Supreme Court of Connecticut
In re Vada V.
June 20, 2022343 Conn. 730
Summary
The court affirmed the judgments terminating the respondents’ parental rights after a virtual termination trial during the COVID-19 pandemic. It held that the unpreserved state constitutional challenge to conducting the trial virtually failed because the respondents did not establish a fundamental right to an in-person termination trial, while the federal confrontation claim and technology-related constitutional claims could not be reviewed because the record lacked necessary factual findings and predicates. The court also emphasized the importance of ensuring equal access to justice in virtual proceedings.