Opinion ID: 1696951
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: ¶ 2. This statement is taken from the opinion of the Court of Appeals in this case: Ronald Marshall (Ron) and Anita Dawn Collins (Dawn) were married in Alabama on August 20, 1984. One child was born to the marriage on June 8, 1986, Ronald Marshall, Jr. (Ronnie). Ron and Dawn separated after four years of marriage while the couple resided in Baltimore, Maryland. Dawn and Ronnie returned to Alabama, and Ron relocated to California. On or about October 27, 1989, Ron filed a petition for divorce from Dawn in Los Angeles County, California, and in the divorce petition, it was noted that child support was to be awarded to Dawn. However, the final judgment of divorce made no mention of Ronnie or the matters of child support, custody, and visitation. On September 11, 1990, before the divorce was finalized, Dawn, who was now living in Smith County, Mississippi with her mother, Sybol Anding a/k/a Johnnie Anding, signed an affidavit giving Sybol temporary custody of Ronnie. Dawn affirmed that she was giving Sybol temporary custody of Ronnie until she could more adequately and properly provide for Ronnie. Sybol sought the assistance of DHS in acquiring child support for Ronnie. As a result of Sybol's request for assistance, the State of Mississippi, by and through DHS on May 12, 1993, initiated a Uniform Reciprocal Enforcement and Support Act (URESA) request that California establish a child support order requiring Ron to provide medical coverage for Ronnie and pay child support to Sybol for Ronnie. On June 12, 1996, a California court ordered Ron to pay $622 monthly in child support. The boilerplate order stated that the matters were uncontested because Ron, the defendant, made no appearance in the court. On May 25, 1999, Ron filed, in the Chancery Court of Smith County, Mississippi, a motion for modification of child custody and for modification of child support, along with a petition to reconsider child support. As a result of these filings, the chancery court appointed a guardian ad litem for Ronnie. In the motion and petition, Ron stated that he was a resident of Virginia and that he was seeking modification of the child custody order and requesting that he receive primary physical custody of Ronnie. Ron also sought to have child support arrearage reduced and/or terminated due to the fact that he was unable to locate, call, or visit with Ronnie. Upon the hearing of Ron's motion and petition, the court found that Ron had a duty to support Ronnie. On August 19, 1999, a temporary order was filed granting Sybol temporary custody of Ronnie. The chancellor found that Ron did not know Ronnie's physical location until March 1998. The temporary order also gave Ron reasonable visitation with Ronnie and set the amount for child support at $583 per month. The issue of arrearage was reserved by the chancellor for a later determination. Ron visited Ronnie on two occasions after re-establishing contact with his son. The first visit was a one-day visit in the summer of 1999, and Ron described it as a great time. However, the second visit, in the summer of 2000, was much different. That visit lasted a little over two days and was described by Ron as not so great. Due to the disdain Ronnie exhibited toward Ron during the second visit, Ron filed a motion for psychological evaluation, citing the reason for such being Ronnie's behavior exhibited during the scheduled visitation with his father. The court entered an order for psychological evaluation. After the evaluation was completed, the chancellor held a hearing in which he determined a substantial and material change in circumstances had occurred between Ron and Ronnie and as a result of said material change in circumstances there [had] been a break down [sic] in the relationship between them. The chancellor went on to state [t]his break down [sic] was caused partially as a result of the father moving off and not having contact with his child, even though this court understands that he made attempts to find the child, but also because of the actions of the mother and grandmother with this child. Because of this breakdown, the chancellor suspended all visitation and all child support obligations of Ron. As to the issue of back child support, the court stated, the Department of Human Services of Smith County, MS, shall enter into an order with Mr. Marshall to collect any child support payments that are due for the benefit of the minor child. As already observed, DHS has appealed the suspension of the child support payments, and Ron has cross-appealed the order of child support arrearage and child custody. There is no evidence in the record of DHS entering into an order as mandated by the court regarding the alleged child support arrearage. The chancellor later entered a judgment of child support arrearage, ordering Ron to pay the amount of $22,000. Id. at 443-44. The Court of Appeals affirmed on direct and cross-appeal. It found that the chancellor did not err in finding the relationship between Ronald and Ronnie had deteriorated to the extent that Ronald should not have to pay child support for the present time. Id. at (¶ 17). It further found that Ronnie should not be penalized for the conduct of his parents, and it affirmed the chancellor's award of past due child support against Ronald. Id. at ¶ 20.