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Appeals Court weighs whether excluding DCF parenting evaluation prejudiced mother in termination appeal
Summary
In a contested child‑welfare appeal, counsel for the mother argued the trial judge erred by excluding a DCF‑commissioned parenting evaluation and that the exclusion, plus record gaps about services and shelter comments, prejudiced the mother's case; DCF and child counsel urged affirmation, citing hospitalizations, substance use, recurring violent relationships and bonding evidence for the children with grandparents.
The Massachusetts Appeals Court heard argument in a termination-of-parental-rights appeal in which the main dispute concerned a DCF‑commissioned parenting evaluation and whether excluding that expert materially prejudiced the mother.
Mother's appellate counsel, Sheri Kraner, said the trial court "squandered" the opportunity to have an expert explain the mother's trauma history and provide tailored recommendations. Kraner told the panel that the judge excluded Dr. Maddox's August 2023 report and that, without an offer of proof or the report itself in the appendix, the court could…
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