Buckmaster v. Buckmaster , 2014 Ohio 793 ( 2014 )

[Cite as Buckmaster v. Buckmaster, 2014-Ohio-793.]
IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO
FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT
HIGHLAND COUNTY
JASON BUCKMASTER, :
:
First Petitioner-Appellant, : Case No. 13CA13
:
vs. :
: DECISION AND JUDGMENT
MARIA BUCKMASTER, : ENTRY
:
Second Petitioner-Appellee. : Released: 02/24/14
_____________________________________________________________
APPEARANCES:
John W. Judkins, Greenfield, Ohio, for Appellant.
Jon C. Hapner, Hillsboro, Ohio, for Appellee.
_____________________________________________________________
McFarland, J.
{¶1} Appellant, Jason Buckmaster, appeals the decision of the trial
court denying his motion to terminate spousal support, which he filed based
upon his claim that Maria Buckmaster, Appellee, was cohabitating with a
male, over the age of eighteen. On appeal, Appellant raises six assignments
of error as follows: 1) Appellant was denied due process of law due to the
court’s failure to publish notice of its policy regarding children’s testimony
in its local rules; 2) the trial court’s enforcement of an unpublished local rule
undermines the public’s confidence in our courts and is against public
policy; 3) the court’s adoption of a per se rule proscribing children from
Highland App. No. 13CA13 2
testifying in matters involving their parents violates his right to due process
of law; 4) Appellant’s proffer regarding the child’s testimony was
unnecessary but sufficient to inform the court of the substance of the
testimony; 5) the exclusion of the child’s testimony was not harmless error;
and 6) the finding that Appellee did not cohabitate with another male over
the age of 18 was against the manifest weight of the evidence.
{¶2} As discussed more fully below, we find merit to Appellant’s
first through fifth assignments of error and as such, they are sustained. In
light of our disposition of these assignments of error, we do not reach the
merits of Appellant’s sixth assignment of error which poses a manifest
weight of the evidence argument. Accordingly, the decision of the trial
court is reversed and this matter is remanded for further proceedings
consistent with this opinion.
FACTS
{¶3} The parties filed a joint petition for dissolution of marriage on
September 9, 2010, and a final dissolution decree and decree of shared
parenting was issued on October 29, 2010. Apparently due to an alleged
incident that occurred between Appellee’s boyfriend, Albert Eastman, and
the parties’ three children, Appellant filed a motion to terminate the shared
parenting plan and an ex parte motion for custody on July 31, 2012. The
Highland App. No. 13CA13 3
trial court issued an ex parte order the same day designating Appellant as the
temporary residential custodian of the minor children. Appellant followed
with the filing of a motion to modify child support, and then a motion to
terminate spousal support on August 7, 2012, which motion is at issue
herein.
{¶4} The trial court issued an entry September 24, 2012, terminating
the shared parenting plan and child support order, and naming Appellant as
the permanent residential custodian of the parties three minor children. A
hearing on the issue of spousal support was subsequently held on October
23, 2012. Both parties testified at the hearing, however, when Appellant
sought to have their sixteen year old son testify, the trial court refused to
allow the child to testify, citing an allegedly well known and long
established court “policy” that does not permit children to testify in domestic
relations matters. In light of ruling, Appellant made a proffer to the court
regarding what the child’s testimony would have been.
{¶5} On November 8, 2012, a magistrate’s decision was issued
finding there was no cohabitation and overruling Appellant’s motion to
terminate spousal support. Appellant followed with a request for findings of
facts and conclusions of law on November 15, 2012, and then filed
objections to the magistrate’s decision on January 31, 2013. Finally, on May
Highland App. No. 13CA13 4
8, 2013, the trial court issued a decision and final judgment entry overruling
Appellant’s objections. It is from this final entry that Appellant now brings
his timely appeal, assigning the following errors for our review.
ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR
“I. APPELLANT WAS DENIED DUE PROCESS OF LAW DUE TO
THE COURT’S FAILURE TO PUBLISH NOTICE OF ITS POLICY
REGARDING CHILDREN’S TESTIMONY IN ITS LOCAL
RULES.
II. THE TRIAL COURT’S ENFORCEMENT OF AN UNPUBLISHED
LOCAL RULE UNDERMINES THE PUBLIC’S CONFIDENCE IN
OUR COURTS AND IS AGAINST PUBLIC POLICY.
