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bench warrant help

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mcy1115

Junior Member
Pennsylvania/Ohio
I am $3000 behind in support in Pittsburgh pa and missed a contempt hearing due to living in Ohio with no drivers license or car. They are filling for a bench warrant. Is this something a lawyer can help with remotely due to my lack of transportation if so how do I go about it? Also would this be an interstate warrant that would show up in Ohio, and if so does PA extradite for such a low amount? I'm not trying to avoid paying but only recently found employment.
 


single317dad

Senior Member
Pennsylvania/Ohio
I am $3000 behind in support in Pittsburgh pa and missed a contempt hearing due to living in Ohio with no drivers license or car. They are filling for a bench warrant. Is this something a lawyer can help with remotely due to my lack of transportation if so how do I go about it? Also would this be an interstate warrant that would show up in Ohio, and if so does PA extradite for such a low amount? I'm not trying to avoid paying but only recently found employment.
An attorney could probably get the judge to set another court date and, assuming you appeared, recall the warrant at that time. That assumes this is the first time you've failed to appear for a contempt hearing. You may even be able to arrange that yourself. Judges generally don't really want people in jail badly enough to prevent them from righting their wrongs.

If you fail to address the situation, the warrant will remain outstanding. The longer you wait, the more irritated the judge will be when you're finally picked up. Not all jurisdictions will enter a warrant into NCIC for something this small, but that won't stop the warrant from being executed. A "helpful citizen" could easily alert the local PD to your warrant, and put them in touch with the issuing court. Whether the judge would require your appearance is unknown, but he may let you cool off in a cell for a week or so, then require a purge to get out, or he could have you extradited where you could spend another week in another cell. It may be years before that happens, but it will happen.

I'd get this taken care of promptly, if I were you.
 

mcy1115

Junior Member
thank you for your reply.

Would anyone know the specifics for allegheny county as to whether or not this is likely to be entered into the ncic database? My intentions are to resume paying my ordered amount I simply have no way of appearing in PA at this time.
 

sandyclaus

Senior Member
Would anyone know the specifics for allegheny county as to whether or not this is likely to be entered into the ncic database? My intentions are to resume paying my ordered amount I simply have no way of appearing in PA at this time.
You do realize that just paying your normal amount NOW doesn't do anything about the $3k in arrears right? And not paying is what got you here in the first place, so... just paying the normal amount again won't make your warrant go away.

If you can afford a lawyer to handle this, you can certainly afford to make a dent in your arrears. And you could afford a train ticket to get to court. IMHO, I'm thinking you have quite a mess of your own making, and are willing to do just about anything except pay the piper.
 

Silverplum

Senior Member
Would anyone know the specifics for allegheny county as to whether or not this is likely to be entered into the ncic database? My intentions are to resume paying my ordered amount I simply have no way of appearing in PA at this time.
Find out from the courthouse if you can attend via telephone and the process to request that: http://www.alleghenycourts.us/Home/Default.aspx

Your county's CS contact info: https://www.humanservices.state.pa.us/csws/CSWS_controller.aspx?CO3DcNKolrD0iz3yGyYs4UUZWl22fjTw3KRvBKirM2Cr6W6788PSjgrWRsuDk5NXjPEDWUa7CVXV13bAzFUUAw--v0X92m0df_LZrczVB0I4MB93uSpVxgHeganYw0A_dH_fe@fc9324
 

CSO286

Senior Member
Would anyone know the specifics for allegheny county as to whether or not this is likely to be entered into the ncic database? My intentions are to resume paying my ordered amount I simply have no way of appearing in PA at this time.
Yes it will be. You still have to appear in court--even if you have resumed paying your support.

In order for CSED to have taken contempt action against you, you must have been several months behind and either not paying at all, not contacting CSED, or contacting them and feeding them BS over and over--promising to pay and then not and so on. If you had made payment arrangements with them and kept to the agreement, you wouldn't be in the boat you're in right now.

Why did you stop paying your support?
 
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CSO286

Senior Member
It will be highly unlikely that he could appear by telephone for a contempt hearing.
Because it is possible that he could be found in contempt and have to sit jail time, judges usually like them in person and will very rarely allow them to appear by phone or simply have an atty make an appearance for them.
 
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Silverplum

Senior Member
It will be highly unlikely that he could appear by telephone for a contempt hearing.
Becasue it is possible that he could be found in contempt and have to sit jail time, judges usually like them in person and will ver yrarely allow them to appear by phone oe simply have an aatty make an appearance for them.
Then it sounds like OP has a problem with which I cannot help. Thanks for letting me know. :)
 

mcy1115

Junior Member
I only stopped paying when I lost my job. It wasnt only support that stopped being paid my rent bills car insurance lost my license for not having insurance got evicted the list goes on. But im sure your not interested in the fact that you cant get blood from a stone. You seem to be just like the people at domestic relations who think that every man in existance is a dead beat and should be addressed as one.

And to the other poster I dont have money for an attorney I was mearly enquiring about what options may be available to me.
 

Silverplum

Senior Member
I only stopped paying when I lost my job. It wasnt only support that stopped being paid my rent bills car insurance lost my license for not having insurance got evicted the list goes on. But im sure your not interested in the fact that you cant get blood from a stone. You seem to be just like the people at domestic relations who think that every man in existance is a dead beat and should be addressed as one.

And to the other poster I dont have money for an attorney I was mearly enquiring about what options may be available to me.
I'm not interested in being bashed. :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
 

CSO286

Senior Member
I only stopped paying when I lost my job. It wasnt only support that stopped being paid my rent bills car insurance lost my license for not having insurance got evicted the list goes on. But im sure your not interested in the fact that you cant get blood from a stone. You seem to be just like the people at domestic relations who think that every man in existance is a dead beat and should be addressed as one.

And to the other poster I dont have money for an attorney I was mearly enquiring about what options may be available to me.
Did you file for unemployment when you lost your job?

Look, I work in child support. When an NCP calls me to tell me that he/she lost their job, I can hold off on certain enforcement remedies IF I feel they are really working to try and get things back together--proof of job search, partial payments, etc.

Did you contact your caseworker about your situation?
 

sandyclaus

Senior Member
I only stopped paying when I lost my job. It wasnt only support that stopped being paid my rent bills car insurance lost my license for not having insurance got evicted the list goes on. But im sure your not interested in the fact that you cant get blood from a stone. You seem to be just like the people at domestic relations who think that every man in existance is a dead beat and should be addressed as one.

And to the other poster I dont have money for an attorney I was mearly enquiring about what options may be available to me.
We assumed nothing. People have all sorts of reasons for not being able to pay their child support. That doesn't give you an excuse for not communicating with the CSEA and telling them you CAN'T pay. How are they - or your child's other parent, for that matter - supposed to know why you haven't paid if you failed to tell them?

As CSO said, the CSEA doesn't seek contempt charges if you have been making your payments or keeping in communication with them when you aren't. Your ignorance and silence didn't make your obligation go away.
 

mcy1115

Junior Member
Problem is that I dont have a caseworker assigned its who ever pulls the docket or answers the phone which it is notoriously difficult to get ahold of anyone in that office my last payment was in febuary and I had to borrow that from my father to pay it. I just got employed and had a wage attachment set up and then bang summons for contempt. Now Im going to lose this job as I need a clear background to maintain my insurance licenses.
 

OHRoadwarrior

Senior Member
If you have no job, you should have appeared and requested a modification. A judge would have possibly been lenient if you could document these issues. Now you also have warrant to deal with. My personal opinion is you should get to court and address the judge and warrant, before getting, then losing, a new job.
 

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