article_snippet.sent: In South Carolina earlier this month, Walter Scott was the subject of a bench warrant for over $18,000 in unpaid child support, according to court records.
article_snippet.sent: Yes, parents who can't resolve noncustodial support can turn to the courts, but once the courts and law enforcement are involved, parents who can't resolve noncustodial support do things parents who can't resolve noncustodial support way.  
article_snippet.sent: South Carolina family courts enforce South Carolina family courts child support orders through civil contempt proceedings.
article_snippet.sent: When a supporting parent has fallen behind, the court clerk sends dad an order to show up in court and explain why the court clerk should not be held in contempt for violating the payment order.
article_snippet.sent: At the hearing, a supporting parent may demonstrate that the court clerk is not in contempt by showing that, well, the court clerk would love to pay, but right now the court clerk's just in the process of getting the court clerk together -- and the court clerk actually has a job interview tomorrow or some variation of the well-established language of support shirkers.
article_snippet.sent: The bottom line is dad can try to demonstrate the court clerk's too poor to pay the court clerk child's support.
article_snippet.sent: If the court clerk fails to demonstrate this inability, the court may hold the court clerk in civil contempt and actually imprison the court clerk, unless and until the court clerk purges the court clerk by making the required child support payments.
article_snippet.sent: Of course, since getting yelled at in court or sent to jail is unpleasant, dads have a remarkable ability to forget about court or get dates "mixed up.
article_snippet.sent: The court's remedy is to issue a warrant to bring dad to court.  