III. THE COURT’S ADOPTION OF A PER SE RULE PROSCRIBING
CHILDREN FROM TESTIFYING IN MATTERS INVOLVING
THEIR PARENTS VIOLATES APPELLANT’S RIGHT TO DUE
PROCESS OF LAW AND THE RULES OF EVIDENCE.
IV. APPELLANT’S PROFFER REGARDING THE CHILD’S
TESTIMONY WAS UNNECESSARY BUT SUFFICIENT TO
INFORM THE COURT OF THE SUBSTANCE OF THE
TESTIMONY.
V. THE EXCLUSION OF THE CHILD’S TESTIMONY WAS NOT
HARMLESS ERROR.
VI. THE FINDING THAT APPELLEE DID NOT COHABITATE WITH
ANOTHER MALE OVER THE AGE OF 18 WAS AGAINST THE
MANIFEST WEIGHT OF THE EVIDENCE.”
ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR I, II AND III
{¶6} As Appellant’s first three assignments of error are interrelated,
we will address them in conjunction with one another. Each of these three
Highland App. No. 13CA13 5
assignments of error essentially challenges the trial court’s adoption and
enforcement of an unwritten local rule which precludes minor children from
testifying in domestic relations matters, claiming such action was in
violation of public policy and deprived Appellant of due process. Appellee’s
counsel and the trial court have both conceded that the oral rule at issue was
never made a part of the written, local rules of the court. As Appellant’s
arguments raise constitutional questions and public policy concerns, they are
questions of law, which we review de novo, without deference to the
decision of the trial court.
{¶7} The trial court, in its entry, referenced that it had been the policy
of the court for many years not to permit minor children to testify, citing
concerns of parental alienation and emotional abuse. Appellant,
nonetheless, claims not to have had notice of this unwritten rule, and argues
on appeal that had he known he would have taken other steps to prepare for
trial. Appellant’s argument goes a step further, however, by challenging the
validity of the rule in general, citing due process concerns regarding the lack
of notice, and the conflict between such a rule and rules of evidence.
{¶8} Rule 5 of the Rules of Superintendence governs the adoption of
local rules and provides in section (A)(2) as follows:
Highland App. No. 13CA13 6
“A local rule of practice shall be adopted only after the court or
division provides appropriate notice of an opportunity to
comment on the proposed rule. If the court or division
determines that there is an immediate need for the rule, the
court or division may adopt the rule without prior notice and
opportunity for comment, but promptly shall afford notice and
opportunity for comment.”
The rule further provides in section (A)(3) that “[u]pon adoption, the court
or division shall file a local rule of practice with its clerk and the clerk of the
Supreme Court.” Finally, the rule provides in section (A)(1) that “[l]ocal
rules of practice shall not be inconsistent with rules promulgated by the
Supreme Court.” Thus, the Rules of Superintendence clearly call for notice
to be given with respect to the adoption of any and all local rules.
{¶9} We are mindful, however, of the weight to be afforded the Rules
of Superintendence. The “Rules of Superintendence are designed (1) to
expedite the disposition of both criminal and civil cases in the trial courts of
this state, while at the same time safeguarding the inalienable rights of
litigants to the just processing of their causes; and (2) to serve that public
interest which mandates the prompt disposition of all cases before the
courts.” State v. Singer, 50 Ohio St.2d 103, 109-110, 362 N.E.2d 1216Highland App. No. 13CA13 7
(1977). Courts have interpreted the Rules of Superintendence as general
guidelines for the conduct of the courts that do not create substantive rights.
Id. at 110 (stating that the Rules of Superintendence are not meant “to alter
basic substantive rights”); see, also, In re K.G., 9th Dist. Wayne No.
10CA16, 2010-Ohio-4399, ¶ 11; Allen v. Allen, 11th Dist. Trumbull No.
2009-T-0070, 2010-Ohio-475, ¶ 31; Sultaana v. Giant Eagle, 8th Dist.
Cuyahoga No. 90294, 2008-Ohio-3658, ¶ 45. “They are not the equivalent
of rules of procedure and have no force equivalent to a statute. They are
purely internal housekeeping rules which are of concern to the judges of the
several courts but create no rights in individual defendants.” State v. Gettys,
49 Ohio App.2d 241, 243, 360 N.E.2d 735 (1976). Thus, we cannot
conclude that the trial court’s failure to abide by the Rules of
Superintendence deprived Appellant of his rights to due process, as they
create no rights in general.
{¶10} However, Civil Rule 83 governs “Rule of court,” which deals
with the adoption of local rules and largely mirrors the language in Sup.R. 5.
