Matter of Dallas C. (Dusty M.C.—Richard C.)
2013 NY Slip Op 00737 [103 AD3d 631]
February 6, 2013
Appellate Division, Second Department
As corrected through Wednesday, March 27, 2013


In the Matter of Dallas C. Orange County Department ofSocial Services, Respondent; Dusty M.C., Appellant; Richard C., Respondent.(Proceeding No. 1.) In the Matter of Emily C. Orange County Department of SocialServices, Respondent; Dusty M.C., Appellant; Richard C., Respondent. (Proceeding No.2.) In the Matter of Hunter C. Orange County Department of Social Services,Respondent; Dusty M.C., Appellant; Richard C., Respondent. (Proceeding No.3.)

[*1]Richard L. Herzfeld, New York, N.Y., for appellant.

David L. Darwin, County Attorney, Goshen, N.Y. (Peter R. Schwarz of counsel), forpetitioner-respondent.

William E. Horwitz, Ardsley-on-Hudson, N.Y., attorney for the children.

In related child neglect proceedings pursuant to Family Court Act article 10, themother appeals from an order of fact-finding and disposition of the Family Court, OrangeCounty (Woods, J.), dated November 21, 2011, which, after a fact-finding hearing, interalia, found that she neglected the subject children.

Ordered that the order of fact-finding and disposition is reversed, on the facts,without costs or disbursements, the petitions are denied, and the proceedings aredismissed.

A finding that a child is neglected must be based on a preponderance of the evidence(see Family Ct Act § 1046 [b] [i]; Matter of Kassandra V. [Sylvia L.], 90 AD3d 940, 941[2011]). Here, the petitioner failed to establish by a preponderance of the evidence thatthe mother neglected her children.

As a result of our determination, the mother's remaining contentions have been [*2]rendered academic. Dillon, J.P., Angiolillo, Leventhal andMiller, JJ., concur.


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