relationship, including terminating parental rights, dispensing with the consent, and with any required notice of an adoption proceeding of a parent whose relationship is terminated by the judgment.\u201d (Emphasis supplied.)\n\u00a7 22-2-33, N.M.S.A.1953 (Supp.1971), captioned in part \u201cEffect of judgment of adoption\u201d provides in subsection A., (1) that such a judgment has the effect \u201c * * (1) to relieve the natural parents of all parental rights and responsibilities; \u2021 \u2021 >|c 1}\nThis is the section to which the emphasized portion of \u00a7 22-2-23 (E) obviously refers. Section 22-2-33 (A) (2), N.M.S.A. 1953 (Supp.1971), which seemingly confused the majority in the Court of Appeals, is not concerned with the termination of parental rights, but rather defines the rights created between an adoptive parent and a child being adopted.\nSuffice it to say that from the mentioned erroneous point of departure, the majority proceeded to further errors which arose from a blending of statutes relating to adoption and that which relates to termination of parental consent.\nThe majority further erred in holding, without citation of authority, that the statute was unconstitutional by reason of the failure of its title to comply with art. IV, \u00a7 16 of the New Mexico Constitution. Again this holding proceeded on the fallacious premise that actions brought under \u00a7 22-2-23 are for adoption.\nIn any case, we find no constitutional shortcomings in the title of the statute measured by the standards laid down in City of Albuquerque v. Garcia, 84 N.M. 776, 508 P.2d 585 (1973), which we intended as a definitive expression on this subject.\nWe reverse the majority opinion of the Court of Appeals in its entirety.\nBy way of supplementing what we have said, we approve of and adopt the special concurring opinion of Judge Hernandez. In so doing, we specifically approve his views as to the quantum of proof required as being \u201cclear and convincing.\u201d Nevelos v. Railston, 65 N.M. 250, 335 P.2d 573 (1959). We do not view the opinion in Petition of Quintana, 83 N.M. 772, 497 P.2d 1404 (1972) as creating or directly approving any lesser quantum.\nThe judgment of the District Court of Bernalillo County is reversed, and the case remanded for further proceedings in accordance herewith.\nIt is so ordered.\nMcMANUS, C. J., and OMAN, MONTOYA and MARTINEZ, JJ., concur.", "type": "majority", "author": "STEPHENSON, Justice." } ], "attorneys": [ "Albert & Prelo, Albuquerque, for petitioners.", "Steven Schoen, Albuquerque, for respondent.", "David L, Norvell, Atty. Gen., James Huber, Agency Asst. Atty. Gen., H. S. S., Santa Fe, amicus curiae." ], "corrections": "", "head_matter": "514 P.2d 1093\nGerald HUEY and Bonnie Huey, Petitioners, v. Mary C. LENTE, Respondent.\nNo. 9777.\nSupreme Court of New Mexico.\nSept. 28, 1973.\nAlbert & Prelo, Albuquerque, for petitioners.\nSteven Schoen, Albuquerque, for respondent.\nDavid L, Norvell, Atty. Gen., James Huber, Agency Asst. Atty. Gen., H. S. S., Santa Fe, amicus curiae." }, "file_name": "0597-01", "first_page_order": 659, "last_page_order": 661 }