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May 28, 2003
SKAGIT COUNTY – If you skipped the last court hearing concerning your failure to pay child support, you may be getting a visit from the Skagit County Sheriff Department in June. Deputies will be assigned a list of bench warrants to serve on citizens who failed to appear for their latest contempt hearing. “These are parents who have a responsibility to take care of their children financially and have ignored every opportunity to do so. They haven’t paid their bill, and as a result, they have deprived their children,” said Kurt E. Hefferline, Assistant Chief Deputy with the Skagit County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Hefferline said his office currently has 243 open contempt cases involving residents of Skagit County and that last year they helped the Department of Social and Health Services Division of Child Support collect more than $350,000 in current and past due child support. The procedure for enforcement starts with a letter in most cases to the obligated parent giving them 30 days to start complying with the courts order. Those who refuse are served with a Show Cause order to appear in court to explain why they should not be held in contempt of the court’s order. Once a finding of contempt is entered, the jail sentence is suspended so long as the person complies with the court order. Bench warrants are issued for those that fail to appear at this or a subsequent hearing. “If you have a legitimate reason why you are no longer able to pay your support, go back to court to have the order reviewed. Ignoring the problem is not the solution,” said Hefferline.
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