Michael Turner was taken to court by the mother of his child, Rebecca Rogers. He had not made his child support payments and was in arrears of up to $6,000.
In order to get him to pay, she had him taken to court and he was sentenced to 12 months in prison unless he could pay $6,000.
He claims that he has not paid child support because he lost his job and therefore has no income to pay child support. She says that is a lie because she knows he bought drugs and is actively choosing them over their child.
In South Carolina, where they live, the state is not required to provide a public defendant. So in court he was not represented by any legal counsel. Neither was she.
The case before SCOTUS is whether indigent parents (those who for one reason or another are not looking after their children) should be provided with counsel. He says the state should provide counsel so his case can be properly argued. She says that introducing counsel means she will have to pay someone and she cannot afford it.
What do you think?
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