Man Committed Suicide In McHenry Jail Cell over Child Support Payments

[ansible]

WOODSTOCK, IL — The Cary man who was found unresponsive in his McHenry County Jail cell Friday, Nov. 17, committed suicide amid overwhelming financial stress caused by court-ordered child support payments, according to a source close to the family. Thomas Doheny, 51, of Cary, was found by jail staff in his single-occupancy cell at about 8:10 p.m. Friday. A press release from the McHenry County Sheriff's Office said the staff "immediately began life-saving measures" upon finding him. He was then transferred to Centrega Woodstock Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 8:53 p.m.

The coroner's office press release said Doheny's autopsy revealed "no suspicious injuries or significant natural disease." Doheny had been held at the jail since Nov. 1, when he was taken into custody in contempt of court. He was in court dealing with a divorce filed against him in 2014, according to the source who was close to Doheny but wishes to remain anonymous.

"The judge just got upset and incarcerated him," the person said. Formerly quite wealthy, Doheny was working to reduce the $20,000 monthly child support payments to his ex-wife, which he could not afford, according to the source.

"He doesn't make that kind of money. He did five years ago, but his situation has changed," the source said in a Nov. 14 email to a local newspaper as part of an inquiry about the legality of child support payments from incarcerated parents.

The source claims that Judge Michael Coppedge, who presided over the case, failed to consider the information provided by Doheny and made it impossible for him to afford child support payments. Doheny was fired from his job as the result of having to make 260 court appearances in the last two years in attempts to lower the payments. The source said his company hired an attorney to keep up with all of the subpoenas his ex-wife sent.

https://patch.com/illinois/crystallake/cary-man-committed-suicide-mchenry-jail-cell-source

[LonePirate]

1. Debtors prison claims another life.

It must have been one vindictive and nasty divorce if the ex-spouse fought him through 260 court appearances. I suspect concern for the child's well-being was not a focal point of the divorce.

[brooklynite]

29. "Debtors prison" is an over-reach...

...it took awhile to accrue $20,000 in missed payments, and there was the two years of court hearings in the timeline as well. What would your solution be for an ongoing failure to pay?

[oasis]

34. "$20,000 monthly". nt

[LonePirate]

35. That was $20,000/month, not $20,000 total.

It should not take two years and hundreds of court appearances to change the financial details of a child support decision. It's not like he had to pay $200/month and failed to pay it for over 8 years. If he lost his job, then the spouse and the judge should have been more amenable to changing the support details unless he had a massive collection of assets to cover it. The fact that he was in jail for being unable to pay suggests he did not have the assets.

Regardless, how does jailing someone for failure to pay put them in a position to pay it? It doesn't matter if it was child support or a traffic fine or whatever. There are instances where an inability to pay is deemed no different (or even worse) than a refusal to pay. Jail time or serves as a vindictive measure that does not help resolve the problem. Now his offspring have lost their father.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. The Judge literally killed the goose that laid the golden eggs.

How will the children be financially supported now?

I defended a client who was suffering from bipolar and could only keep a job as a short-order cook which was a big step down from being an executive with SISCO. He was in arrears of $11,000 and his ex-wife was working a better job than he was. We made our case and got an excused reduction with a payment plan.


And with regard to the comment prior to this one, there is no mechanism to ensure that child support is spent on children. There is no requirement for receipts, accounting, etc. One would hope, but . . . .

[LisaL]

4. I guess mother will have to support them.

It's a sad story.

[Xolodno]

18. Sad thing is, this isn't the first...nor likely the last.

Sometimes I wonder if the judge is just being vindictive for a bad experience they had.

Some years ago, I watched a show on something very similar. Both the father and mother came to terms on child support. But the judge over ruled it and stated the father had to pay more. He told her that he's never made that kind of money to which she responded, "that's your problem". This was even after the pleas from the mother who said the arrangement was not only fair, but actually generous given his means. Long story short, he lost his business and the kids essentially got nothing.

