FATHER SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SENTENCED TO JAIL FOR NONPAYMENT OF CHILD SUPPORT BECAUSE HE HAD PAID THE ARREARS BEFORE THE ORDER OF COMMITMENT WAS ISSUED (THIRD DEPT).
The Third Department, reversing Family Court, determined it was an abuse of discretion to sentence father to jail for failure to pay child support after father paid the arrears:
The father contends that Family Court abused its discretion by imposing a 90-day jail sentence for the father’s willful violation of the prior support order. We agree. Where a willful violation has been found, Family Court may “commit the respondent to jail for a term not to exceed six months” … . “Such a sentence is in the nature of a civil contempt, which may only continue until such time as the offender, if it is within his or her power, complies with the support order” … . Here, the father presented payment at the hearing for the full amount of arrears owed and, therefore, Family Court abused its discretion when it issued the order of commitment … . Matter of Rondeau v Jerome, 2020 NY Slip Op 07960, Third Dept 12-24-20