A man with Texas ties avoided being sentenced to jail when he showed up in a family law court with nearly $20,000 to pay child support he owed to the mother of his 7-year-old daughter.
The man, a former player for the Dallas Cowboys, failed to appear at a July 12 child-support hearing, so the judge threatened to put him in jail. Eventually, he did report to court as ordered by the judge and paid the money at that time. He also paid $12,000 in fees to his lawyer.
The girl’s mother said the former player was four months in arrears on his scheduled payments of $5,000 each month. While she is grateful for the cash, the woman said she also would like the man to spend more time with his daughter, according to her attorney. The woman said that in seven years, the man has seen his daughter no more than 10 times, and the attorney said the mother desires that the child form and maintain a relationship with the girl.
The player paid the money despite lingering financial difficulties. At 38, he has not found a spot on a National Football League roster. With training camps in session now, it is unlikely he will be invited to a tryout by a team because of his reputation as being talented yet difficult to work with. Because he has not found a job, the man has requested a reduction in his child support.
In an effort to make money, the man joined a team in a lesser professional league in Texas earlier this year, and then was released. He earned a fraction of his former multimillion-dollar salary.
The man’s lack of a contract could be enough to gain that reduction in child support should he go through proper legal channels. However, until that happens, he maintains an obligation to pay support for his daughter and any other children he might have.
Source: News One, “Terrell Owens Shows Up In Court And Pays Back Child Support To Avoid Jail!” Ruth Manuel-Logan, July 19, 2012
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