In re David W.

The majority holds that the trial court improperly refused to strike the testimony of David Mantell, the court-appointed expert witness, in its entirety because, after fulfilling his appointment as a court-appointed expert in this case for nearly two years, he had an ex parte communication with the department of children and families (department) and *591accepted an assignment to evaluate the child for the department. The majority reverses the judgment and remands the case for a new trial.1 The respondent mother, who was separately represented and has also appealed, did not join in moving to…