Law and Disorder: Child Support

The issue of parental rights and child support continues to be one sided. Men continue to be subjugated to second-class citizens in their child’s life through unjust court discussions that punish men. But lately men who are not the biological fathers of a child are being persecuted with malice as well.

States and the judiciary claim to be rendering these decisions in the “best interest of the child,” but in fact it is in the best interest of the State coffers and the continuation of the failed welfare state (born of the Great Society policies of the 60’s) that drives these ridiculous laws and sequential court decisions.

A glaring example of a justice system gone mad is Francisco Rodriquez. Mr. Rodriguez is being forced to pay child support for a child that is not biologically his:

Francisco Rodriguez

The State of Florida is claiming that Mr. Rodriquez owes $10,000. Courts have ruled against Francisco Rodriquez, even when the child’s mother has testified that Mr. Rodriquez is not in fact the father. The courts reason…a paperwork deadline was not met.

What is more frustrating is that by all accounts Francisco Rodriguez is a decent, law- abiding person. Not the "dead-beat" dad the media likes to parade on screen as the embodiment of evil. All you have to do is watch this video to see how frustrating the process has been for Mr. Rodriguez:

Video - Francisco Rodriguez at CNN

Mr. Rodriguez is just the tip of the iceberg. Officer Michael Anderson paid over $80,000.00 in child support for another mans child (Tampa Police officer Michael Anderson). There are many other men who are being swindled into paying child support, with State legislators serving as the accomplice to the crime.

The State of Florida conducted a study to find out how many men, who were paying child support, were in fact not the fathers of the children. Through DNA testing it was discovered that at least one-third of the men were in fact NOT the father of the child. The child’s mother had initially identified the men in this study as the father. NO CHARGES were ever brought against the mothers for their misrepresentation of the facts. In the legal community this is called fraud and perjury. Fathers wishing to recoup their money were told by the State that they would have to file a civil case against the mother (!!!???).

In no other civil proceeding can the defendant be threatened with jail time. Yet in the case of the civil matter of child support, States (under the threat of losing federal funding) have enacted laws that place criminal penalties in a civil matter. These very same laws are being used to extort money from non-parental men. This is a Constitutional issue that the defendant cannot win because State budgets hang in the balance, or the defendants do not have the monetary support to fight their case. In this case the defendant can prove he is not the father, but the courts (supported by absurd State welfare/child support laws) just don’t care.

Mind you, I am not advocating that a parent be allowed to walk away from their responsibilities. However I am saying that societal immorality is being justified to allow continued support of failed welfare programs. One out of every three children is born out of wedlock, which is not in the “best interest of the child.” This type of behavior is being condoned through public assistance programs, which includes criminal penalties against a parent (which means men), and now non-parents. In the end the child suffers and a decent man such as Mr. Rodriguez are left without justice.