Kautter v. Kautter

HUNSTEIN, Chief Justice.

Appellee Terrie Kautter (“Wife”) filed a petition for divorce in December 2003 after 22 years of marriage to appellant Karlheinz Kautter (“Husband”) in which she sought equitable division of the marital property and attorney fees. In April 2005, Husband filed a demand for jury trial. However, when the case was called for trial in June 2006, Husband deliberately chose not to appear and Husband’s counsel, after the denial of a motion for continuance, declined to participate in the jury trial in obedience to instructions counsel received from Husband. Wife then moved the…