man ent ▁neglect ." ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁State ▁Family ▁Court ▁found ▁such ▁neglect ▁by ▁using ▁the ▁" f air ▁per ponder ance " ▁standard . ▁The ▁App ell ate ▁Division ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁u ph eld ▁the ▁constitution ality ▁of ▁the ▁bur den ▁of ▁proof ▁used . ▁ ▁In ▁a ▁ 5 – 4 ▁opinion ▁written ▁by ▁Justice ▁Harry ▁Black mun , ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁vac ated ▁the ▁App ell ate ▁Division ' s ▁r uling , ▁holding ▁that ▁states ▁seeking ▁to ▁sever ▁parent al ▁rights ▁ir rev oc ably ▁must ▁show ▁at ▁least ▁clear ▁and ▁convin cing ▁evidence ▁of ▁neglect . ▁Justice ▁William ▁Re hn qu ist , ▁joined ▁by ▁three ▁others , ▁diss ented , ▁on ▁the ▁grounds ▁that ▁the ▁majority ' s ▁focus ▁on ▁a ▁single ▁aspect ▁of ▁the ▁law ▁dis reg arded ▁the ▁fair ness ▁of ▁the ▁scheme ▁as ▁a ▁whole . ▁The ▁r uling ▁has ▁since ▁been ▁critic ized ▁for ▁its ▁intr usion ▁into ▁state ▁affairs . ▁Because ▁of ▁the ▁r uling , ▁all ▁states ▁previously ▁using ▁the ▁fair ▁pre ponder ance ▁standard ▁changed ▁to ▁the ▁clear ▁and ▁convin cing ▁standard , ▁but ▁California ▁has ▁since ▁abandoned ▁the ▁clear ▁and ▁convin cing ▁standard ▁and ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁fair ▁pre ponder ance ▁standard . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁Due ▁Process ▁and ▁the ▁ 1 4 th ▁Am end ment ▁ ▁The ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁has ▁previously ▁held ▁that ▁citizens ▁have ▁certain ▁fundamental ▁rights ▁upon ▁which ▁the ▁government ▁cannot ▁in fr inge , ▁unless ▁the