Requests for coverage — deadbeat spouse edition

I understand what you're saying, and quite honestly I wouldn't want to get involved either, but that doesn't mean parents like that don't have a point. And a lot of them don't have any other recourse either.

It's easy to understand why a lot of frustrated parents simply walk away. I'm not saying it's right, just that it's easy to understand.

 

The guy may have a point, but never in a million years would I do a story on it.

When I was at a previous stop I got a ton of "I got a news story for you, my ex-wife's a bitch!" calls, usually from drunks. No fucking way on earth I'm encouraging any of those.

 

Weird, because it sounds exactly like the story a guy told on my softball board last summer.

The Mendoza diagonal?

 

HER FATHER WAS THE PROBATION OFFICER!

 

Add to previous post:

If the dad knew about these relationships and he and his lawyer didn't seek recusals, that's the fucking he gets for the fucking he got.

 

Yup, we get these at my shop. They're the news-side equivalent of "my buddy and I are at the bar, and we have this bet..."

 

A weekly column highlighting why to not have children.

 

Other than the "deadbeat" angle, is there some kind of a trend in the stories? Perhaps, are there more men clamoring for more time with their kids and the courts have sided in the mothers' favor? Does it differ in your state if the child's parents were married or not?

If you pick up on something, perhaps a there's a bigger story to be written, highlighting a few of the people who've brought it to your attention.

Where my brother lives, there aren't existing laws surrounding parents who never married. The laws are written in the "after the divorce, the custodial parent should be the one who can provide the most stable environment" yadda yadda yadda. Nothing exists (that Lexis Nexis could find) for the best environment if the parents weren't married. If they weren't, it's always the mother is best.

He's got a sad story (except all the charges are against the mother, including when she passed out in a bar one night and no one knew where the child was) but has no laws on his side. Basically, had he done any of the things she's done (not show up for court, not cooperate because she didn't like the ruling) his ass would have been in jail.

To me, if that's part of a trend, it's worth highlighting - use your journalistic powers to shed light on the fact the laws don't support unmarried parents, and in many cases that forces judges to not act in the best interest of children.

Maybe Judge X never gives fathers custody, Judge Y won't overturn rulings on Friday after 3 and no matter what, Judge X will give the grandparents coffee unless she had three cups of coffee before the hearing.

Who knows, but basically, I'd keep listening. Obviously, don't print something just because someone's out to get a former lover and is using a child as leverage. But if you sense a trend, it could be a story.

 

I remember, several years ago, the Alabama government took out full-page ads in most of the dailies in the state and featured the worst of the worst deadbeat dads.

Awesome stuff.

 

YOU ONLY COVER US WHEN WE DON'T PAY OUR CHILD SUPPORT!!

 

Two things grabbed me attention here.. first, the guy needs a better lawyer. Second, if the judge is really being swayed because the grandmother is a court reporter, that sounds like judicial misconduct and could actually lead to a story if its investigated.