In re the Marriage of Leson

Petitioner appealed from an order modifying a custody provision of a divorce decree. Custody of the couple’s son had originally been placed with the mother but later had been changed to petitioner, the father. On the mother’s motion, the circuit court again modified the decree in the present proceeding so as to return custody to the mother. Petitioner appealed on a number of grounds, among them that he was excluded from the proceedings, over his objection, when the trial court took the child’s testimony. The Court of Appeals affirmed without opinion, and we allowed review to consider the…