Georgia judge allows thousands of parents to join child support legal challenge
ATLANTA — A Fulton County judge is allowing thousands of parents who could face jail time for failing to pay child support to join a legal challenge that says they must be appointed attorneys if they cannot afford to hire a lawyer.
Superior Court Judge Jerry Baxter's order granted class-action status for indigent parents in a lawsuit that claims Georgia unlawfully imprisons parents who can't pay child support. The ruling would only apply to indigent parents jailed in contempt proceedings initiated by the state and not to parents who can afford to hire lawyers.
Baxter's order, which was filed Dec. 30, noted that at least 3,500 parents have been jailed in child support cases without being provided attorneys to represent them since January 2010. He said a class action "is the best means by which to fairly and efficiently resolve these claims."
The Georgia Attorney General's office is planning to appeal the ruling. Georgia would be forced to set aside potentially millions of dollars to pay for appointed counsel if the lawsuit prevails.
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/3f6a8ed309ed4405b98db7367701d27b/GA--Child-Support/
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