Paternity Fraud Test Could Have Prevented Four Days in Jail Over Child Support, Say U.S. Citizens Against Paternity Fraud


Yahoo! News
December 11, 2006

ATLANTA, Dec. 11 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Emmanuel Coleman-Ruff, age 20, took a wrong left turn and entered a whole new world. That world is a child support enforcement system that many deem overzealous, where our precious American value of "innocent until proven guilty" is too frequently ignored.

"I accidentally took a wrong left turn and got stopped by College Park Police. The officer came back to my car and said I had a criminal warrant for child abandonment for a 7-year-old child, said Emmanuel. "I have never met the mother....I know for a fact that I don't have a kid...I am 100 percent sure that I am not the father."

Emmanuel says he was treated harshly, handcuffed, and taken to the College Park police station. He was later transferred to Atlanta's Fulton County Jail and held for three days, including sitting in "solitary confinement" for 3 hours. He describes his experience as "mental torture".

That's a total of 4 days Emmanuel Coleman-Ruff spent in jail . He says no Miranda rights were ever read to him. Emmanuel must appear in Fulton County court on Dec. 11, 2006 or face more jail time.

Emmanuel's mother, Della Coleman, was equally distraught over the situation. She said, "My son has no record of child support. It's costing us to prove Emmanuel's innocence. It's not right."

According to attorney Randall Kessler whose firm is representing Emmanuel: "People who are accused and arrested should not have to suffer unfair treatment. Investigate before you incarcerate", says Kessler.

Two excerpts from the 12-04-06 WSB-TV report "Man Says He Was Mistakenly Arrested" that covered Emmanuel's story follow:

-- "A Fulton County Jail spokesperson told Channel 2 without a picture of the real culprit or fingerprints, Coleman-Ruff will have to go before a judge to prove his innocence."

-- "A spokesperson at the Fulton County Jail says so many people come in with different names and birthdates, they often let the courts sort it all out. "

Carnell Smith, of U.S. Citizens Against Paternity Fraud ( http://www.paternityfraud.com ) and co-producer of the video "Hostage of the State", contacted Emmanuel after learning of his predicament and has offered to provide legal DNA testing for him through 4Truth Identity Inc.

Smith cites a different news report "Boy Mistakenly Threatened With Jail For Being Deadbeat Dad" (WKMG-TV, 07-27-06) in Florida. A mother sought help when the child support agency mistakenly accused her son, age 16, of owing thousands of dollars in child support for several children, some older than he is.

"Although some people who receive erroneous child support orders, think the error is not serious, those oppressed by questionable practices, paternity fraud, or errors quickly find that this is no laughing matter. Too often we see people who think a 5 minute call to a child support enforcement agency would clear up an obvious mistake become hostages of the state. For some, it can take months, or years to correct these mistakes, if ever," said Smith.

Carnell Smith says the potentially traumatizing experience may have lasting effects on the accused, their family, extended family, and children. All citizens should be concerned.

Emmanuel and his family will be accompanied by Attorney Louis Tesser of the Atlanta law firm of Kessler, Schwarz, & Solomiany, PC. ( http://www.kssfamilylaw.com ).

 

###