Opinion ID: 1933100
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Leonard Miles

Text: In a paternity order filed in May, 1994, Miles was found to be the father of Litiona Miles, born to Cheryl Nelson, and ordered to pay $100/month support. By September, 1997, he was $2,900nearly 2½ yearsin arrears. In February, 1998, he was found in contempt because of a failure to cooperate with BOSE by providing job contactsevidence of attempts to obtain employment. In August, 1998, October, 1998, and March, 1999, he was again found in contempt, for failing to maintain bi-weekly contact with BOSE. In March, the master found that Miles, 25 years old, lived with and was supported almost entirely by his mother, that he had voluntarily impoverished himself, and that he was capable of earning $400/week. His arrearage at the time was over $3,300. The court sentenced him to 179 days incarceration unless he paid a purge amount of $1,200 by April 19. He did not make the payment and was incarcerated until May 6, 1999. In a paternity order filed in March, 1999, he was found to be the father of Emontraz Miles, born to Constance Wade, and ordered to pay $150/month support for him and to cooperate with BOSE. In June, 1999, a petition was filed to hold Miles in contempt for failure to maintain bi-weekly contact with BOSE, as ordered. He appeared at the hearing before the master without counsel. The following colloquy comprises the entire waiver inquiry: THE COURT: Alright, Mr. Miles, you certainly know you have the right to have a lawyer. You've been here many times. You gonna be your own lawyer today? MR. MILES: Yeah. THE COURT: Alright. Court finds pursuant to Maryland Rule [15-206] the Defendant has knowingly and voluntarily waived his right to counsel. You understand you can go to jail? MR. MILES: Yeah. THE COURT: Knowing all that, you gonna be your own lawyer? You know a lawyer could be helpful? Any you're still unemployed? And basically, you are a confirmed unemployed person? Yes, you are. You'reyou're not going to work. Whatever you do to make money, youyou do it your way Having launched into that attack, the master never got an answer to his final inquiry regarding counsel. The master elicited from Miles that he continued to be supported by his mother, who gave him about $100 a month. The master noted that Miles was wearing some jewelry, which Miles said his father had given him for his birthday. He said he did not know its value. When pressed, Miles said he thought the jewelry was worth about $80. On this evidence, the master made the following findings: Court finds that the Defendant has voluntarily impoverished himself. That he refuses to get a job. That he's appeared in Court on numerous occasions and fails to work. Court finds that the Defendant lives with his mother who supports him. That the only assets he has are miscellaneous items of what appear to be gold jewelry that he is wearing proudly and prominently in Court. Court finds the outstanding arrearage in this case to be four thousand, one hundred and ninety dollars and seventy six cents. Court takes judicial knowledge that the gold jewelry appears to be worth four thousand, one hundred and ninety dollars and seventy six cents. Court's gonna find you in contempt of Court. Finds that you have the present ability to pay your child support. Gonna set your purge at four thousand, one hundred and ninety dollars and seventy-six cents and finds that you have the present ability to meet that purge. You can sell your jewelry. That's up to you. (Emphasis added). When Miles protested that the jewelry was not worth anything near $4,000, that I can't pay no four thousand dollars and you know that your own self, the master responded, astonishingly (and erroneously): Well, here's the good news. Once we found you in contempt and you can't pay, you'll spend your six months in jail and you'll never have to worry about that past four thousand dollars. It will only be the new money. So I'm really trying to help you. You don't realize that, but if you went to a lawyer, they'd tell you. Yeah, actually he's helping you. `Cause see, once you're found in contempt of Court and you meet youryou either serve your time or pay your purge, you're clean. You're ready to go. It's only new stuff. So I'm cleaning you up. In conformance with those pronouncements, the master recommended that Miles be incarcerated for 179 days unless he paid the purge amount of $4,190.76 by August 9, 1999three weeks hence. The same exceptions filed in the other cases were filed to this report, and, as in the other cases, they were denied by the court.