MS v. Department of Children and Families

A father appeals a final judgment adjudicating his daughter a dependent. He claims that the court erred in admitting Maryland child welfare records involving his family as business records, as well as permitting the telephonic testimony of a Maryland social service witness without his consent. We agree that the records, which contained hearsay statements, were improperly admitted. Further, without the consent of both parties, the Maryland witness could not testify by telephone. Because so much of the trial court’s judgment relied on this evidence, we cannot find the errors to be harmless. We…