Case ID: ad2d_156/html/0883-01.html
Source: Caselaw Access Project
Author: {"author": "Per Curiam.", "license": "Public Domain", "url": "https://static.case.law/"}
Date Created: 2024-08-24T03:29:51.129683

In the Matter of Madison County Support Collection Unit, on Behalf of Debra Bordell, Respondent, v Robert Drennan, Appellant.
   Per Curiam.

Appeal from an order of the Family Court of Madison County (Humphreys, J.), entered May 26, 1988, which granted petitioner’s application, in a proceeding pursuant to Family Court Act article 4, part 5, to enforce a support order, and committed respondent to jail.

Petitioner commenced this proceeding by alleging that respondent failed to obey a lawful order of support pursuant to Family Court Act § 453. Following a hearing, respondent was found to have willfully failed to obey an order of support and he was committed to jail pursuant to Family Court Act § 454 (3) (a). Respondent filed a notice of appeal from the order of commitment but proceeded to serve his sentence so that he is no longer incarcerated. Since imprisonment pursuant to Family Court Act § 454 (3) (a) is in the nature of punishment for civil contempt (see, e.g., Hymowitz v Hymowitz, 149 AD2d 568) and completion of the jail term for a civil contempt renders the matter moot (see, Ward v Ward, 71 AD2d 854), we must dismiss the appeal.

Appeal dismissed, as moot, without costs. Mahoney, P. J., Kane, Mikoll, Yesawich, Jr., and Levine, JJ., concur.