SPECIAL SESSION CALLED A SUCCESS
7 8 Jailed For Failing To Pay
Child Support; 14 Don't Show
BY ERIC CARLSON
One-by-one they came in ihc
front door, gave their excuses to the
judge and were escorted out the
back door...to a cell in the Bruns
wick County Jail.
Most claimed to have been out of
work. Some said they had been in
prison. Others offered elaborate sto
ries about hard times, missed oppor
tunities and reasons why they felt
justified in taking care of themselves
while ncgleeting their children.
But they all had one thing in com
mon. They were among the 109 par
ents summoned to a special session
of Brunswick County District Court
Friday for failing to make court or
dered child-support payments.
Of the 36 who complied and
came to court, 18 were sent to jail
after Judge David Wall found them
in contempt of a court for not set
tling their past-due accounts. She
riff's deputies were unable to locate
37 others. Warrants were issued for
the arrest of 14 defendants who
where handed the order by a sher
iff's deputy, but failed to show up
for court.
The remainder of those sum
moned to court were able to avoid
jail by either settling their past-due
accounts or paying a significant
amount of their arrears and setting
up a payment plan for the balance.
Brunswick County Department of
Social Services child support en
forcement' workers were pleased
with the outcome of Friday's special
session.
"1 felt it was very useful," said
Child Support Supervisor Mary
Cornish. "I was pleased that so
many were served, that so many
came to court and had hearings. And
I was pleased with the results.
"I think we made an impression
on absent parents about their respon
sibility to support their children,"
she said. "We take child support
very seriously and they should also."
Child support cases arc heard in
special sessions of district court held
once or twicc a month. A judge typi
cally hears 25 to 30 enforcement
cases along with motions for pay
ment modification, hearings to es
tablish support and complaints.
But this is the first time an entire
day of court has been devoted solely
to enforcement of orders to pay
delinquent child support.
A total of 109 ex-partc orders
were issued for delivery to parents
who were up to 521,414 behind in
their payments. Like warrants, the
orders demanded that the recipient
appear in court to "show cause" why
they should not be found in con
tempt and sent to jail.
Among the actions taken at the
special session:
?Gene Taylor Holloman was found
in contempt of court and jailed until
he makes arrangements to pay
52,815 in delinquent support pay
ments. He said he was unaware that
he owed the money because his son,
now 19, has been living with him for
the past 10 years.
?Edward Graham Robinson III was
jailed for failing to pay 511,220 in
support payments. He admitted ow
ing the money, but said he had been
out of work and living with his par
ents, who are on Social Security. "In
II years, you ain't paid a dime for
your child?" Judge Wall asked.
"How do you expect him to live?"
?Gregory L. Cartret was jailed after
he admitted owing 55,328. He of
fered to pay $300 and sign a waiver
to have money withheld from his
paycheck, but the judge refused.
"The taxpayers have been footing
your bill for the past five years," he
said. "You'll need to come up with
more than that."
?Alexander Adams Jr. was jailed
pending payment of 52,984. A wit
ness for DSS said he hadn't made
any payments since May, 1991.
Adams told the judge he had been
out of work and unable to pay. "You
don't look like you've lost too much
weight, but you haven't paid any
thing for your child in two years,"
Wall said.
?Jimmy Dean Martin was sent to
jail until he pays the 51,228 he ad
mitted owing for child support. He
said he had been in and out of work
and had been making payments to a
second wife to support another
child, but did not have enough to
pay for both.
?Reginald D. Smith admitted owing
53,466, but said he had been out of a
job and was unable to pay. "You're
pretty well dressed today," Wall
said. "But how do you expect your
child to survive if you don't pay for
food and clothing?" He found Smith
in contempt and ordered him jailed
until the money is paid.
?Tommy Steven Lanier Jr. was sent
to jail after admitting that he owes
52,230 in support payments. A
friend testified that Lanier had been
struggling to support three other
children and asked that he be given
.mother chance, l-anicr said he re
cently got a new job, "had the bull
by the horns" and had straightened
out his life. But he said he feared
that his "head was on the chopping
block now."
Judge Wall agreed, saying, "I'm sor
ry U) tell you, but the ax is about to
fall." He noted that Lanier had been
back to court "four or five limes" for
failure to pay support. "You have
another child that nobody has been
talking about," Wall said.
?Robin Dale Stewart admitted his
failure to pay 51,096 in back child
support for his five-year-old daugh
ter. He said he lost his job last July
and has had to pay ' whatever 1
have" to his mother for rent. Wall
noted that Stewart was 20 weeks be
hind in his payment and said, "You
don't look like you've missed too
many meals." Lanier was sent to jail
until he arranges to pay off his debt.
?Augusta Lindburg King Jr. admit
ted owing $4,834 and was taken to
jail. He said he had been out of work
and had made "no money to amount
to anything" in recent months. His
last recorded payment was June,
1991. "When you bring these chil
dren into the world, you're supposed
to support them," Wall said as King
was taken into custody.
