At Thursday's meeting of Northampton County Council, resident Matt Flower attacked Northampton County's child support network. He listed the following problems:
(1) Failure to give timely notice of upcoming child support hearings. - He cited an example of a June 7 hearing in which notice was sent out on June 25.
(2) Failure to respond to subpoena requests. - Support matters are docketed separately from other civil matters, but Flower contends employees there have no idea what the subpoena process is. He provided an example of one case in which subpoenas were ultimately issued, but too late to allow them to be served. He contends conference officers "don't know their jobs and the rules that govern those jobs."
(3) Ex parte judicial communication. - Flower is referring here to a motion for continuance filed by a Defendant that Domestic Relations presented to the court without the Defendant's knowledge. I doubt that is ex parte.
(4) Domestic Relations ignores self support reserve (SSR). - This exists to assure that low-income obligors retain sufficient income to meet their own basic needs as well as to maintain the incentive to continue employment. Historically, it is set at the federal poverty level for one person. According to Flower, support defendants' wages are garnished without regard to the SSR. There is no hearing or appeal. "The result is that some of the most impoverished citizens of our county, who have neither the resources to hire counsel nor the technical knowledge to defend themselves against these executive agency violations, are at most risk of these abuses."
Flower asked Executive Lamont McClure how many people are sitting in jail right now because of these issues.
McClure later explained that domestic relations is an arm of the court and under their, and not his, jurisdiction. He suggested that Council might want to schedule a meeting of its courts and corrections committee to determine the validity of Flower's criticism. Council President Kerry Myers said he would schedule a hearing.
35 comments:
I haven't been arrested multiple times, like Mr. Flower, so I'm not sure if he's just a bitter convict, or not.
This is a major, major, issue across the entire state. Family courts regularly ignore the law and weaponize their powers as they see fit. Defendants are not afforded due process and are not entitled to an attorney at the most vulnerable point in their lives.
Child support should be for absent parents, not a weapon to punish failed relationships.
This guy is ridiculous @711 when I met him he bragged "I've been arrested over 100 times" this is the same guy who choke slammed his pregnant wife in 2014. What a disgrace....I'd like to officially challenge him to a boxing match at a venue of his choosing. I'm sure he will decline after all I'm not a pregnant woman. 😕🤮
-Dumbass
I'm beginning to think that the word "weaponize" is the most overused word in the world. Child support exists to make sure that both parents, regardless of their failed relationship with each other or their children, financially support their children as best they can.
Of course, Flower is a biased source colored by his own experience with the system. He has nevertheless expressed concerns that should be reviewed and assessed. County council exists for this purpose.
7:53, Flower is reviled by two NorCo GOP factions (the Lynch mob and the Snover MAGAs). He may or may not be a despicable person, and I have been critical of him in the past. But he raised concerns that must be addressed. He might be dead wrong. What worries me is that he might be dead right.
Unfortunately, in our current system a parent is treated as absentee unless they have the child 40 percent of the time.
So 38% custody gets treated like 0%.
What does any of this have to do with the child support system?
Lol for sure this system is abused..... I often say if he used his intellect for good he could make alot of difference. Often times he uses it for questionable things. One thing we can all agree on is hes always entertaining.🤡
Dumbass
Flower has had the rulings of Northampton County Court of Common Pleas overturned multiple times and for good cause.
Doesn’t quite come off as a “bitter convict” to me
Been through this in an adjacent county. It is a problem in many places. The case workers are often very new and don’t know the law. The burden is on the defendant to go out and hire an attorney to prove them wrong - after they have already garnished your wages.
I decline to publish any additional comments dealing with Flower or his situation because they are irrelevant to the topic at hand.
The Norco domestic relations process is so fraught with errors and incompetence that it probably doesn’t make sense for most litigants to pay a substantial fee to be represented in these cases. Keep in mind, these are people who are fighting to retain their earnings and in some cases to avoid being taken advantage of by the other parent under the very real threat of incarceration. These cases are frequently used to remove the other parent and obtain defacto sole custody. It could take years for a reduction in support liability or garnishment to put weight to cost of counsel.
