The Appellate Group

In Re A.K.-A

In re A.K.-A, 2026 UT App 167 (Orme, J.)

CHILD WELFARE

The Utah Court of Appeals held:

(1) An appeal challenging an abuse adjudication is not moot even if the juvenile court has terminated jurisdiction and full custody has been restored to the parent because of the collateral consequences tied to an abuse adjudication, including that it is a ground that could be used to terminate a parent’s parental rights. 
(2) A parent is not barred from challenging an abuse or neglect adjudication when the parent does not challenge a dependency adjudication because abuse and neglect adjudications carry significant collateral consequences that a dependency adjudication does not. 
(3) Establishing abuse via threatened harm does not require specific intent or subjective appreciation of the risk of harm; a parent only needs to possess the general intent to engage in the underlying act that causes the risk of harm.


Read the full court opinion