The Pennsylvania Superior Court affirmed the lower court’s order that adjudicated a child dependent. The mother appealed and claimed that the lower court abused its discretion because it denied her request to participate telephonically in the adjudicatory hearing pursuant to Rule 1129 of the Pennsylvania Rules of Juvenile Court Procedure. The Superior Court ruled that the mother had elected to flee with her child to Florida despite the lower court’s order and had offered no indication that any legitimate reason prevented her from attending the hearing in person. As such, the lower court did not err in denying her request to participate by phone.
