Malia Riggs
Elmore Autauga News
There are many factors that can affect a child’s life and unfortunately having split custody or having one parent having to pay child support is more common than people think.
In Alabama, child support refers to the court-ordered financial responsibilities a non-custodial parent is expected to pay for their child’s upkeep. Payments are expected to start after the court has determined the amount following a divorce settlement, and in Alabama, child support continues until that child is 19.
However, many in Elmore, Autauga and the Chilton County area don’t even know that there’s a child support unit available. Leaving many payments going unpaid and leaving the financial burden with the parents that have custody.
“I still ran into people while I was campaigning that didn’t know that we have child support enforcement. Every time I strike a jury, I talk about having had contact with our office and I mention child support. I would just kind of make a statement out there to people where if you have issues with the non -custodial parent paying child support, and based on the numbers, I think a lot of people do, call us,” District Attorney for Elmore, Autauga and Chilton County, CJ Robinson said.
While the child support unit in the tri-county area was established in 1977, in recent years and under Robinson’s leadership he has soared the not so new unit to new heights. Robinson stated that the changes came from an increase in funding through state allocated partnerships, grants and other avenues to keep the unit more efficient.
“We have more people in the DA’s office working child support than we have ever done. I currently have eight employees in the child support room. Eight full -time employees. I think the model clearly shows that we are better staffed, better equipped and better at handling large amounts of dockets at the time. I think that’s just the case,” Robinson said.
Last year the child support unit brought in just under $1.2 million, Robinson confirmed. In Autauga County Robinson stated that there were 2,735 cases with $462,407.66 being collected. In Chilton County there were 1,546 cases collecting $268.832.59, and in Elmore County there were 2,787 cases bringing in $422, 216.21. Totaling just over 7,000 different cases and just under $1.2 million collected.
“That money does not go to us; it goes straight to the custodial parent. We’re working alongside DHR (Department of Human Resources), to bring in $1.2 million. Now, I don’t set the protocols, DHR and the state set the protocols. But it’s not an act of congress to make those protocols,” Robinson said.
Robinson stated that child support cases are not criminal cases and the timeline from reaching out to DHR to seeing a payment is typically around three months throughout the whole process. However, each case is uniquely different and has its own set of factors affecting the outcome and the timeline.
While they are not criminal cases, jailtime can still be faced if payments are not made as they are mandated.
“Our role in that is, if you’re not paying, DHR identifies that and gets it to us. Once it gets to us, we get the file ready. We hunt them down if we need to. We get them in court, and then we get accountability,” Robinson said.
Robinson stated he attributes the recent success in the unit to the stability of his staff. Explaining that the child support unit previously had a high turnover rate within the circuit. Robinson explained that his team of administrators, accounting, assistant DA’s, prosecutors and more are the reason for the unbridled success, not leaving a single penny unaccounted for.
Going forward, Robinson stated that there a quite a few updates and goals he has in mind. One of which being an online list of sorts where individuals that have not been paying their mandated child support will be put on a list with their photo. Acting much like the typical inmate rosters that are sent out from a sheriff or police department.
“I am happy to announce in 2025, we are going to revisit this, and we’re going to start publishing a list of maybe 10 or so circuit wide. Much like the ‘dead-beat dad lists’ that are commonly published. I’ve come to realize there’s dads and moms that don’t pay. So, we’re probably going to bring that back in 25. I don’t know the date yet, but I’m sure in the social media world we live in, that we’ll probably get some people talking and looking, and that’s what I want,” Robinson said.
Another attribute to the success of the unit was going paperless in the height of Covid, Robinson confirmed. Robinson stated that the former DA Randall Houston trusted Robinson to make that radical transformation to the D.A.’s office, which has helped to keep everything in one place.
“By doing that, we have our own system, our database, and I was really grateful for this, because it’s not just our criminal faces, but our child support faces too. And when we did that, that gave us the ability to be in court on traffic and so and so was speeding, he comes to court, and you look in the system and a notification pops up. He’s got a probation revocation. He’s got a flag and he’s not paying. In the past those were separate worlds and didn’t have any connection. “Now, boom and boom, a little computer connects the two,” Robinson explained.
Robinson confirmed that there have been major investigations that have been aided by the process above, strictly from going paperless to keep up with the now digital world.
“In my opinion, overall, our child support unit is bigger than it’s ever been. I think it’s running better than it’s ever been. And I think that we’ve got better relationships and results. I think by getting stability in that division, that we’ve got better relationships. I think we’ve got better procedures, and I think we’ve got better results because we’re not having to reinvent the wheel every time,” Robinson said.
The mission statement for the 19th circuit, Robinson referenced many times and stated that everyone in his office should know it even in the child support unit. The mission statement states that the District Attorney is devoted to seeking the truth and pursuing justice while fighting to protect the innocent, convict the guilty and respect the constitutional rights of all.
Robinson referred to the mission statement within his office to not only keep everyone and everything on the right track forward, especially in the child support unit. But as a great reminder for the pursuit of justice and fighting to protect all constituents in the tri-county area.
Within finding success and the many plans for the future, again Robinson attributes the long hours and countless meetings he attended in his tenure as chief deputy DA, to Houston. Where teaching the big picture has trickled down into not only his mission statement that is within every office, but within the everyday operations.
“I’m eternally grateful to Randall Houston. I really am and I can never say that enough. For 10 years while I was the chief assistant, I was learning the big picture, and I was learning how important child support is. For ten years, I’ve been in every business meeting of the DA’s association. When there were issues previously, he said go fix it. He gave me the freedom and the empowerment to go and to fully immerse myself,” Robinson said.
All it takes is a call to get the ball rolling and point people in the right direction to get the process started, Robinson confirmed. For Elmore County the number for child support information is (334) 514-3200, Chilton (205) 258-4900 and Autauga (334) 358-5000.
