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Robert J. Stanley v. Sierra W. Winters
Citation: Not availableDocket: 22-1552
Court: Court of Appeals of Iowa; March 7, 2023; Iowa; State Appellate Court
Original Court Document: View Document
Sierra Winters appeals a custody decree that grants physical care of her children to Robert Stanley. The Iowa Court of Appeals affirms the district court's decision, emphasizing that the placement serves the children's best interests. Sierra and Robert, never-married parents of two children born in 2014 and 2016, lived together in Arizona until their separation in 2015. Robert now lives in Illinois, is studying exercise science, and has a blended family, while Sierra resides in Iowa and is undergoing a divorce. Sierra has multiple psychiatric diagnoses, including depression and bipolar disorder, and is employed in pet-care sales. Both children have encountered educational and emotional challenges, with the older child having difficulties that require therapy. After their separation, Sierra relocated to Iowa without informing Robert and imposed restrictive visitation conditions, displaying controlling behavior that undermined joint custody principles. She withheld significant information from Robert regarding the children's well-being, including their therapy related to trauma and sexual abuse perpetrated by her fiancé's son, a fact she only disclosed under legal compulsion. Sierra's actions included limiting Robert's communication, making false statements about his rights to information, and manipulating visitation arrangements. In contrast, Robert maintained a neutral stance regarding Sierra in front of the children. The court found Sierra's conduct detrimental to the children's welfare, justifying the custody arrangement favoring Robert. Sierra expressed regret for her actions towards Robert and their children during the trial, but the district court found her explanations lacking credibility. As a result, the court awarded physical care to Robert, established joint legal custody, set a visitation schedule, and mandated child support, citing Robert's more stable home environment compared to Sierra's transient lifestyle. Over the past four years, Sierra had lived in six different places and held eight different jobs, which led to the children attending three different school districts, whereas Robert had a stable home and experience with special-needs children. The court noted that the children seemed to thrive in Robert’s care, potentially influenced by his stepdaughter. On appeal, Sierra contended that physical care should have been granted to her. The appeal was reviewed de novo, with significant weight given to the district court's credibility assessments. Although Sierra was the primary caregiver historically, her actions, including moving without notice and limiting Robert's access to the children, were detrimental. The court found that Robert's stable environment outweighed Sierra's prior role. Sierra's lack of willingness to co-parent and her attempts to alienate the children from Robert were concerning, especially her failure to disclose a sexual abuse incident affecting one child, which impeded Robert's understanding of the child’s behavior. The court noted that Sierra's motivations reflected a broader pattern of behavior that could harm the family dynamic. Robert, in contrast, was supportive of Sierra and willing to foster her relationship with the children. The court upheld its findings on Sierra's credibility, concluding that she lacked insight into how her actions negatively impacted her family. Ultimately, the appeal was affirmed, maintaining the district court's decision.