A parent has received over a hundred thousand dollars in a Fen Phen settlement, but refuses to pay any of her child's fees on probation. The child is a sex offender who has some expensive bills. A local minister has taken the child in and a therapist is seeing him at a reduced rate. The judge ordered her to pay for sex offender treatment for her child, child support for the minister, attorney's fees for the defense attorney, past due probation fees and court costs. She has not paid for anything, but has spent money on frivolous things and has hired herself an attorney. The judge wants to hold her in contempt of court. I explained to the judge that a contempt proceeding is separate from the juvenile proceeding and that I do not have a role in it, except perhaps as a witness. He ordered me to find out how the contempt proceeding should proceed. This would be a civil proceeding for contempt of court. Does anyone have any experience in this sort of situation?

Contact Sharon Pruitt at the Gregg County District Attorney's Office. 903-236-8440.

She presented a paper this past spring on contempt proceedings in juvenile hearings. She's also board certified in juvenile law.

She's hard to catch at her desk, so leave a detailed message with the receptionist that it's regarding holding a parent in contempt.

If your judge has questions, invite her or him to call Judge Becky Simpson (County Court at Law for Gregg County, sitting as juvenile court). 903-758-6181. Judge Simpson LOVES talking about contempt hearings.

SORRY FOR THE DELAY. I JUST FOUND OUT WHY MY PHONES HAVE BEEN RINGING OFF THE WALL! PLEASE REFER TO WWW.JUVENILELAW.ORG FOR A COPY OF MY PAPER. I HAVE SOME FORMS THAT WERE NOT INCLUDED WITH THE PAPER. IF YOU EMAIL ME THAT WILL BE THE EASIEST WAY. I'LL BE IN PADRE AFTER TODAY. THE BOTTOM LINE IS YOUR JUDGE CAN PUT HER IN JAIL FOR UP TO SIX MONTHS BUT THE RULES MUST BE FOLLOWED, INCLUDING NOTICE & A HEARING. I PUT A CONTEMPT WARNING ON EVERY ORDER & REQUIRE PARENTS SIGNATURE. THANKS ANDY! SHARON sharon.pruitt@co.gregg.tx.us