In re M.G. CA2/8

Filed 8/27/24 In re M.G. CA2/8 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS

California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION EIGHT

In re M.G., a Person Coming Under B325264 the Juvenile Court Law. Los Angeles County Super. Ct. No. 22LJJP00044B LOS ANGELES COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES, Plaintiff and Respondent, v. MICHAEL G., Defendant and Appellant; C.M., Defendant and Respondent; M.G., a Minor, etc., Respondent.

APPEAL from orders of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County. Stephanie M. Davis, Commissioner. Affirmed. Anuradha Khemka, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant. No appearance for Plaintiff and Respondent.

Megan Turkat Schirn, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Respondent. Janette Freeman Cochran, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Minor. _____________________________

SUMMARY The juvenile court terminated dependency jurisdiction over the child who is the subject of this appeal, M.G., on October 11, 2022. The juvenile custody order, filed on October 28, 2022 and signed by the court on November 28, 2022, awarded joint legal and joint physical custody to the parents. The father appeals, contending the order for joint physical custody should be reversed as an abuse of discretion. We find no merit in father’s assertion and affirm the court’s orders. FACTS M.G. was born in December 2014. His parents are Michael G. (father) and C.M. (mother). They are not married and do not live together. Mother has another son, R.G., born in May 2013, with a different father whose whereabouts are unknown. In January 2022, the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (Department) detained M.G. and R.G. from mother, and released them to the home of father (in R.G.’s case, temporarily). The boys were detained because on December 3, 2021, mother had dropped off M.G. at a church, telling the pastor she could not handle M.G. anymore. Mother told the pastor he could take M.G. to his grandmother, and gave the pastor a nonexistent address. In March 2022, the juvenile court sustained allegations under Welfare and Institutions Code section 300, subdivision (b),