Court Opinion

ID: 9808349
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 20:35:03.494336+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:11:27.121253
License: Public Domain

Seawell, J.,
dissenting: In my judgment, there is now no basis for the holding that the prosecution for the willful failure or neglect to support an illegitimate child must be brought within three years, or any other number of years, after the birth. The original statute, chapter 228, Public Laws of 1933, sec. 3, read as follows :
“Sec. 3. Proceedings under this act may be instituted at any time within three years next after the birth of the child, and not thereafter.” Now there were two proceedings included in the act — one, a civil proceeding to establish the paternity, if, indeed, that has not become vestigial, which we have not yet conceded; another, a distinctively criminal proceeding directed toward punishment for the newly created offense of willful nonsupport. Since indictment, as well as the civil proceeding to establish paternity, was a “proceeding under this act,” the Court, in S. v. Bradshaw, 214 N. C., 5, 197 S. E., 564, concluded that the indictment also in that case was barred under this section. Immediately, by chapter 217, *60Public Laws of 1939, the General Assembly amended this section, making it read as it now stands:
G. S., 49-4. “Proceedings under tbis article to establish the faternity of-such child may be instituted at any time within three years next after the birth of the child.” Then follows the provision relating to the .acknowledgment of paternity which, if made within three years of birth, will support an indictment if brought within three years after the acknowledgment, based upon the acknowledgment without reference to any .adverse judicial proceeding. The proviso, however, does not touch the facts of this case.
If the Legislature meant anything at all by this change, it could mean •only that the three-year limitation is confined to the proceeding for the •establishment of the paternity as I have distinguished it, and no longer .applies to the criminal prosecution for nonsupport. In such criminal prosecution it may be necessary to establish the paternity where that is .an issue, but to refer to the prosecution as “a proceeding to establish the paternity of such child” is so inadequate and inappropriate as to compel rejection of the theory that it was still meant to be included, and moreover, it renders the legislative amendment without any significance whatever.
There is nothing in the 1933 Act which would indicate that the duty •of supporting the illegitimate child is imposed solely upon those whose paternity has been established exclusively under this statute. It is prospective in character, as all such enactments are, and provides for the •establishment of paternity of the illegitimate child as necessity may arise — currently. It repeals the old bastardy law, but the Legislature ■could not repeal the judgment pronounced under authority of that law. which fixed the status of defendant as father of his illegitimate child. No new proceeding is necessary for that purpose.
S. v. Killian, 217 N. C., 339, 7 S. E. (2d), 702, under authority of which the case at bar was nonsuited, is not controlling. There the indictment was based on an acknowledgment of the paternity of the child by the defendant under the present statute (Sec. 3), which expressly provides that the indictment is barred after three years from the acknowledgment, which must be made within three years after the birth. There is no “kick-back” in the proviso which would institute, either directly or impliedly, any relation between the indictment and the date of birth with reference to a three-year statute of limitation. "We are dealing with the ■question of the judicial establishment of the paternity, which is a matter of record, and not with the mere acknowledgment at which the bar of the statute is directly, and with reason, aimed.
I think, broadly stated, the law recognizes the natural and social responsibility of parents for their offspring, regardless of whether their *61.advent is with the blessing of the statutes in such ease made and provided, or without their approval, and is much more comprehensive in its attitude and inclusive features than I find in its present application. Certain procedure must be had, of course, to see that the social burden is justly placed, but this procedure should be construed in the light of its purpose and not to defeat the Act. All of the provisions of the Act should be.read in pari materia. The title reads
“This article shall be referred to as 'An act concerning the support of children of parents not married to each other.’ ” G. S., 49-1.
The denunciatory part of the Act is as follows:
“G. S., 49-2. NoN-Suppokt op Illegitimate Child by PaRehts Made MisdemeaNOr. Any parent who willfully neglects or who refuses to support and maintain his or her illegitimate child shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to such penalties as are hereinafter provided. A child within the meaning of this article shall be any person less than fourteen years of age and any person whom either parent might be required under the laws of North Carolina to support and maintain as if .such child were the legitimate child of such parent.”
The defendant was indicted and convicted for a continuing offense. 'The burden of the support of his illegitimate child who is still under the .age of fourteen years, is fixed upon defendant by the statute, and willful neglect or refusal to do so, I believe to be punishable by law. His conviction should not be disturbed.