PARENTAL RIGHTS LOST DUE TO MENTAL ILLNESS

In Matter of Jenna KK. v. Mark KK., the Clinton County Department of Social Services sought to have Mark declared a "mentally ill" and his parental rights terminated. When the Family Court of Clinton County granted that request, Mark appealed to the Appellate Division, Third Department.

According to the AD3, when this kind of relief is requested, Social Services must present medical evidence that the mentally challenged parent is unable to provide "proper and adequate care" for the child.

In this instance, Mark was diagnosed with "delusional disorder, persecutory type; pedophilia, nonexclusive type; and personality disorder, not otherwise specified, with prominent antisocial characteristics and paranoid and narcissistic features." That, together with prior convictions for "sex offenses and domestic violence," reinforced the propriety of the outcome.

Sorry, but it would have been crazy if this case came out any other way.