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Termination of Father's Parental Rights Justified by Prior Violent Conduct

Termination of one's parental rights is an exteme measure, but Virginia judges are empowered to take such extreme measures in completely severing a parent's relationship with his or her child in certain instances. In November 2008, the Virginia Court of Appeals upheld the ruling of the Bristol Circuit Court terminating the father's parental rights based upon his history of domestic violence against the children's mother.  The trial court's decision was based -- as it should be -- on what is in the best interests of the children. In this case, the father was in prison for assaulting the child's mother, the children were in foster care, and the court believed it in the children's best interests to remain in foster care rather than be exposed to the violent tendencies the father had already exhibited upon his release.