?Reginald Mark Bullock Walker was
sent to jail after admitting his failure
to pay S2.203 in child support. Wall
noted that Walker had made only five
of his SI7.30 weekly payments in the
past iwo-aiid-a-half years.
?Ernest Ray Fcnncll agreed thai he
owed S2.811 in delinquent support
payments and said he had been "try
ing his best" to get a job and meet
his obligation. "You've only made
one year's payments in two years.
How do you expect your son to cat
and be clothed?" the judge asked.
He sent Fcnncll to jail until he
arranges to pay the money.
?Jerry McNeil was found to be
S792 behind in current child support
payments and owes a total of
SI0,890 in arrears. He said he had
been in jail "for cocaine" and was
unable to make the payments. "They
put you in jail before you could pay
any of that cocaine money for child
support?" asked Wall. "It says here
that you haven't paid nothing. You
ain't paid a dime!" the judge said
before sending McNeil to jail.
?Leroy Holmes admitted owing
SI,823 in support payments despite
earning more than S5.183 last year.
"If you made all that money, how
come you didn't pay some child
support?" Wall asked. "If you can't
support these children, don't have
them. The taxpayers arc getting tired
of paying for your kids." He sent
Holmes to jail until the money is
paid.
?Carl Lamar Hill was sent to jail af
ter admitting that he owes 52,854 in
past-due child support. Wall noted
that Hill was "70 weeks behind" in
his payments. Hill said he had
stopped paying support bccausc his
son was currently living with him.
However, he failed to notify the
court of the change.
?Elroy Holmes was found in con
tempt of court for failing to make
51,099 in child support payments.
He was sent to jail until payment is
arranged.
?Teddy R. King was jailed for fail
ure to pay S1.375 in past-due sup
port.
?Scott Wallcy owed SI,614 as of
Friday and was sent to jail until he
pays the money off.
?Willie Earl Johnson Jr. was jailed
for being 5875 behind in his child
support payments.
Warrants were issued for the arrest
of some defendants, who were
served with an cx-partc order, but
failed to appear at Friday's session.
They have been found in contempt
of court and, if apprehended, they
will be jailed until a judge orders
their release. They include:
?Elias Alfred Gore, who was served
with a court order March 10 and
owed S11,760 as of Feb. 28.
?Fredrick R. Williams Sr., served
March 15, owed S3,173 on Jan. 31.
?Harwyn Rcncc Davis, served Feb.
18, owed S6.325 on Jan. 31.
?James D. Everett, served March 1,
owed S2.209 on Jan. 31
?Adrian Quince, served March 5,
owed S4.640 as of Jan. 31.
?Benson Ray Hall, served March 1,
owed S2.083 as of Jan. 31
?Edward Earl Waddcll, served
March 16, owed S209 as of Feb. 5.
?Montrcl Jackson, served Feb. 11,
owed 55? 1 as of Jan. 31.
?Harvey Lcc Grady, served Feb. 9,
owed S8.880 as of Jan. 31.
?Toby Dale Lanier, served March
i7, owed 53,304 as of Jan. 3i.
?Steven Allen Gibson, served Feb.
10, owed S80 as of Jan. 31.
?Michael Griffin (Smith), served
Feb. 26, owed SI ,028 as of Jan. 31
?Sherman Knox, served Feb. 3,
owed S1,092 as of Feb. 12.
?Aldridgc Reed, served March 18,
owed S250 as of Jan. 31.
Court orders also were issued but
could not be served on the following
persons for the indicated amount of
past-due support:
Herbert Frink, SI,007; James D.
Everett, SI,716; Antonio Wells,
55,753; Terry Earl Hooper, S4.630;
Robert Welch, S2.098; Howard La
mar Vcrccn, S9.540; Albert Lcc
Knox, 51,149 for one child and
SI 68 for another; Bobby Ray
Taylor, SI,830; William Blackwell,
57,526; Joseph James Gore, S5.115;
Willie Tasby Thomas, 54,307;
Glenn Douglas Riggins, 52,125;
Fred Delenu Jackson, 59,984; Nel
son Lowcry, 51,475; Keith D. Dells,
51,165; James A. Rayl, 56,249.
Also John K. Swanson, S21.414;
James Vaughan, 53,193; Johnny
Lawson, 51,367; Gary Wayne Car
lisle, 5723; Kendall M. Ramsey,
S3,425; Michael James Gaines,
51,967; Richard Strickland, 55,419;
Lenard White, 52,417; Bcnnic Lcc
Edwards, 51,584; Vinccnt Romarrio
Tillcry, 55,151; David Paul Frazicr,
58,775; David Wayne Sullivan,
57 976; Eugene Pitts, S4.590;
George Stokes, 57,017; Johnny
Vegas Cartrcttc, 51,196; Aaron
Price, 53,040; Raymond King,
51,222; Earl Hardy Jr., 53,039; Car
Ion F. McKoy, SI,280; Tracy S.
Ahem, 5949.
Other defendants either settled
their account, arranged a payment
schedule with DSS or had their cas
es postponed to a later date.
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