Opinion ID: 2632852
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Abuse of District Court's Discretion

Text: [¶8] Modification of custody is governed by Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 20-2-204 (LexisNexis 2005), which provides in pertinent part: § 20-2-204. Enforcement and modification. . . . . (c) A court having jurisdiction may modify an order concerning the care, custody and visitation of the children if there is a showing by either parent of a material change in circumstances since the entry of the order in question and that the modification would be in the best interests of the children pursuant to W.S. 20-2-201(a). In any proceeding in which a parent seeks to modify an order concerning child custody or visitation, proof of repeated, unreasonable failure by the custodial parent to allow visitation to the other parent in violation of an order may be considered as evidence of a material change of circumstances. In reviewing such a matter, our standard of review is well established: The party seeking a modification of the custody provisions of a divorce decree has the burden of showing that a material and substantial change of circumstances has occurred, after the entry of the initial decree, and that modification is in the best interests of the children. Clark v. Alexander, 953 P.2d 145, 150 (Wyo.1998). This court will not interfere with the trial court's decision regarding modification of custody absent a procedural error or a clear abuse of discretion. Id. We recently clarified the definition of an abuse of discretion when we stated the core of our inquiry must reach the question of reasonableness of the choice made by the trial court. Vaughn v. State, 962 P.2d 149, 151 (Wyo.1998); see also Pace v. Pace, 2001 WY 43,¶ 9, 22 P.3d 861, ¶ 9 Wyo.2001). Judicial discretion is a composite of many things, among which are conclusions drawn from objective criteria; it means exercising sound judgment with regard to what is right under the circumstances and without doing so arbitrarily or capriciously. Id. TW v. BM, 2006 WY 68, ¶ 9, 134 P.3d 1262, 1265 (Wyo. 2006) (citing Fergusson v. Fergusson, 2002 WY 66, ¶ 9, 45 P.3d 641, 644 (Wyo.2002)). [¶9] Here, this Court does not have a properly authenticated transcript before it, and that circumstance restricts our review to those assertions of error not requiring inspection of the transcript. Because we have no transcript, or a substitute for a transcript, the regularity of the trial court's judgment is presumed. TW, ¶ 15, 134 P.3d at 1267. [¶10] Mother filed her notice of appeal pro se on August 1, 2006. She was represented by counsel for briefing. This case was assigned to the expedited docket, so there was no argument to the Court. For the reasons set out above, we affirm the district court's decision to modify custody because, on the face of things, its findings are adequate and we perceive no abuse of discretion.