Oliver Valentine

This is a termination of parental rights case. A twenty-one month old boy was removed from his parents' home after the mother beat him with a belt, leaving bruises on his back, chest, head, and face. Three and a half years later, after the parents had failed to satisfy the conditions in the son's plan of care, the Department of Children's Services filed a petition to terminate their parental rights. The Juvenile Court for Shelby County terminated the mother's and father's parental rights. The mother and father appeal, arguing that the Tennessee Constitution prohibits a non-attorney, elected juvenile court judge from appointing a special judge, who is an attorney but not elected, to hear a termination of parental rights case. They also argue that there is not clear and convincing evidence to support the termination of their parental rights. We affirm, finding that the Tennessee Constitution does not prevent an elected, non-attorney juvenile court judge from appointing a juvenile court referee, who is an attorney but not elected, to hear cases involving the termination of parental rights, and that there is clear and convincing evidence to support the termination of parental rights in this case.