Opinion
2014-UP-287
07-11-2014
David Michael Saunders and Leticia Marie Saunders, Respondents, v. Jonathan Jose Palomares, Ashley Yvonne Bernadette Simon, and Mallory Palomares, Defendants, Of Whom Jonathan Jose Palomares is the Appellant. Appellate Case No. 2013-000033
Earnest Deon O'Neil, of The Law Office of Deon O'Neil and Bertila Ivane Delora Boyd, of Bostic and Boyd, LLC, both of Columbia, for Appellant. David Michael Saunders and Leticia Marie Saunders, both of Hartsville, pro se.
Unpublished Opinion
Submitted June 25, 2014
Appeal From Chesterield County Roger E. Henderson, Family Court Judge
Earnest Deon O'Neil, of The Law Office of Deon O'Neil and Bertila Ivane Delora Boyd, of Bostic and Boyd, LLC, both of Columbia, for Appellant.
David Michael Saunders and Leticia Marie Saunders, both of Hartsville, pro se.
PER CURIAM
Affirmed pursuant to Rule 220(b), SCACR, and the following authorities: S.C. Code Ann. § 63-7-2570(3) (2010) (stating a statutory ground for termination of parental rights is met if the child has been out of the home for a period of six months and the parent has wilfully failed to visit the child); S.C. Dep't of Soc. Servs. v. Headden, 354 S.C. 602, 610, 582 S.E.2d 419, 423 (2003) ("Whether a parent's failure to visit is 'wilful' is a question of intent to be determined from the facts and circumstances of each individual case."); id. at 610, 582 S.E.2d at 424 ("The [family court] is given wide discretion in making this determination."); S.C. Dep't of Soc. Servs. v. Smith, 343 S.C. 129, 133, 538 S.E.2d 285, 287 (Ct. App. 2000) (stating the best interest of the child is "the paramount consideration"); Charleston Cnty. Dep't of Soc. Servs. v. King, 369 S.C. 96, 103-04, 631 S.E.2d 239, 243 (2006) (stating the factors set out in Moore v. Moore, 300 S.C. 75, 386 S.E.2d 456 (1989), "apply where a natural parent, who has voluntarily relinquished custody of his child, seeks to reclaim custody from a third party. The Moore factors cannot apply in the termination of parental rights situation because that situation is governed by statute.").
We decide this case without oral argument pursuant to Rule 215, SCACR.
WILLIAMS, KONDUROS, and LOCKEMY, JJ., concur.