Father admits to petition in Lenawee County juvenile case; court finds jurisdiction, orders services and schedules disposition

Daniel Evertz, the child’s father, entered a general admission to the petition in a juvenile proceeding in Lenawee County Probate & Juvenile Court on March 3, 2025, and the court found jurisdiction under MCL 712A.2(b). The court ordered continued investigation by Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) staff, instructed the agency and foster-care provider to develop a proposed case service plan, and scheduled an initial disposition hearing for April 9, 2025, at 11:30 a.m.

The admissions and the court’s finding matter because they permit DHHS to provide services and to use the proposed case service plan as a framework to measure the father’s progress toward reunification. Sasha Thomas, counsel for the Department of Health and Human Services, told the court, "I think that, the admissions are sufficient for jurisdiction, your honor, as it relates to the custody matter." The judge said the petition’s allegations “do constitute violation of the statute, triggering the intervention of the court as well as the department.”

In open court, Michael McFarland, attorney for…