Civ.R. 83 provides as follows:
“(A) A court may adopt local rules of practice which shall not
be inconsistent with these rules or with other rules promulgated
Highland App. No. 13CA13 8
by the Supreme Court and shall file its local rules of practice
with the Clerk of the Supreme Court.
(B) Local rules of practice shall be adopted only after the
court gives appropriate notice and an opportunity for comment.
If a court determines that there is an immediate need for a rule,
it may adopt the rule without prior notice and opportunity for
comment, but promptly shall afford notice and opportunity for
comment.”
Thus, Sup. R. 5 and Civ.R. 83, read separately and together, clearly permit
courts to adopt local rules, provided that appropriate notice and opportunity
for comment is given, and that the rules are not inconsistent with other rules
promulgated by the Supreme Court.
{¶11} A review of the record indicates that the rule at issue, which is
essentially a blanket rule disallowing the testimony of minor children in
domestic relations matters, was an unwritten rule. Thus, it was not
published and notice and an opportunity for comment could not have been
given. Opposing counsel does not dispute this, but instead states that “[a]
good lawyer knows the law, but a great lawyer knows the judge.” We view
this adage to be a weak argument and a poor substitute for judicially
required notice of the local rules. And, we are a government of laws and not
Highland App. No. 13CA13 9
of men and women. Accordingly, we find the trial court’s reliance and
enforcement of such a rule to be in error.
{¶12} The Seventh District Court of Appeals was faced with a similar
situation in In re Estate of Traylor, et al., 7th Dist. Mahoning Nos. 03MA253
- 03MA259, 03MA262, 2004-Ohio-6504. In Traylor, the court held that a
probate court could not retroactively impose sanctions based upon local
rules of court, in part because the rule was not effective yet, and in part
because another rule upon which part of the sanction was based was an
unwritten rule of the court dealing with deposit of settlement funds. Id. at ¶
18. In reaching its decision, the Traylor court noted that the probate court’s
actions were “complicated by the fact that there is no provision in the Rules
of Superintendence for purely oral local rules.” The court reasoned that if
the rules are required to be filed with the Supreme Court, “they must be
written.” Id. at ¶ 19; See, also In re Estate of Usiak, 172 Ohio App.3d 262,
2007-Ohio-3038, 874 N.E.2d 838. We agree.
{¶13} Our analysis, however, does not end here. Aside from failing
to provide notice of the rule as required by Civ.R. 83 and recommended by
Sup.R. 5, this unwritten local rule appears to be in conflict with “other rules
promulgated by the Supreme Court,” namely, the Rules of Evidence.
Evid.R. 601(A) states that every person is competent to be a witness except
Highland App. No. 13CA13 10
children who are under the age of ten and “appear incapable of receiving just
impressions of the facts and transactions respecting which they are
examined, or of relating them truly.” A blanket rule disallowing children of
any age to testify in domestic relations matters is inconsistent with Evid.R.
601.
{¶14} As set forth above, the testimony that was excluded herein was
that of the sixteen year old son of the parties. This was not a situation that
involved a child of tender years which first required a competency
determination. Rather, pursuant to Evid.R. 601, the child should have been
presumed competent to testify. In fact, the trial court’s exclusion of the
child’s testimony does not appear to have been based upon competency
issues, but rather based upon the private views of the court and public policy
concerns that, as already discussed, were not even part of the court’s written
local rules.
{¶15} Although it is a question of first impression in our district,
other districts have considered and rejected such court policies. For
example, the Third District Court of Appeals was confronted with this issue
in Brandt v Brandt, 3rd Dist. Auglaize No. 2-05-30, 2006-Ohio-883. The
issue in Brandt involved a situation where the trial court refused to make a
competency determination of a nine year old child. Id. at ¶ 10. Instead the
Highland App. No. 13CA13 11
trial court simply determined that it would not allow the child to testify. Id.
On appeal, the court noted the trial court’s reliance on public policy
concerns as well as its own private views in excluding the child’s testimony,
ultimately determining that the refusal to allow the testimony was
unjustified. Id. at ¶ 11. In reaching its decision, the Brandt court relied
upon Moser v. Moser, 72 Ohio App.3d 575, 595 N.E.2d 518 (1991), which
interestingly, the trial court herein also relied upon in reaching its decision.
