THE ORDER OF PROTECTION WAS NOT SUFFICIENTLY TIED TO THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE CHILD IN THIS NEGLECT PROCEEDING AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN VACATED, ISSUE CONSIDERED ON APPEAL AS AN EXCEPTION TO THE MOOTNESS DOCTRINE (THIRD DEPT).

The Third Department, reversing Family Court in this neglect proceeding, determined that the order of protection requiring respondent putative father to undergo random urine, breath and blood tests was not sufficiently linked to the best interests of the child. Although the issue was moot in respondent’s case, the Third Department considered the issue, which is likely to recur, as an exception to the mootness doctrine:

… [U]nder the circumstances of this case, the record does not support Family Court’s conclusion that the conditions imposed upon respondent were necessary to further the purposes of protecting the child. At the time that the neglect proceeding was commenced against him and when Family Court entered the temporary order, respondent did not have legal or physical custody of the child; he only had limited parenting time with the child. Yet, the conditions imposed in the temporary order bore no connection to respondent’s parenting time with the child (see Family Ct Act §§ 1029 [a]; 1056 [1] [i]… ). For example, the temporary order generally required respondent to submit to random urine, breath or other tests upon petitioner’s request, rather than requiring that such test occur prior to respondent’s parenting time. The conditions were broad and designed to compel respondent to address his alleged alcohol and substance abuse issues. Family Court adopted petitioner’s proposed conditions without an adequate connection to or explanation as to how each of the conditions related to the protection of the child. Accordingly, we agree with respondent that the temporary order was improper and that Family Court should have granted respondent’s motion to vacate. Matter of Carmine GG. (Christopher HH.), 2019 NY Slip Op 05360, Third Dept 7-3-19