WXYZ (ABC's Detroit Affiliate): He has a DNA test to prove it's not his son, but still has to pay child support

[ACW]

http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/wayne_county/he-has-a-dna-test-to-prove-it%27s-not-his-son%2C-but-still-has-to-pay-child-support

(WXYZ) - He’s on the hook for tens of thousands of dollars in back child support. But he says the boy is not his son—and has the DNA test to prove it. So why might the state send a local man to jail for failing to pay up for a child that isn’t his?

Gary Harper knows all too well what it’s like to have run-ins with the law.

“I mean, learned my lesson, paid to society my debt,” says Harper, who spent 18 years in prison for auto theft and armed robbery.

“I want to do the right thing. I want to be a good member of society,” he says.

After seven years of freedom and clean living, Harper could be locked up again—this time for not making good on the more than $22,500 the state says he owes in child support for a boy a DNA test proves isn’t his.

Dorothy Hoose is Harper’s former girl friend and the biological mom to a young man, Thomas Matero, who was born in 1988. When Hoose signed up for state aid she gave Harper’s name as the father and that was it. The state considers Matero Harper’s son.

“I don’t think it’s right, not at all, not one bit because he’s not the father. He’s not. I thought he was, but he’s not,” says Hoose.

All this went down when Harper was behind bars. When he got out in 2003 the state said if Harper could prove he wasn’t the father, he would be free and clear. But Harper didn’t have the $500 at the time for a DNA test. He had the test done years later.

“I thought it was pretty neat. I wouldn’t mind to know who my father was and everything,” says Matero, who Harper tracked down in Florida and who agreed to a DNA test. The test proved what Harper suspected.

“I found out that he wasn’t my father,” Matero says.

But none of this matters to the state. The law gives a limited window for a paternity test to be done. Harper was too late.

:gus::gus::gus::gus::gus:

First off, that time limit should be eliminated.

Second, notice how even the MOTHER thinks this is wrong.

[aREDSKIN]

http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/wayne_county/he-has-a-dna-test-to-prove-it%27s-not-his-son%2C-but-still-has-to-pay-child-support:gus::gus::gus::gus::gus:

First off, that time limit should be eliminated.

Second, notice how even the MOTHER thinks this is wrong.

Family courts are filled with INJUSTICE like this. They rationalize that if an "accused" doesn't respond within their time constraints then it's presumptive guilt. Forget the actual truth or facts of the matter. No mitigation at all just shut up and pay as we say.

There are cases where women just point to someone whom they never even met and that lucky guy HAS to respond within the prescribed time frame or he's on the hook for 18+ years of CS. It's a racket in many cases.

[Nickclone]

I think (if the father is present), they should do a DNA test at the hospital when the kid is born. However, I would be worried about my DNA being on file, I'm just paranoid that way.

[hkHog]

http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/wayne_county/he-has-a-dna-test-to-prove-it%27s-not-his-son%2C-but-still-has-to-pay-child-support:gus::gus::gus::gus::gus:

First off, that time limit should be eliminated.

Second, notice how even the MOTHER thinks this is wrong.

Wow, that is messed up.

[aREDSKIN]

I think (if the father is present), they should do a DNA test at the hospital when the kid is born.

That may be awkward in some cases. Can you imagine if the DNA came back not a match for the guy present??? Yikes.

[Teller]

This is one of those guys that, when I hit the lottery, I will fly out there and pay every last dime of his legal expenses.

[PeterMP]

That may be awkward in some cases. Can you imagine if the DNA came back not a match for the guy present??? Yikes.

Doing statistical studies based on paternity are highly wrought with errors based on "bad" assignments of paterenity.

I saw somebody once claim that they had been testing in a relatively well area with children all the products of married couples, and as part of the study they conducted DNA test to be sure of paternity and over 10% of the kids didn't match the father.

They ended up publishing something on infedility and pregnancy as a function of the working or staying at home females.

(Stay at home women were more likely to have a non-spousal's baby than a working female.)

[PeterMP]

That may be awkward in some cases. Can you imagine if the DNA came back not a match for the guy present??? Yikes.

Doing statistical studies based on paternity are highly wrought with errors based on "bad" assignments of paterenity.

