Lisa Tarrance v. Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington, Inc.

COURT OF APPEALS OF VIRGINIA
Present: 	Judges Benton, Haley and Senior Judge Coleman
LISA TARRANCE
MEMORANDUM OPINION*
v. 	Record No. 0005-06-4 	PER CURIAM
JULY 25, 2006
CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF THE
DIOCESE OF ARLINGTON, INC.
FROM THE CIRCUIT COURT OF ARLINGTON COUNTY
Joanne F. Alper, Judge
(Deborah E. Kramer, on brief), for appellant.
(James A. Watson, II; Sarah Louppe Petcher; Allan Taylor Holland,
Guardian ad litem for the minor child; Colten Cummins Watson &
Vincent, P.C. on brief), for appellee.
Pursuant to Code §§ 16.1-283(C)(2) and 16.1-283(E)(i), the trial judge terminated Lisa
Tarrance’s parental rights to her minor child, born August 29, 2004. Tarrance argues the trial judge
erred in determining that she, without good cause, has been unwilling or unable within a reasonable
period to remedy substantially the conditions which led to the placement of her child in foster care.
See Code § 16.1-283(C)(2).
In addition to invoking Code § 16.1-283(C)(2), the final order recites that “clear and
convincing evidence [establishes] . . . that the parental rights of . . . Lisa Tarrance . . . to 4 other
minor children have previously been involuntarily terminated,” and the final order invokes Code
§ 16.1-283(E)(i) as a basis for terminating Tarrance’s parental rights. The order also finds that
termination is in the best interest of the minor child. On this appeal, however, Tarrance presents no
argument that the trial judge erred in terminating her parental rights pursuant to Code
* Pursuant to Code § 17.1-413, this opinion is not designated for publication.

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§ 16.1-283(E)(i) (providing for termination of parental rights when “the residual parental rights of
the parent regarding a sibling of the child have previously been involuntarily terminated”).
When an appellant fails to contest a trial judge’s termination of parental rights under one
subdivision of Code § 16.1-283, we will not consider whether the evidence sufficiently
supported termination under alternative subdivisions of the statute. Fields v. Dinwiddie County
Dep’t of Soc. Servs., 46 Va. App. 1, 8, 614 S.E.2d 656, 659 (2005). Accordingly, we summarily
affirm the decision terminating Tarrance’s parental rights. See Rule 5A:27.
Affirmed.