In Re Colombe

Dec 14, 1972
76-72
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Shangraw
Per Curiam.

This is a proceeding to permanently deprive parents of ‍‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‍their custodial rights to their infant child under the provisions of 33 V.S.A. § 656. As a consequence of an ‍‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‍altercation occurring at one of the hearings, the father was committed to Waterbury State Hospital and determined to be ‍‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‍insane at the time of the hearing. Since no guardian was appointed to protect this parent’s interest in ‍‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‍a proceeding involving so vital a right, the resulting judgment cannot stand and a new hearing must be had. ‍‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‍See Billings v. Billings, 123 Vt. 324, 326, 187 A.2d 333 (1963).

Judgment vacated and cause remanded.