Opinion ID: 1926384
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Orville Denied Due Process

Text: The entire focus of a proceeding to terminate the parental rights of an incarcerated person is on that individual's alleged failure to discharge his or her parental responsibilities. Consequently, the incarcerated parent may have either exclusive or unique knowledge of any evidence that can be marshalled in response to the termination petition. Therefore, due process requires that an incarcerated parent have an opportunity to have actual knowledge of the evidence presented in support of the petition to terminate before he or she is called upon to present a defense. The Family Court should have continued the proceeding for a brief time until Orville would have been able to participate by telephone during the entire hearing. In the alternative, following the presentation of DFS's case, the hearing should have been continued for a short time until another day, and a reproduction [24] of the testimony forwarded to Orville and her attorney for review. The hearing should have reconvened expeditiously, with Orville participating by telephone at a later date. Such a procedure would permit: (a) Orville's attorney to recall the CASA or any of DFS's witnesses who were necessary for additional cross-examination; (b) Orville to testify; and (c) Orville to present other testimonial or documentary evidence in opposition to DFS's petition for termination. These reasonable safeguards would have effectively balanced the second and third Mathews factors by eliminating the risk of an erroneous decision, while simultaneously accommodating the government's good faith efforts on behalf of a dependent or neglected child. The Family Court failed to provide Orville an opportunity to participate in a meaningful manner, either by telephone during the entire hearing or by permitting her to review a reproduction of the case against her before presenting her own case. Accordingly, we hold the Family Court did not afford Orville her federal constitutional right to due process in the proceeding to terminate her parental rights. [25] That can be remedied, however, by a remand to the Family Court for additional expedited proceedings in accordance with this opinion.