Opinion ID: 1436580
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Marcellas McLong

Text: In September, 1994, through a consent paternity judgment entered by the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, McLong was ordered to pay $25 per week to Sharon Oliver for the support of their minor child, Solena, born in January, 1993. In April, 2003, a petition for contempt was filed, alleging an arrearage of over $7,500. Following a hearing in September, the court found the arrearage to be nearly $8,000, ordered that McLong be adjudged in contempt unless he purged himself of the contempt by making regular support payments of $25 per week and paying an additional $25 per week on the arrearage, and directed that an earnings lien be established. In May, 2005, the Child Support Enforcement Office, alleging an arrearage of over $10,000, requested an order directing McLong to show cause why he should not be held in contempt. A hearing was scheduled before a Master for July 11, 2005, but McLong failed to appear. A hearing was then scheduled before a judge on July 20, following which the court entered an order establishing an arrearage of $10,470 and directing that McLong be adjudged in contempt unless he purged by making the current and arrearage payments called for in the September, 2003 order, though on a monthly, rather than a weekly, basis. That did not seem to work, and in April, 2006, another petition for contempt was filed. A hearing scheduled for July 12, 2006, was postponed until October 5, with the direction that McLong bring with him at that time evidence verifying income from all sources, that he verify that he had made five attempts each week to look for a job, and that he enroll in and complete GED program, and bring documentation. [5] At the October 5 hearing, McLong informed the court that he had a job in which he earned $8 an hour, working about 30 hours a week. He had been working for about two weeks, but had made no support payments. He said that he expected to start a GED program in about two weeks. Because McLong appeared without counsel, the court explained that he had a right to a full trial or he could admit that he was in arrears, and he chose the latter. [6] A child support enforcement official then advised, without contradiction, that, pursuant to the September, 2003 order, McLong should have paid $8,233 in current support and reduction of the arrearage, that he had paid nothing during that period, and that his total arrearage was $12,095. Upon that evidence, the court found the arrearage to be $12,095, found as well that McLong was in civil contempt, and postponed disposition until February 1, 2007. Both orally and in the form of an Order, the court instructed McLong that, upon his return to court, he was to verify his income from every source, make a lump sum payment of $500, and either complete a GED or provide proof of his GED status. When the proceeding resumed on February 1, the court was informed that McLong had not made any of the payments the court directed in October. The court thereupon sentenced McLong to incarceration for two years, which could be purged through the payment of $2,000 in cash. No inquiry was made, and no finding was made, as to whether McLong could pay that amount, or any other amount. The court treated the sanction as a criminal sentence and advised McLong that he had ten days to ask for a new trial, 90 days to request a modification of the sentence, and 30 days to file an appeal. The court reset the matter for review in May, 2007. McLong noted an appeal. While the appeal was pending in the Court of Special Appeals, McLong sought a stay of the February 1 order, first from the appellate court and, when that was denied, from the Circuit Court. On May 15, 2007, the Circuit Court denied the stay but, through a new commitment order, amended the purge to payment of $200 and presentation of a GED certificate. A month later, we granted certiorari prior to any significant proceedings in the Court of Special Appeals. In July, the Circuit Court stayed the May 15 amended commitment order pending completion of the appellate process and ordered the immediate release of McLong from incarceration. In a companion order entered the same day, the court established the current arrearage at $13,070, scheduled a review hearing for November 21, 2007, and, as before, ordered McLong to enroll in and complete (if possible) a GED class.