According to reports, rapper DMX was arrested on Oct. 27 at his New York home for failing to pay child support. The warrant was issued in July upon his ex’s motion to hold him in contempt.
DMX is reportedly supposed to pay his ex-wife $10,000 per month in child support for the four children they share. The child support amount was ordered in 2014. At the hearing, DMX reportedly told the judge that rapping is the only way in which he can make a living. His ex-wife’s attorney requested the court to set bail in order to make certain he returns to court for the next hearing.
The judge instead released DMX without bail and with an assurance from him that he would come for the next hearing on Nov. 18. The judge reportedly told him he needs to resolve the case by that date or that DMX will face additional problems. In July, he was sentenced to serve a six-month jail sentence for failing to pay nearly $400,000 in child support.
In New York, courts use guidelines provided according to the rules of the Child Support Standards Act in order to determine how much a person will pay in child support. When a person is ordered to pay, they must do so or they may risk being held in contempt of court. Contempt of court charges can lead to jail sentences. If a person has a substantial change in their financial circumstances after an order has been issued, they should continue making the payments as ordered. They can see a family law attorney about filing a motion to modify their child support amount, but until and unless a modification is granted, they should continue to pay as ordered.
Source: USA Today, “Rapper DMX arrested for failure to pay child support,” Matt Coyne and Michael D’Onofrio, Oct. 28, 2015.