Steven L. v. Superior Court

Filed 8/15/06 Steven L. v. Superior Court CA1/2

NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS

California Rules of Court, rule 977(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 977(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 977.

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

FIRST APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION TWO

Steven L. (father) filed a petition for extraordinary writ (California Rules of Court, rule 38.1) challenging the order of the juvenile court denying his request to be present at the hearing at which the court terminated his reunification services and set the matter for a Welfare and Institutions Code section 366.26 hearing. We conclude that the juvenile court did not abuse its discretion in refusing father's request, and therefore deny the petition on the merits.

I. BACKGROUND

On August 9, 2005, the Sonoma County Human Services Department (Department) filed a juvenile dependency petition concerning 10‑month-old Dorothy F., alleging in pertinent part that on August 5, 2005, the infant's mother, M.C., had turned the infant over to the Santa Rosa Police Department stating that she was unable to care for her. The petition further alleged that mother was intoxicated at the time and had used marijuana, and that mother has a history of arrests and convictions.[1]

As to father, called in the initial petition the â€