S.C. v. Department of Children & Family Services

This is a consolidated appeal by S.C. and R.C. from the trial court’s order adjudicating their child, N.C., dependent and placing her in the custody of the Department of Children and Family Services (the Department). We find merit in only one of three issues raised in this appeal. The Department concedes that it was error for a successor judge to sign the order of dependency adjudication and disposition. This error requires reversal and remand for further proceedings.

The record reveals that one judge presided over the dependency proceedings, but another judge signed the final order of…