IN RE: S.C.B., A MINOR IN RE: J.G.B., A MINOR APPEAL OF: C.B.

IN RE: S.C.B., A MINOR IN RE: J.G.B., A MINOR APPEAL OF: C.B. No. 840 and 841 WDA 2009 2010 PA Super 20 Atlantic: n/a Filed: 2/17/2010
	Appeal from the Order Entered April 21, 2009, Court of Common Pleas, Allegheny County, Orphans’ Court Division, at No. CYF 261 of 2007 and CYF 260 of 2007.
Before: BENDER, SHOGAN and FITZGERALD?, JJ.
Opinion by: SHOGAN, J.
C.B., (“Mother”), appeals from the orders entered on April 21, 2009, granting the petitions filed by the Allegheny County Office of Children, Youth and Families (“CYF”), to involuntarily terminate her parental rights to her twin minor children, S.C.B. and J.G.B., (collectively, “Children”), pursuant to the Adoption Act, 23 Pa.C.S.A. § 2511(a)(1), (2), (5), and (8), and (b). In this appeal, Mother challenges, inter alia, the allowance of the termination of parental rights hearing to proceed in the absence of her guardian ad litem. For the reasons that follow, we affirm.

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IN RE: ADOPTION OF M.M.H. APPEAL OF: JAMES E. MAHOOD AND WILDER & MAHOOD, P.C.

IN RE: ADOPTION OF M.M.H. APPEAL OF: JAMES E. MAHOOD AND WILDER & MAHOOD, P.C. No. 1331 WDA 2008 2009 PA Super 177 Atlantic: 981 A.2d 261 Filed: 9/4/2009
	Appeal from the Order Entered July 21, 2008, In the Court of Common Pleas, Allegheny County Civil Division, at No. A08-010(x3)
Before: KLEIN, ALLEN, and COLVILLE,* JJ.
Opinion by: ALLEN, J.
This is an adoption case that concerns the orphans’ court’s authority to determine, sua sponte, the reasonable value of an attorney’s legal services and to reduce the legal fees it finds excessive. In this case, the trial court, sitting en banc, concluded that the legal fees of James E. Mahood and Wilder and Mahood, P.C., (“Appellants”) were excessive when compared to similar cases in Allegheny County, and reduced them to an amount that it found to be reasonable. On appeal, Appellants maintain, in essence, that the trial court committed an error of law because it lacked the authority to take such measures. We conclude that based upon the facts of this case, the trial court did not possess the authority – statutory, policy-based, inherent or otherwise - to unilaterally decrease Appellants’ attorney’s fees. Accordingly, we reverse the trial court’s order and remand for proceedings consistent with this Opinion.

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IN RE: ADOPTION OF S.B., a Minor APPEAL OF: Y.N.

IN RE: ADOPTION OF S.B., a Minor APPEAL OF: Y.N. No. 1864 WDA 2008 2009 PA Super 162 Atlantic: 979 A.2d 925 Filed: 8/14/2009
	Appeal from the Order entered on October 20, 2008 in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Orphans' Court Division, No. CYF 20 of 2005
Before: MUSMANNO, DONOHUE and SHOGAN, JJ.
Opinion by: MUSMANNO, J.
Y.N., the biological paternal aunt of S.B. (d/o/b 6/3/97), appeals from the Order of the Orphans’ Court denying her Petition to unseal S.B.’s adoption records due to Y.N.’s lack of standing. We affirm, albeit upon a different basis.

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IN THE INTEREST OF: J.S., A MINOR APPEAL OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY OFFICE OF CHILDREN YOUTH AND FAMILIES (at 1766) IN RE: J.S., A MINOR APPEAL OF: M.D.,

IN THE INTEREST OF: J.S., A MINOR APPEAL OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY OFFICE OF CHILDREN YOUTH AND FAMILIES (at 1766) IN RE: J.S., A MINOR APPEAL OF: M.D., NATURAL MOTHER(at 1767) No. 1766 and 1777 WDA 2008 2009 PA Super 141 Atlantic: 980 A.2d 117 Filed: 7/21/2009
	Appeal from the Order Entered September 18, 2008, in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Juvenile Division, at No. 76151-B.
Before: BOWES, DONOHUE and POPOVICH, JJ.
Opinion by: BOWES, J.
In this consolidated appeal, the Allegheny County Office of Children and Youth and Families (“CYF”) and M.D. (“Mother”) appeal from the order entered on September 18, 2008, wherein the juvenile court granted K.C. and J.C. (“Foster Parents”) permission to intervene in an ongoing dependency proceeding. We reverse.

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IN RE: I.J. APPEAL OF: DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES No. 2989 EDA 2007 2009 PA Super 48 Atlantic: 972 A.2d 5 Filed: 3/23/2009
	Appeal from the Order entered September 18, 2007, Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County, Family Division at Nos. D#2795-05-10; J#377285, July Term, 2007 - 90000
Before: BENDER, DONOHUE and FREEDBERG, JJ.
Opinion by: DONOHUE, J.
The Philadelphia Department of Human Services (“DHS”) appeals from the order of court dated September 18, 2007 denying its Petition for Goal Change to Adoption and Involuntary Termination of Parental Rights of S.M. (“Mother”) and D.J. (“Father”), the parents of I.J. For the reasons that follow, we reverse and remand for further proceedings consistent with this decision.

