v. (2010)

The respondent mother appeals from the judgments of the trial court terminating her parental rights with respect to three of her minor children.¹ On appeal, the respondent challenges the court's findings, made pursuant to General Statutes § 17a-112, that (1) she failed to achieve the requisite degree of personal rehabilitation and (2) the petitioner, the commissioner of children and families, had made reasonable efforts at reunification. She further claims that the court made improper evidentiary rulings and drew an improper adverse inference. Finally, the respondent claims that the court improperly considered her religious beliefs and that the petitioner violated her first amendment right to raise her children in her own religion. We affirm the judgments of the trial court.

Section 17a-112 (j) provides in relevant part that a court may grant a petition for termination of parental rights only if it finds by clear and convincing evidence that the department of children and families has made reasonable efforts of reunification or that the respondent is unable or unwilling to benefit from such efforts and that one of seven statutory grounds for termination exists. See General Statutes § 17a-112 (k). The standard of our review of a termination of parental rights judgment is well settled. We review the court's findings to determine if they are clearly erroneous. In re Jorden R., 293 Conn. 539, 558, 979 A.2d 469 (2009).

Our standard of review as to the evidentiary rulings is similarly well settled. “Unless an evidentiary ruling involves a clear misconception of the law, the [t]rial court has broad discretion in ruling on the admissibility ․ of evidence․ The trial court's ruling on evidentiary matters will be overturned only upon a showing of a clear abuse of the court's discretion․ We will make every reasonable presumption in favor of upholding the trial court's ruling․” (Internal quotation marks omitted.) Id., at 566, 979 A.2d 469.

We have examined the record and briefs and have considered the arguments of the parties. The thorough and well reasoned memorandum of decision sets forth detailed findings of fact that find support in the record and are neither clearly erroneous nor contrary to the law. See id., at 558-59, 979 A.2d 469. The challenged evidentiary rulings were within the proper exercise of the court's discretion. As to the constitutional claim, we conclude that the record is inadequate for a review on the merits.²

The judgments are affirmed.

PER CURIAM.