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The parents were served in person...face to face...in jail. The parents were both given all of the necessary info about their right to request an attorney for this part of the process and their right to request transport to the hearing. Neither parent showed up, in spite of all of that...and neither parent had an attorney present at the hearing(they failed to request one to represent them for the hearing) Both of them...and there is a no contact order between them...kinda weird...the judge stated that given that they both were served in person, knew of the hearing...knew what they needed to do(planned to continue with their current attorneys, and in fact, in mom's case, were still in contact with that attorney and that attorney was emailing the state's attorney asking if their "client"(the state) would consider third party custody as opposed to termination.) I guess the judge actually stated that he was not going to "have them transported"(I took that to mean, insist on them being brought over from the jail) because they had full knowledge of the proceedings and a clear understanding of what they were required to do. So weird...but...
I'd say you are correct...it will weigh on what her excuse is for not being there...not having "requested an attorney" for this phase, and not requested/arranged for transport.