{¶16} In Moser, the Third District was confronted with a situation
where a trial court refused to allow the parties’ seventeen and half year old
minor child to testify in a domestic relations matter. Id. at 579. The trial
court’s refusal was based upon public policy concerns as well, specifically
the concern that to allow the child to testify would create an undue burden
on the child and possibly create a rift that would never heal. Id.Acknowledging and sympathizing with such concerns, the appellate court
nonetheless concluded that the trial court committed error in refusing to
permit the child to testify. Id. As will be discussed more fully infra,
however, the court did not reverse the decision based upon other reasons.
{¶17} Based upon the foregoing reasoning, we conclude that the trial
court erred in adopting and enforcing a purely oral, unwritten, local rule of
court which is contrary to both Sup.R. 5 and Civ.R. 83 with respect to its
Highland App. No. 13CA13 12
failure to provide notice as well as its inconsistency with other rules
promulgated by the Supreme Court, namely, Evid.R. 601. In reaching our
decision, we are mindful of the holding in Glimcher v. Glimcher, 29 Ohio
App.2d 55, 278 N.E.2d 37 (1971), which was relied upon by the trial court
below in reaching its decision as was also cited by the cases discussed
above. In Glimcher, the court was reviewing a decision of a trial court that
had permitted the parties’ minor children to testify in a domestic matter. In
discussing the lengthy record, the court noted the children’s testimony and
stated that “[w]e do not condone the practice of a parent causing minor
children to testify against the other parent in a divorce action.” Id. at 65.
{¶18} While we share the concerns of the Glimcher court, as well as
the trial court below, our concerns cannot and should not take precedence
over the rules of evidence. Further, as noted in Moser, “[a]s undesirable as
the practice may be, courts have traditionally permitted children of the
parties to a divorce to testify in the hearing thereon.” Moser at 579. As
such, we sustain Appellant’s first, second and third assignments of error to
the extent that they assert a technical error in the trial court’s reliance upon
an unwritten local rule, as well the court’s enforcement of a blanket rule
disallowing child testimony in domestic matters. We further find that this
error did, in fact, result in a deprivation of due process on the part of
Highland App. No. 13CA13 13
Appellant with respect to his right to notice of the rules of court. However,
whether Appellant was prejudiced, the extent to which he was prejudiced, as
well as whether the errors of the trial court constitute reversible error will be
discussed as part of our analysis of Appellant fourth and fifth assignments of
error.
ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR IV AND V
{¶19} As the analysis of these assignments of error is intertwined, we
address them in conjunction with one another. In his fourth assignment of
error, Appellant contends that his proffer regarding the child’s testimony
was unnecessary but sufficient to inform the court of the substance of the
testimony. In his fifth assignment of error, Appellant contends that the
exclusion of the child’s testimony was not harmless error. As already
discussed, we have determined that the trial court erred in the adoption and
enforcement of rule at issue, however, “ ‘in order for a reviewing court to
reverse an evidentiary ruling of the trial court, an appellant must
affirmatively demonstrate through the record on appeal not only that error
was committed, in the technical sense, but also that such error was
prejudicial to appellant, except in rare circumstances where the error is so
substantial that prejudice will be presumed.’ ” Moser v. Moser, supra, at
Highland App. No. 13CA13 14
579; citing 5 Ohio Jurisprudence 3d (1978), 115, Appellate Review, Section
555.
{¶20} The trial court attempted to preemptively address these
potential arguments in its decision by stating that even if the court policy
preventing children from testifying was incorrect, Appellant’s proffer of the
child’s testimony was insufficient to allow a reviewing court to determine
what, if any, impact the testimony would have had on the outcome of the
proceeding and thus, its exclusion of the testimony was harmless error. The
trial court cited the reasoning of Moser v. Moser, supra, in support of its
decision. Appellee’s argument on appeal follows this line of thought,
arguing that “the proffer said the boy would testify but not what he would
say.” Appellant, on the contrary, contends that a proffer was unnecessary
but that his proffer was adequate.
{¶21} We begin by noting that “[t]he decision to admit or exclude
evidence rests within the trial court's sound discretion.” State v. Munion, 4th
Dist. Scioto No. 12CA3520, 2013-Ohio-3776; citing State v. Tyler, 4th Dist.
Ross No. 10CA3183, 2011-Ohio-3937, ¶ 24; citing State v. McGuire, 80
Ohio St.3d 390, 400-401, 686 N.E.2d 1112 (1997). As such, a reviewing
court will not reverse the trial court's decision absent an abuse of discretion.
