State ex rel. Juvenile Department v. Charles

We accepted review in this case to consider the meaning of the term “qualified expert witness” as that term is used in the Indian Child Welfare Act, 25 USC § 1912(e). In addition to the Court of Appeals’ interpretation of that term, its decision rested on an independent ground, the state’s failure to show that remedial efforts to prevent the breakup of the family were unsuccessful. The state petitioned for review on one ground only. At oral argument, the state conceded that, regardless of this court’s resolution of the issue on which review is sought, we must affirm the Court of Appeals on…