In re A.L. CA4/3

Filed 6/23/14 In re A.L. CA4/3

NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.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

FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION THREE

In re A.L., a Minor.

T.F., G049191 Petitioner and Respondent, (Super. Ct. No. 13AD000050) v. OPINION R.L.,

Objector and Appellant.

Appeal from an order of the Superior Court of Orange County, Ronald P. Kreber, Judge. Affirmed. Roni Keller for Objector and Appellant. Jarvis, Kriger & Sullivan, Kevin Harrison and Siobhan M. Bishop for Petitioner and Respondent.

T.F. (hereafter Grandmother) filed a petition to terminate her son-in-law’s parental rights and adopt her granddaughter A.L. pursuant to Family Code section 7822.1 R.L. (hereafter Father) was convicted of killing A.L.’s mother and maternal grandfather. On appeal, R.L. contends the court should not have granted the petition because there was insufficient evidence he intended to abandon A.L. as required by section 7822. Finding his contention lacks merit, we affirm the order. I A.L.’s mother (hereafter Mother) and Father divorced in 2010 when A.L. was six years old. The court ordered joint legal and physical custody. Father was ordered to pay $1,174 in monthly child support. A.L. was diagnosed with a rare congenital medical condition, a seizure disorder, and an attention deficit disorder. Her parents disagreed about her educational placement. On May 3, 2011, following a contentious ex parte hearing on this issue, Father shot and killed Mother and A.L.’s maternal grandfather. Father was immediately arrested. A.L. has been living with her maternal grandmother since the night of the murders. On May 13, 2011, Grandmother filed for guardianship and she became A.L.’s guardian on August 26, 2011. A.L. sees a therapist once a week to help cope with the loss of her mother and grandfather. She is thriving in Grandmother’s care and doing well in school and extracurricular activities. In September 2012, Father was convicted of two counts of first degree murder, firearm enhancements, and multiple special circumstances. In November 2012 the trial court sentenced him to two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of