Most people in California and elsewhere consider $100,000 a substantial sum of money. A 38-year-old man in another state is charged with failing to pay more than this amount in child support. The man is having legal problems in three separate cases. He is the father of five children.
The judge overseeing the cases demanded to see a pay stub showing support withholding before he would issue a sentence. The man has reportedly only made one child support payment of $50 since the year 2000. All three charges against him were listed as felony crimes.
The children’s father pleaded no contest, leading to his conviction. The man told the judge he has had a lot of trouble finding a good job since he got out of jail. The judge basically told him that, while he (the father) may feel bad about the situation, he needs to back up his statements with action. The judge said he needs to be convinced (and shown) that the man is going to do what he claims he is going to do, which is start making regular payments.
The California court, as well as most judges in other states, understands that people sometimes come upon hard times where child support payments are no longer feasible. However, a person cannot simply stop making payments when he or she thinks it is necessary. There is a system in place for requesting modification of a court order; unless and until the court grants a modification, an existing court order must be obeyed.