Another example, buddy of mine got pulled over for speeding. Nothing major, but figured he get the ticket, slow down and pay it later. But for whatever reason the officer was just being a first class asshole. So he told him "hey, whatever happened at home, happened there. Don't take it out on me or everyone else on the road". The officer told him, yeah your right, slow down and go on your way.

[Motownman78]

3. And MRA's gain another weapon

in their march to limit women's rights.

[irisblue]

14. Those guys(generic expression) will say pretty much anything

[dubyadiprecession]

5. Only 20,000 a month for child support?

That child has a pretty expensive drug habit.

[LisaL]

6. He had four children.

[BadgerKid]

22. Since when do 4 kids need 240k/year?

Those of us fighting for $15/hr would still fall short. Cannot say I wouldn't considering offing myself, too.

[tammywammy]

24. When the father makes $1-2M/year.

Child support is based off income. He was a VP at Jack Doheny supplies.

[roamer65]

33. He should have had less children.

Less kids equals less child support.

Zero kids equals zero child support.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

7. All I can say is that he must have had a crappy lawyer.

My husband's lawyer was able very quickly to get him to reduce his support payments when his financial situation changed.

[LisaL]

8. Hard to know.

Source for the article claims judge failed to consider new information.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

25. The best lawyer in the world doesn't help when a judge has decided not to listen

I have seen men in California forced to continue paying child support even after their children had become estranged from their mother. I have seen men treated like child abductors when their ex-wives abandoned the children they had custody of or were incarcerated.

[treestar]

38. We only see his side in that article

If he was in contempt, he wasn't paying as ordered. Sometimes the "drop" in income is purposeful. Especially if he is self-employed and still living high. Then it may not be credible. Control is important to some people, men more so, and this kind of thing leaves the judge in control and not them.

[MaryMagdaline]

9. Can't know facts

The judge could have made findings that he hid money or deliberately lowered his income. Contempt order could be failing to disclose and not just failure to pay.

He could have been in contempt back to the days he DID have high income and he thumbed his nose at the court.

Before you say "you don't know," ... exactly. We don't know.

[hexola]

10. My friend just killed himself in jail - too many junkies clogging up the psych cells

Put him in some "other room" - where this industrious fellow quickly found a way to kill himself.

[Stinky The Clown]

13. Yeah, let the junkies just fucking die.

What a HORRIBLE thing for you to say.

Sorry about your friend.

[exboyfil]

11. What is the obligation of the father to maintain a high pressure

job when divorced vs. making the decision to remove himself from that work situation while still married? These types of jobs can kill.

I never understand how a parent can be compelled to pay for college for an adult child as well. I purposely do not take on additional assignments at work that would open an opportunity for promotion. I have made that decision for my health. In my case it does not matter because my children are both grown, and I am still happily married to their mother. I also fully paid for both children's education, but I would be offended if I was obligated to do that.

[Egnever]

12. You don't think when you bring a child into this world you hold a responsibility to educate them?

or at least make the best effort you can?

The child did not bring themselves here you did. One would hope you think of this stuff before fathering children.

20k a month seems completely ridiculous to me but some sort of financial support of your own kids should not have to be forced on you. If you did not want the responsibility you should not have had the kids in the first place IMHO.

[exboyfil]

16. The obligation does not extend to a married couple

So no I don't think the children of divorced parents have any additional state obligation to their children to fund education after high school graduation.

Moral obligation is another question. I guess I answered that question by indicating that I fully funded (less some scholarships) my daughters' college education. One is now working as an engineer and the other as a nurse.

I do agree that a parent does have an obligation to support their minor children in all cases. That support should reflect the assets and income available. I also think everyone who can work should work and support their children.

[Tikki]

30. My father paid 10 yrs. of hefty child support..angry..never acknowledged me again.

After a bitter divorce from my mother he wrote me off completely.. paid
the child support each month.