I believe that is by design. This system is complicated on its own, even without the additional hurdle of incompetent county employees. I would argue that it would be almost impossible for an average citizen to navigate this web without extensive experience, research and writing ability. I applaud what Flower is doing and I hope he keeps up the pressure and that others join him.
I know for a fact this issue affects thousands of citizens in this county.
I respectfully question that premise. A parent who is receiving support is never asked to prove they spend a dime of support on their child. Nothing is in place to ensure a parent doesn’t spend it on big TVs, trips with friends, or their manicures. There is not even a minimal requirement to save for education or the child’s future.
Exactly. They take the money and then place the burden upon the person who has had assets seized.
If a person doesn’t make enough money, they just assign an earning capacity and pretend as if thats how much a person makes.
Nothing. This comment is probably Steve Lynch. As I recall, he likes to challenge individuals he despises to boxing matches…
I wonder how many of these conference officers have maintained the statutory continuing education requirements for them continue to serve.
I think Flower should start digging into that.
Correct. There are no controls over how support money is spent. Another reform issue…
This is true, but it is an issue with the legislation and not the judicial application. It is wrong, but no individual judge is empowered to legislate from the bench.
What happens when a person with an imaginary capacity can’t pay the piper?
Do not pass go. Go directly to jail.
Best interest’s of the child my foot!
🤣 its not, its hilarious you think that.
Dumbass
Hes a controversial guy Ohare....did you not know this.
Dumbass
"Nothing. This comment is probably Steve Lynch. As I recall, he likes to challenge individuals he despises to boxing matches…"
I'm unable to say whether Dumbass is Lynch, but Lynch is definitely a dumbass.
I'm not lynch lol this is too.much fun
Dumbass
Would Steve or anyone in the squad ever admit to reading and enjoying your blog? Also Ohare we met before and I told you I liked you're blog. You told me not to tell me friends.
Dumbass
Forget Domestic Relations… The mystery of the identity of Mr. dumbass is far more compelling
The issue is with the legislation and the judicial application.
Defendants are not guaranteed the right to be represented, that is a legislative issue (among others). The courts are not following the rules and making this up as they go along. That is a judicial issue.
I watched the video of the meeting and I believe the claim was that the section scheduled a hearing and sat on the order for 18 days prior to mailing it to the defendant. If true, that is ridiculous and constitutes a due process violation.
One major problem with the child support system in PA is that a “parent” gets to drop their child at 18 and the financial responsibilities that go with it. With one submitted petition, they get to say hey I’m done while the other parent still has to provide for basic needs. Even though technically that child is now an adult, they are still a kid and have needs that need to be met like college expenses, healthcare, food, clothing, shelter, etc. Additionally, kids under 18 have expenses that aren’t accounted for such as activities, car insurance, etc. And sadly, the parent with limited custody, by their own choice, gets to sit back and say not my problem. If you were living with the other parent, it would be your problem. It’s a messed up system.
This may be somewhat off topic but, in some families, the children of driving age are expected to get jobs for spending money and car insurance. My next-door neighbor has three children with one in college and 2 in high school. They all have excellent grades in school and work part time jobs waitressing jobs and the one in college also earns money from tutoring other students. When schools not in session they pick up extra hours at jobs. Some 6-hour shifts result in tips over $100. The college student self-funded part of her spring break to include a trip to Mexico. One parent has health problems that limit his hours to work.
I agree. I’m enjoying this “dumbass” pseudonym far more than that “Uhuru” creepy guy with small penis energy.
Yes to this!! I'm currently going through this exact situation. Taking on a $700 a month tuition payment as child support has ended. I'm not negating the years I did receive support that was a help with food, housing and sports costs. If the child chooses further education that shouldn't land on one parent.
❤🇺🇲
-dumbass
Look closer at the clues dumbass is dropping. The identity of dumbass is very clear.
Do tell
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