State v. Apanovitch, 33 Ohio St.3d 19, 25, 514 N.E.2d 394 (1987). The term
Highland App. No. 13CA13 15
“abuse of discretion” implies that the court's attitude is unreasonable,
unconscionable, or arbitrary. State v. Adams, 62 Ohio St.2d 151, 157-158,
404 N.E.2d 144 (1980). Furthermore, “ ‘[w]hen applying the abuse of
discretion standard, a reviewing court is not free to merely substitute its
judgment for that of the trial court.’ ” State v. Munion at ¶ 14; quoting In re
Jane Doe 1, 57 Ohio St.3d 135, 137-138, 566 N.E.2d 1181 (1991).
{¶22} Evid.R. 103(A) governs “Rulings of Evidence” and provides,
in pertinent part, as follows:
“Error may not be predicated upon a ruling which admits or
excludes evidence unless a substantial right of the party is
affected, and
***
(2) Offer of proof. In case the ruling is one excluding evidence,
the substance of the evidence was made known to the court by
offer or was apparent from the context within which questions
were asked. * * *”
Thus, a plain reading of Evid.R. 103(A)(2) indicates that an offer of proof is
required in order to preserve any error in excluding evidence, unless the
substance of the excluded evidence is apparent in the record. State v. Brooks,
44 Ohio St.3d 185, 542 N.E.2d 636 (1989).
Highland App. No. 13CA13 16
{¶23} Further, in Greene v. Marchyn, 4th Dist. Scioto No. 99CA2662,
2000 WL 1468791, this Court explained as follows with respect to offers of
proof:
“ ‘[A] party may not predicate error on the exclusion of
evidence during the examination in chief unless two conditions
are met: (1) the exclusion of such evidence must affect a
substantial right of the party and (2) the substance of the
excluded evidence was made known to the court by proffer or
was apparent from the context within which questions were
asked.’ Id.; see, also, State v. Davie (1997), 80 Ohio St.3d 311,
327, 686 N.E.2d 245, 261.
In Gilmore [28 Ohio St.3d 190, 192, 503 N.E.2d 147], the court
recognized that “the better practice * * * may be to proffer
excluded evidence.” Id., 28 Ohio St.3d at 192, 503 N.E.2d at
149. The court stated, however, that ‘under Evid.R. 103 a party
is not required to proffer excluded evidence in order to preserve
any alleged error for review if the substance of the excluded
evidence is apparent to the court from the context within which
questions were asked.’ Id.”
Highland App. No. 13CA13 17
It has been held that in order to establish the first prong of Evid.R. 103(A) an
appellant must be able to demonstrate that the error alleged affected the final
determination of the proceeding. Campbell v. Johnson, 87 Ohio App.3d
543, 551, 622 N.E.2d 717; citing Smith v. Flesher, 12 Ohio St.2d 107, 233
N.E.2d 137 (1967); Schmelzer v. Farrar, 40 Ohio App.2d 440, 320 N.E.2d
707.
{¶24} According to the Moser court, the reasoning of which was
relied upon by the trial court, an offer of proof generally consists of two
elements:
“First, the offering party must inform the trial court as to the
legal theory upon which admissibility is proposed. Second, an
offering party must show what a witness was expected to testify
to and what that evidence would have proven or tended to have
proven. See 4 Ohio Jurisprudence 3d (1978) 355, Appellate
Review, Section 172. While the proffer of the expected
testimony need not be as specific as the testimony itself would
have been it must nonetheless be sufficient to enable the
reviewing court to determine roughly what, if any, impact the
testimony may have had upon the final disposition of the case.”
Moser v. Moser at 580.
Highland App. No. 13CA13 18
As discussed above, Moser involved a situation where the trial court refused
to allow the parties’ seventeen and one half year old daughter to testify in a
domestic matter. On appeal, the court held Appellant’s proffer of the child’s
testimony to be insufficient. The proffer in that case consisted of the
following:
“O.K. O.K., just for purposes of proffering into the record. Uh,
I wish to call the uh, daughter of the parties. Sunday Moser.
Sunday’s age [is] 17 [and a] half, and I wish her to testify as to
grounds, and the Court has refused that.” Moser at 580.
Based upon that proffer, the Moser court held that it was “unable to make a
determination as to whether the trial court’s error was prejudicial to
appellant.” Id.{¶25} Here, upon being informed by the trial court that the parties’
minor child would not be permitted to testify, Appellant made an offer of
proof, or proffer, of the child’s testimony. Thus, this is not a situation
where no proffer was made, but rather, a question of whether the proffer was
sufficient. The matter below was essentially limited to the issue of spousal
support and the question of whether it should be terminated as a result of the
alleged cohabitation of Appellee with her boyfriend, Albert Eastman.