I saw somebody once claim that they had been testing in a relatively well off area with children all the products of married couples, and as part of the study they conducted DNA test to be sure of paternity and over 10% of the kids didn't match the father.

They ended up publishing something on infedility and pregnancy as a function of the working or staying at home females.

(Stay at home women were more likely to have a non-spousal's baby than a working female.)

[Destino]

Rule #1 gentlemen. I don't care how honest you think she is. That baby is born you get that paternity test done ASAP. You don't even have to tell her depending on the situation. I know women that have been cheated on and damn near all of them suspected it. I know men that have been cheated on and most of them act like they've been completely blind sided.

Sneaky women are sneaky.

[PokerPacker]

women are sneaky.

Fixed.

[cjcdaman]

Jesus H. I feel bad for the guy but this has Jerry Springer written all over it.

You have a man who spent 18 years in prison. A woman who is a, how shall I put this, slut THINKS the guy is the father of her baby so she simply writes his name down...knowing full well that she is a slut and had sex with at least one other man around the time of conception.

After being released from prison, the court tells him if he can conjure up $500 for a DNA test, he will be free from making payments and back payments. This moron can't come up with $500 for a DNA test to see if he is the rightful father of a child???

Back to the slut...this exceptional piece of work didn't even raise the boy!!! He was raised by his aunt in four different states.

Jerry! Jerry!! Jerry!!!

[ACW]

Amazing thing is, not even the MOTHER thinks this is right.

[Hubbs]

I'm sorry, I can't really pay attention to the substance of this story because it's being reported by an affiliate called "WXYZ."

I mean... seriously?

[GhostofSparta]

You know, this kinda flies in the face of "innocent until proven guilty" doesn't it? I mean, the woman THINKS one guy is the father, writes his name down, and the onus is on him to prove his innocence? How about a new rule where if the mother wants child support SHE has to cough up the $500 to prove that she gets to milk this guy for child support for the next 18 years?

But that's just me. Something about how writing down some dude's name makes him a walking ATM for the next 2 decades without any significant proof just seems....unjust.

[Special K]

To be honest, I think if a mother is requesting child support, the onus should always be on her to prove the dude is the father of the baby. I'm sure that would present several legal problems, but's that's my opinion...particularly when the woman is such a skanity-skank-skank-skank she doesn't even know who the friggin father is.

[twa]

Keast ,you are a credit to your gender :cool:

[EersSkins05]

I've seen this happen, albeit in a circumstance where the non-paying non-dad is married to the slut wife.

And it's perfectly legal for him to owe back child support even if later DNA tests show that the child wasn't his. (There's a presumption that a child is the legitimate son of a married father when assigning child support obligations. What you learn later doesn't affect what you owe before you find out.)

It's messed up, but the State has to take the stance that SOMEONE'S gotta pay for this kid, otherwise the State's footing the bill for yet another life.

[Chachie]

That may be awkward in some cases. Can you imagine if the DNA came back not a match for the guy present??? Yikes.

Awkward, painful, whatever. I'd rather know asap.

[aREDSKIN]

I've seen this happen, albeit in a circumstance where the non-paying non-dad is married to the slut wife.

And it's perfectly legal for him to owe back child support even if later DNA tests show that the child wasn't his. (There's a presumption that a child is the legitimate son of a married father when assigning child support obligations. What you learn later doesn't affect what you owe before you find out.)

It's messed up, but the State has to take the stance that SOMEONE'S gotta pay for this kid, otherwise the State's footing the bill for yet another life.

Two points.

1) This happen to unmarried men all the time.

2) The State should not be in the business of criminalizing the innocence for the sake of $'s. The onus should be on the mother to "prove" whom the "father" is if and when contested.

[GhostofSparta]

Awkward, painful, whatever. I'd rather know asap.

Yeah, I agree. It's only gotta get more awkward as time goes on. Imagine learning instead when the kid is 5, or 13, or even worse, 18. Can you imagine if you raised a kid for 18 years that the mother knew wasn't yours? If there's ever a time to find out, it's right away. Either that or you live in blissful ignorance about it forever.

[10fttall]

They don't do DNA right at birth, but remember what they do - blood type. Sometimes the baby's blood type alone would be impossible from the "parents" that are present. Say the mother has type "A" and the father type "O," if the baby has type "B," the mother has some 'splaining to do.