Friday, July 24, 2009
Frank Hatley (photo: WALB
A Georgia prosecutor and judge saw nothing wrong in 2008 with their decision to imprison a man for not supporting a child he did not father. Such is the case of Frank Hatley, 50, who thought he had fathered a son from a relationship in the 1980s, and paid almost $10,000 in child support—even when he was unemployed and homeless.
Last year, Charles Reddick, a special assistant state attorney general, and Cook County Superior Court Judge Dane Perkins agreed that Hatley still had to pay $16,398 in child support—despite the knowledge that two DNA tests proved Hatley was not the father after all. Unable to pay the additional support, Hatley was thrown in jail, and remained there until last week when Perkins agreed to free him. The judge, however, postponed a decision on whether Hatley still has to make any more back payments on the outstanding sum.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Childless Man Freed After Serving Time for Child Support Violations (by Mariano Castillo, CNN)
Court Knew Man Jailed For a Year for Non-Support Was Not Child's Father (by Bill Rankin, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
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