Appellant’s case was essentially based upon the alleged eye-witness
Highland App. No. 13CA13 19
testimony of his sixteen year old son, who had lived in the house with
Appellee until just prior to the proceedings at issue. When it became clear
that the trial court would not allow the child to testify, Appellant made the
following proffer:
“It would be our position that [D.B.] having resided in the
house is in a supreme position to be able to testify that as to
who lived and who did not live in the household, how long they
lived there; when they would spend the night there. The child
would be able to testify as to who brought groceries in and out
of the house, who paid for bills, who bought the children shoes,
clothes. Who bought Ms. Buckmaster shoes and clothes and
various other gifts as well as other necessary living expenses
and as well as to be able to testify as to Ms. Buckmaster’s
relationship and how she phrased what Mr. Eastman’s role was
in raising them as essentially a father figure who would be able
to discipline the children in the house and who’s wishes should
be respected in the home by the minor children.”
{¶26} We conclude the substance of this proffer differs vastly from
the proffer that was held to be insufficient in Moser. A review of the record
makes it clear that Appellant sought to have his son testify that Albert
Highland App. No. 13CA13 20
Eastman lived in the residence, contributed to groceries and bills and also
purchased clothes and shoes for Appellee and the children. Thus, we
conclude that Appellant’s proffer was sufficient. As such, we do not reach
the question of whether Appellant’s proffer was unnecessary under Evid.R.
103(A)(2).
{¶27} Considering that the child and Appellant’s other minor children
possessed first hand knowledge of the living situation between Albert
Eastman and Appellee, we believe the exclusion of the testimony at issue
was prejudicial to Appellant, especially in light of the fact that he was not
provided with notice of this court policy to begin with and, as such, had not
taken other measures to prove his claims. Thus, we believe that the
exclusion of the evidence at issue affected a substantial right of Appellant in
that it affected the final determination. As a result, we further find that the
exclusion of the child’s testimony was not harmless error.
{¶28} In light of the foregoing, which determined that Appellant’s
proffer was sufficient for purposes of appellate review and that the trial court
abused its discretion in excluding the proffered testimony, Appellant’s
fourth and fifth assignments of error are sustained.
Highland App. No. 13CA13 21
ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR VI
{¶29} In light of our disposition of Appellant’s fourth and fifth
assignments of error, we do not reach the merits of Appellant’s sixth
assignment of error, which contends that the trial court’s findings with
respect to cohabitation were against the manifest weight of the evidence.
Accordingly, we must reverse the decision of the trial court and remand this
matter for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
JUDGMENT REVERSED AND
CAUSE REMANDED.
Highland App. No. 13CA13 22
Hoover, J., concurs in judgment only with concurring opinion:
{¶ 30} I concur in the judgment of the principal opinion; but I would
not analyze Assignments of Error I, II, and III using the Rules of
Superintendence or Civ. R. 83. The trial court erred by not permitting the
sixteen-year old son of the parties to testify, contravening the Rules of
Evidence. The Rules of Evidence clearly apply to domestic relations cases
just as any other civil or criminal cases. As the "local practice" of not
allowing minor children of the parties to testify in domestic relations
proceedings was never even adopted as a local rule, I would not analyze the
assignments of error with respect to the Rules of Superintendence or Civ. R.
83.
{¶ 31} I agree with the principal opinion with respect to Assignments
of Error IV, V, and VI.
{¶ 32} Therefore, I would also reverse the judgment of the trial court
and remand this matter for proceedings consistent with this opinion.
Highland App. No. 13CA13 23
JUDGMENT ENTRY
It is ordered that the JUDGMENT BE REVERSED AND CAUSE
REMANDED and that the Appellant recover of Appellee costs herein taxed.
The Court finds there were reasonable grounds for this appeal.
It is ordered that a special mandate issue out of this Court directing
the Highland County Common Pleas Court to carry this judgment into
execution.
Any stay previously granted by this Court is hereby terminated as of
the date of this entry.
A certified copy of this entry shall constitute the mandate pursuant to
Rule 27 of the Rules of Appellate Procedure.
Harsha, J.: Concurs in Judgment and Opinion.
Hoover, J.: Concurs in Judgment Only with Concurring Opinion.
For the Court,
BY: ______________________________
Matthew W. McFarland, Judge
NOTICE TO COUNSEL
Pursuant to Local Rule No. 14, this document constitutes a final
judgment entry and the time period for further appeal commences from
the date of filing with the clerk.