Judge terminates parental rights in Kiana Johnson case, orders DFPS to study maternal grandmother for placement

A High Plains Child Protection Court judge on Nov. 13 terminated the parental rights of Truzell (sometimes transcribed as Trussell) Moore and alleged father Marvin Price in the case of infant Kiana Johnson and ordered the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) to pursue a home study for the child’s maternal grandmother.

Judge's ruling and legal basis

“I do find by clear and convincing evidence that it is in the best interest of the child, Kiana Johnson, to terminate the parental rights between the child and her mother, Cruzelle [Truzell] Moore, based on Texas Family Code 161.001,” the judge said when announcing the decision and citing multiple subsections of the statute as the legal basis for termination. The judge also found grounds to terminate the alleged father Marvin Price’s rights under the Family Code and to terminate rights of any unknown father for failure to register with the paternity registry.

Why the court terminated rights

DFPS witnesses and documents introduced at the resumed final hearing showed that mother and infant tested positive for amphetamines at delivery and that the mother had subsequent positive drug screens in September and October…