Criminal Nonsupport cases, both Felony and Misdemeanor, as well as Civil Contempt cases filed by the Clay County Prosecuting Attorney for failure to pay child support are eligible for review for Parenting Court.

a. Before a Defendant (criminal) or Non-custodial Parent (civil) qualify for Parenting Court, the Prosecuting Attorney conducts a criminal background investigation. Defendants or Non-custodial Parents will be eliminated for prior criminal convictions of the following types:

i. Any criminal conviction for a violent crime.
ii. Any criminal conviction for a sex crime.
iii. Prior nonsupport convictions/civil contempt for failure to pay support.
iv. Failure on prior probation.

If you believe your case is eligible for Parenting Court, please discuss Parenting Court with your attorney. He or she can speak to the Parenting Court Prosecutor to discuss any Parenting Court options available.

Parenting Court is designed for new cases. Individuals already on probation for criminal nonsupport or a work release following a finding of contempt for failure to pay support are not eligible for entry into the Parenting Court Program.

Many of the resources that Parenting Court utilizes are NOT exclusively for Parenting Court. If you have a question about resources and their availability, please feel free to contact the Parenting Court Case Manager at the Clay County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to learn more about resources and their availability.