Man ordered to pay child support for child that isn't his

Man ordered to pay child support for child that isn't his
(Image credit: Screenshot/WXYZ Detroit)

Carnell Alexander's ex-girlfriend named him as the father of her child in the early 1990s when a social worker told her she had to provide a name to receive income assistance. Just one problem: Alexander is not the father, as DNA testing has since proved.

Unfortunately, the State of Michigan doesn't seem to care about that little detail, and has embroiled Alexander in a paternity case for years. The DNA evidence and testimony of Alexander's ex-girlfriend both agree that he should not have to pay a dime for a child that isn't his, but Michigan insists he still owes about $30,000.

Alexander has refused to pay and has been threatened with jail time as a result. The child in question, meanwhile, is 27 years old.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Continue reading for free

We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.

Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.