Attempt for a Trial in the Court of Public Opinion

I sent the following to the Sun Journal, the newspaper near my ex-husband. I doubt they will run with it, but it was worth a try:

My ex-husband is a Lieutenant for the Dixfield fire department. He is also a deadbeat dad. He owes over $7600 in child support. If he works, he works under the table. He never sends a dime of what he makes from fire calls to his son. In September, he was ordered to spend 30 days in jail or pay $1500 toward his back child support. He has done neither.

DHHS division of child support enforcement and recovery told me Dixfield PD was suppose to be handling the arrest warrant. After speaking with them several times, I sent them a letter regarding the issue. They replied saying Rumford District Court told them not to get involved. I called Rumford District Court. They tell me that a civil arrest warrant is hard to enforce and despite the fact that they know where he is, they cannot arrest him because the Sheriff’s office civil department and the Dixfield PD cannot agree on how to serve the warrant. They suggest I call the Sheriff’s office. No one answers. No one returns my calls. In the meantime, I call DHHS to tell them of my findings. They have no answers. They say normally the person is arrested and an enforcement agent goes to meet with them. They assure me they will find him. The problem is, he’s not missing.

This story is probably pretty common except for one factor - my ex-husband is a Dixfield firefighter. Not one person I have spoken to has argued with me when I say Jason’s standing as a firefighter is protecting him. The fire chief, the Dixfield PD, and the Sheriff’s department are well aware of both the arrest warrant and the lack of payment of child support and yet nothing is done.

Aren’t firefighters suppose to be men children can look up to? Instead of protecting them because of their firefighter status, should we be holding them responsible for their actions? Shouldn’t the lieutenant of a local fire department be an upstanding citizen? What kind of citizen doesn’t support his son? What kind of person neglects his own flesh and blood?

Maybe this story is only of interest to me because it is so personal, but things like this are happening everyday. The statistics from the last consensus say that 22.8% of single parents aren’t receiving any of their court ordered child support, and 30.3% do not receive all of the child support due to them. Changes need to happen, and they will happen one story at a time. If this is story is of interest to you, please let me know.