Glenn J. Sacks turned up the most egregious example of paternity fraud that I’ve heard of.
Larry Nicholson received a notice that he was in arrears to the tune of $75,000 for a child he knew nothing about. When he showed up in court to find out what the case was about, Nicholson thought it would be open and shut — Nicholson is black, but the child in question is white.
No matter. Nicholson did not contest paternity of the child within the time specified by the state of California — a whopping six months. Nicholson said he knew nothing about the child until receiving the notice that he was in arrears.
Still, he is legally the child’s father according to California and must pay child support. Sacks reports that Nicholson currently pays 40 percent of his take home pay to support this child.
Sackrs reports that the Californian legislature is considering a new law which would remedy these sorts of problems by, among other things, requiring courts of vacate support judgments where the claims of paternity are clearly false.
Source:
California Paternity Justice Act: If the Genes Don’t Fit, You Must Acquit. Glenn J. Sacks, GlennJSacks.Com, March 16, 2002.