Tonia Ingle, Appellant v. Arkansas Department of Human Services, Appellee

Summary

The court affirmed the circuit court’s decision to award permanent custody of C.N. to his father after concluding that the circuit court acted within the qualified mandate issued in the prior appeal, that Ingle failed to preserve her juvenile-code argument, and that the custody ruling was not clearly erroneous. The court held that the prior mandate permitted the circuit court to consider serious concerns arising during the appeal before returning custody to Ingle. Justice Hart concurred, while Justices Corbin, Hannah, and Danielson dissented, maintaining that the circuit court lacked jurisdiction to entertain DHS’s petition.