Minnesota County Cracks Down on “Deadbeat Parents”

A cadre of 30 child-support specialists in Dakota County,Minnesota spent October 5 filing financial judgments against parents who have fallen behind on child-support payments. The tradition — nicknamed "Judgment Day" by county workers — is revisited every three months when the specialists clear off their desks and focus exclusively on the time-consuming task of filing judgments through the district court. The workers completed 130 judgments, or about a fourth of the filings they will handle in a year. Banks and lenders treat judgments as outstanding debts that hurt a person's credit and ability to borrow money. Source:  Frederick Melo, Pioneer Press, twincities.com .Click here for the complete story (last visited October 19, 2005, reo).