Still, I believe I came out on top.

Tikki

[Arazi]

36. Financial aid is contingent on parents income til the child is 26 yrs old

So the kid can't file a FAFSA form independently unless they've been legally enancipated.

That's why parents are on the hook for college. The universities/colleges and the govt continue to force kids to apply for financial aid using their parents income.

It's fucked up

[yardwork]

15. Hmmmmmm..... I think there's probably a lot more to this story.

He could afford $20,000 a month in child support? That's $240,000 a year in child support alone.

And then he was broke.

There's a lot more going on here than a simple child custody dispute.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

27. It is the difference between affluence and wealth

If you're dependent on your W-2 income to support your obligations and lifestyle and then that income goes away... they you're broke.

[missingthebigdog]

17. The court records indicate that he was jailed two times

before this for contempt, and that those contempts were purged.

What that usually means is that he got behind on support and the court jailed him until he paid. So he had the money the previous two times, and jailing him worked.

It appears that at least some of the information being provided to the press is coming from his new significant other. In my experience, the new partner almost always resents the money the former wife is getting, so I would take her version of events with a grain of salt.

$20,000.00 a month seems like a lot, but it appears that he owned some type of janitorial company.

A link to the Court website, fwiw:
http://caseinfo.co.mchenry.il.us/pca/CaseView.jsp

[tammywammy]

28. He had multiple order of protections against him which he violated.

He was court ordered to anger management. He was a VP at Jack Doheny Companies. $20k/month seems like a lot, but if he was bringing in $1-2M/year that amount makes sense.

[3catwoman3]

19. "I suspect concern for the child's well-being was not a focal point of the divorce."

That often seems to be the case.

Some years ago, while on call for my pediatric practice, I took a call from a very anxious non-custodial dad whose ex-wife had just dropped off their son for his weekend with dad. The child had asthma. The mom, according to his description of the situation, handed dad the nebulizer machine and medications and said, "Here. You figure it out."

Who the hell did the mom thiink she was hurting by that attitude? You don't eff around with asthma. Idiot.

[Nevernose]

20. Many countries dont have child support

If the parents get divorced, there’s a social safety net to help the custodial parent in whatever way they need, from utility payments to college education.

[nini]

21. I know a couple guys who are behind on their child support after losing jobs in 2009

They had trouble finding jobs like many folks back then. Now they can't get out of the hole with the insane interest added to the total owed. I don't understand why counties don't figure out a way for a parent to work some of it off somehow if they are willing. The guys i know aren't making the kind of money they did before and will never get out of this. It's sad and so unnecessary. It's not that they aren't good dads they hit hard economic times like so many others.

[MaryMagdaline]

23. There is a system

Show decrease in pay; pay a purge amount to get out of contempt and then start paying the lower rate. The problem is many men cannot afford attorneys. The state steps in for the child; once the custodial parent, usually mother, gets any state support, state goes after other parent. The non-custodial parent has to cough up money to get an attorney or face state agencies alone. The judges have the formulas for working out support and going to a judge early may save money in the future. Poor people are terrified of judges, however, and many poor people cannot do paperwork on their own.

[nini]

32. The problem is getting that big amount to get back to the lower rate

These guys just can't get that together. They had lawyers but still didn't have the income to get caught up. That's why every situation should be dealt with on its merits and the formula doesn't always help. Not all people behind on payments are dead best. LA County is more willing to work with you than Orange County here in California. OC will just throw you in jail then expect you to pay while in there - which was always bizarre to me.


I agree with your point of not ignoring the situation but back around 2010 or so when the economy was so bad it was a nightmare for those guys.

[MaryMagdaline]

37. Yes, it was horrible

Many parents could find no work whatsoever

[dembotoz]

26. Sadly there is enough dishonesty on both sides

Maybe not here.. don't know details...
Heard stories over the years... plenty of blame on both sides...