Vanaman v. Cowgill

MONTEMURO, Judge:

This is an appeal from an Order denying appellant the right of visitation with the parties’ minor child. 1 The parties were married in 1975, and the child who is the subject of these proceedings was born in that year. The parties divorced in 1978. Appellant has been incarcerated since 1980, having been convicted of rape and simple assault-menace; at the time of these proceedings he was serving a six to twelve year term of imprisonment.

In 1982, appellee filed a petition for custody of the child, along with a rule to show cause. Appellant neither appeared personally nor through…