State Department of Human Resources v. Thomas

INGRAM, Presiding Judge.

The Russell County Department of Human Resources filed a petition to terminate the parental rights of Maggie Thomas to her son, Darnell. After an ore tenus proceeding, the trial court terminated all legal rights of the mother to her child and granted temporary custody to the department to “make an effort to place said child with his maternal grandmother, Lucille Thomas.”

The department appeals and asserts that the trial court abused its discretion in awarding only .temporary custody to the department and ordering it to attempt placement with the maternal grandmother as…