The Third Appellate District affirmed dependency court orders. The court held that the belated submission of an expert opinion based on evidence available at a jurisdiction hearing did not constitute “new evidence” sufficient to modify or set aside a dependency court order on the basis of changed circumstances or new evidence.
The Sacramento County Department of Health and Human Services (county) filed petitions alleging that the minors H.S. and S.S. were at risk of harm from a parent or a parent’s failure to adequately protect them. The county recommended denial of reunification services. After a contested jurisdiction hearing that included conflicting testimony and extensive medical records and reports, the dependency court sustained the dependency petitions as to both minors. At the end of the later disposition hearing, the court denied reunification services.
