District Court of Appeal of Florida
V.M. v. Dep't of Children & Family Servs., 2D06-2333
A judgment terminating father's parental rights with respect to his children is reversed where the trial court committed reversible error by finding that a failure to appear by the father -- who works on a cruise ship based in Hawaii and had been delayed in getting to the hearing -- at an adjudicatory hearing constituted his consent to termination, and by failing to grant a continuance.
Appellate Information
- Decided 11/17/2006
- Published 11/17/2006
Judges
- SILBERMAN, Judge.
Court
- District Court of Appeal of Florida
Counsel
- For Appellant:
- Norman A. Palumbo, Jr., Tampa, for Appellant.
- For Appellees:
- Charles J. Crist, Jr., Attorney General, Tallahassee, and Tanya E. DiFilippo, Assistant Attorney General, Tampa, for Appellee Department of Children and Family Services., Wendie Michelle Cooper, Orlando, for Appellee Guardian ad Litem Program.