Lenawee County judge continues suspension of Dustin King’s parenting time, sets Aug. 11 review

A Lenawee County judge on the record continued the suspension of Dustin King’s parenting time after the department and service providers reported ongoing concerns about his mental health, missed appointments and unstable living arrangements.

The decision keeps four children in their current placements while the court and agency monitor King’s engagement with services. The court scheduled a 90-day review for Monday, Aug. 11, at 10:30 a.m. and appointed an attorney for Dustin King Jr., who has objected to his placement.

Ashley Beach, foster care supervisor for Fostering Solutions, told the court that “his mental health and instability is still our primary concern,” citing multiple providers who reported paranoia and other symptoms and noting that parenting time for King has been suspended since December 2024. Beach said she supported continued placement of the children where they are now, and described the youngest children as bonded and doing well in their current foster placements.

Miss Sasha Thomas, counsel for the Department, urged the court to maintain the suspension. “He does remain a risk of harm to his children and likely to himself and others,” Thomas said, asking the court to set a 90-day review and continue agency monitoring.

Court documents before the bench included an April 2 court report, an April 11 court report, an April 14 email, two letters from the Cherokee Nation and a psychological evaluation by Dr. Parks dated Feb. 27, 2025. The psychological evaluation recommended “a period of 6 months of mental health stability prior to reinstating parenting time,” a recommendation Beach and others described as a basis for delaying visitation.

Caseworker testimony and the department’s reports said King agreed to but had difficulty initiating psychiatric and counseling services; staff said they helped him begin an assessment but the full psychiatric report was not yet available. The department told the court it had referred King to parenting-structure programs and domestic-violence counseling; those referrals had not produced sustained engagement, according to testimony.

King testified at the hearing and repeatedly expressed frustration with services and communications. The court and attorneys noted interruptions during his testimony and required him to leave the courtroom at one point to avoid further disruptions. King said he would try to keep appointments "long as they give me them," and asserted he has medical documentation of autism and other conditions that he offered to provide through counsel.

Judge comments summarized the record: service providers and evaluators had documented missed appointments, lack of verified medical documentation for some of King’s self-reported diagnoses, and a failure to demonstrate stability or address safety concerns in housing and parenting. The judge said those factors, combined with the mental-health recommendations in the psychological evaluation, prevented reinstating parenting time at this review.

The court ordered the next review for Aug. 11 and said the department will continue reasonable efforts to assist King in meeting his case service plan. The judge also appointed counsel for the older child who is placed with his mother and has raised objections to that placement. The court reiterated that parenting time could be reconsidered only after documented engagement with recommended services and reassessments by evaluators.