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Superior Court 8/26/08 - IN RE: ADOPTION OF C.L.G.

IN RE: ADOPTION OF C.L.G.APPEAL OF: N.P., NATURAL MOTHER
No. 899 EDA 2007 2008 PA Super 198 Atlantic: n/a Filed: 8/26/2008
Appeal from the Order Entered March 22, 2007 In the Court of Common Pleas of Chester County Orphans’ Court at No. 06-0072
Before: FORD ELLIOTT, P.J., MUSMANNO, LALLY-GREEN, BENDER, BOWES, PANELLA, DONOHUE, SHOGAN AND ALLEN, JJ.
Opinion by: ALLEN, J.
Dissenting Opinion by: BENDER, J.
N.P. (Mother), the biological parent of C.L.G. (d.o.b. 4/14/05) appeals from the order entered on March 22, 2007, granting the petition filed by the Chester County Department of Children, Youth and Families (Agency) and involuntarily terminating her parental rights to C.L.G. Upon reconsideration, we affirm.

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Superior Court 8/21/08 - IN THE INTEREST OF: R.P., A MINOR,

IN THE INTEREST OF: R.P., A MINOR,APPEAL OF: K.P.IN THE INTEREST OF: L.P., A MINORAPPEAL OF: K.P.No. 2741 and 2742 EDA 2007 2008 PA Super 196 Atlantic: n/a Filed: 8/21/2008
Appeal from the Order Entered October 4, 2007,in the Court of Common Pleas of Pike County, Civil Division,at No. Juvenile No. 124-2007 and 123-2007.
Before: FORD ELLIOTT, P.J., BOWES and COLVILLE, JJ.
Opinion by: BOWES, J.
This is an appeal by K.P. (“Mother”) from the October 4, 2007 order adjudicating her children, L.P., born July 21, 2003, and R.P., born February 20, 2006, dependent. L.P. and R.P., who are not consanguineous, were adopted from different orphanages in Russia. L.P. was adopted in June 2004, and R.P. was adopted in June 2007, only two months before suffering brutal, life-threatening physical abuse at the hands of Father. N.T., 9/17/07, at 18-19. They were declared dependent children after the trial court found that Mother was a perpetrator by omission of R.P.’s abuse. As the court also found aggravated circumstances, the October 4, 2007 order provided that no further efforts to preserve or reunify the family were necessary. Following our exhaustive review of the notes of testimony, relevant case law, and arguments of the parties, we affirm.

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Superior Court 8/21/08 - N THE INTEREST OF: L.P., A MINOR

IN THE INTEREST OF: R.P., A MINOR, DATE OF BIRTH 02/02/2006APPEAL OF: K.P.IN THE INTEREST OF: L.P., DATE OF BIRTH 7/21/2003, A MINORAPPEAL OF: K.P.IN THE INTEREST OF: L.P., A MINORAPPEAL OF: J.P.IN THE INTEREST OF: R.P., A MINORAPPEAL OF: J.P
No. 3037 & 3108 EDA 2007, 36 and 37 EDA 2008 2008 PA Super 197 Atlantic: n/a Filed: 8/21/2008
Appeal from the Order Entered October 31, 2007, in the Court of Common Pleas of Pike County, Civil Division,at No. Juvenile No. 124-2007 and 123-2007.
Before: BEFORE: FORD ELLIOTT, P.J., BOWES AND COLVILLE, JJ.
Opinion by: BOWES, J.
K.P. (“Mother”) and J.P. (“Father”) (also collectively referred to as “Parents”) appeal from the orders dated October 31, 2007, which were filed November 1, 2007, changing the placement goal for their children, R.P. and L.P., to adoption. As these appeals involve identical parties and derive from the same permanency hearing determinations and orders, we have elected to discuss them together. Following our complete and thorough review of the record, we affirm.

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Superior Court 6/20/08 - IN RE: ADOPTION OF W.J.R., A MINOR

IN RE: ADOPTION OF W.J.R., A MINORAPPEAL OF: W.A.R., NATURAL FATHER
No. 1228 WDA 2007 2008 PA Super 131 Atlantic: n/a Filed: 6/20/2008
Appeal from the Order May 29, 2007In the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny CountyCriminal at No(s): NO CYS 109 OF 2004
Before: STEVENS, BOWES, JJ., and McEWEN, P.J.E.
Opinion by: STEVENS, J.
W.A.R. (Father) appeals from the order of the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas terminating his parental rights to his child, W.J.R. We affirm.

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Superior Court 2/21/2008 - IN THE MATTER OF: S.B., A MINOR

IN THE MATTER OF: S.B., A MINOR APPEAL OF: M.O. AND A.B., NATURAL PARENTS
No. 692 MDA 2007 2008 PA Super 21 Atlantic: n/a Filed: 2/21/2008
Appeal from the Order entered March 21, 2007 In the Court of Common Pleas of Cumberland County Criminal, No. CP-21-JV-0030114-2003
Before: LALLY-GREEN, GANTMAN, JJ., AND MCEWEN, P.J.E.
Opinion by: GANTMAN, J.
Appellants, M.O. (“Mother”) and A.B. (“Father”) appeal from the order entered in the Cumberland County Court of Common Pleas, changing their family goal from “return home” to adoption with respect to their minor child S.B. (DOB 8/27/99). Upon a thorough review of the record and the applicable law, we affirm.