In re Kiara Liz V.

Syllabus

The respondent father appealed to this court from the judgment of the trial court terminating his parental rights with respect to the minor child, K. The court conducted a trial on the termination of parental rights petition and the father was not present on the last day of trial. Counsel for the father requested a continuance on the basis of the father's absence, which the court denied. Held: 1. This court declined to review the respondent father's unpreserved claim that his right to due process was violated when the trial court denied his request for a continuance, as the record of his claim was inadequate for review under State v. Golding (213 Conn. 233); the father's reasons for his failure to attend the final day of the trial were vague and unclear, and speculation and conjecture have no place in appellate review. 2. The trial court did not err in its determination that the termination of the respondent father's parental rights was in K's best interest, as its conclusion was based on its findings related to the seven statutory (§ 17a-112 (k)) factors, which have not been challenged in this appeal, including the father's difficulty accepting and understanding his mental illness, his inability to comply with mental health treatment, and his failure to make progress in his parenting abilities; moreover, the exis- tence of a bond between the father and K, although relevant, was not dispositive of a best interest determination, and the father's claims that he had been appropriate with K and that she responded to him, did not provide grounds to reverse the trial court's judgment. Argued February 17—officially released March 30, 2021