State ex rel. Juvenile Department v. Abbott

Father appeals from a judgment terminating his parental rights to his daughter. He assigns as error the trial court’s ruling excluding him from being present during the taking of his daughter’s testimony. We reverse and remand.

Children’s Services Division petitioned for termination of father’s parental rights after investigating allegations that he had sexually abused his daughter on several occasions. Father denied any abuse. At trial, acting under the authority of ORS 419.498(1), the trial court took the child’s testimony in chambers, outside the presence of any other adults except the…