Department of Human Services v. T. L.

In this consolidated appeal, father appeals judgments changing the permanency plans for his three children.1 Following a permanency hearing in which father’s counsel did not appear, the juvenile court changed the plan for father’s oldest child from reunification to “another planned permanent living arrangement” (APPLA) and changed the plans for father’s two younger children from reunification to guardianship. The substance of father’s challenge on appeal is that his counsel’s failure to appear at the permanency hearing constituted inadequate assistance of counsel under State ex rel Juv. Dept.…