The Carnell Alexander Case

November 2, 2015

Kenya N Rahmaan

After two decades, Michigan may finally grant Carnell Alexander the victory in getting a child support case dismissed because of paternity fraud. Here is a recap for all unfamiliar with Detroit native Carnell Alexander and his paternity fraud case. Carnell became a victim of the child support system after an ex-girlfriend named him as the father of her child while applying for public assistance. One of the mandates for women (some men) applying for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is to sue for child support. There were several issues with the child support lawsuit that the government has failed to correct in over two decades.

One major problem is that when a person faces a lawsuit initiated by any individual or company (government entities included) in a civil case in any suit, the jurisdiction must adequately notify them about the charges against them. Michigan rules state that a complaint in a civil case (whether filed in a circuit, district, or probate court) must legally receive a summons from the respective court on each defendant named in the case (Michigan Courts). Although the state produced signed documentation supporting proof of service, the state was fraudulent in that claim of service. Mr. Alexander had indisputable evidence that he could not have possibly legally served the summons and the complaint over twenty years ago.

He did not reside at the address listed on the court documents. Further, he provided proof to the court system of his exact address when the process server fraudulently submitted the proof of service paperwork. The second problem with the child support case against Mr. Alexander is that once he received court notification of the accusations of fatherhood, he submitted a DNA test, which determined that he was not the father. These two extraordinary factors did not deter the state of Michigan from naming Mr. Alexander a ‘dad by default’ and enforcing child support punishments against him. https://youtu.be/2SY6kzNqgn0

Over the years, Mr. Alexander has been subject to wage garnishments, tax offsets, license suspensions, arrest warrants, and incarceration. Mr. Alexander humbly told Kim Russel of WXYZ Detroit (2015) that he was ‘almost homeless, almost in jailed as he stood in line outside the courthouse, unaware of his being allowed to leave after seeing the judge. After the story became international news in early 2015, the Michigan Attorney General, Bill Schuette, filed documents to dismiss the child support case. Unfortunately, AG Schuette refused to dismiss the $30,000 plus debt the state accused Mr. Alexander of owing in child support arrearages. Still, under the extreme stress of owing tens of thousands of dollars for a child he did not father and the fear of losing his freedom daily, Mr. Alexander continued his fight for justice.

Due to his tireless crusade, with the assistance of his attorneys, Cherika Harrison, Barry Franklin Keller, and myself, we can all celebrate a small victory in the case of the state of Michigan vs. Carnell Alexander. On October 9, 2015, Mr. Alexander received notice from officials stating that the $30,000 plus in arrears allegedly owed by this ‘dad by default’ Michigan erased the debt. Unfortunately, the state forgave arrears under fraudulent circumstances. Not only did the state charge that Mr. Alexander requested the arrears be erased in writing (something Alexander vehemently denies), but Michigan officials also sent notice that they were removing the arrears and that the child support account would be closed. The reason provided by the FOC  was the erasure was due to Mr. Alexander’s ‘Alexander’s difficult’ situation.

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Once again, the state officials have erred in their execution of a court proceeding, forged government documents, and refused to admit any wrongdoing in this severe and unprecedented case. Although Mr. Alexander says that he is relieved by the debt forgiveness, he is dismayed by Michigan’s reMichigan’sdmit the mistakes made during his case. He hopes that his situation will force the government to introduce and implement legislation to prevent what has happened to him from happening to anyone else. He feels that his work is incomplete and will lead the fight to reform the child support system, especially for men declared ‘dads by default.’ To assist other men who may be victims of paternity fraud and ordered to be a ‘dad by default,’ Mr. Alexand’r has founded The Carnell Alexander Foundation.

He plans on helping men pay for DNA tests when they cannot afford to pay themselves and are 100% positive that they are not biological fathers. Mr. Alexander works in conjunction with The Reform Child Support NOW! Movement. The Reform Child Support NOW! Movement is a grassroots organization that advocates for child support reform while assisting people with various issues encountered when dealing with child support enforcement agencies. https://youtu.be/Fi99ANdOOQk

If you or someone you know is dealing with paternity fraud issues, contact Carnell Alexander at 313-939-3447.

References:

Michigan Courts. (n.d.). Serving court papers. Retrieved from courts.mi.gov/self-help/center/general-information/pages/serving-court-papers.aspx

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p dir=”ltr” style=”line-height: 1.5; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;”>Russell, K. (2015, February 17). Judge says man must pay $30K in child support for kid who is not his—retrieved October 24, 2015.