Reported by: Dennis Byron
Hip Hop Enquirer broke the story. Yesterday, Fulton County Superior court judge Bensonneta Tipton-Lane (the same judge who presided over Usher Raymond’s custody case) held former NBA star Allen Iverson in Contempt of Court for violating an earlier custody and support order in which he was supposed to fork over $40,000 to his ex-wife Tawanna Iverson as well as enroll in a substance abuse class as a condition of his visitation with his children.
Tawanna Iverson told the court that Allen Iverson has not made any child support payment since the first such payment was due back in February of this year.
While there was already a court order in place for child support, Allen Iverson took the witness stand and testified that he thought he didn’t have to pay child support because certain actions by Tawanna lead him to believe that they were reconciling.
The former NBA star issued his ex-wife a check for eight $8,000.00 moments before the hearing was to start drawn from his lawyer’s escrow account instead of his own which suggests his money may be in a “safe” place.
On cross-examination by attorney John Mayoue who represents Tawanna Iverson, Iverson admitted that he told her that he had no intention of paying her child support despite the fact that he had just received $462,460.24 and thus had the ability to pay.
With those words from his mouth, Judge Lane held him in Contempt of Court and ordered him to pay a total $71,000.00 within 72 hours otherwise she directed the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office to place him under arrest and keep him in jail until the payment is made.
Judge Lane also stated in her written order the following:
The father, rather unapologetically, testified that he had consumed alcohol “maybe twenty” times recently, including during his parenting time; that he had not taken any therapy sessions; that he had not taken any therapy sessions; that he had not attended any AA meetings; and that he did not intend to attend any.
Judge Lane gave the former NBA star 72 hours to provide bona fide proof that he has registered with a licensed entity that has the ability to screen for drug and alcohol usage otherwise she ordered Fulton County Sheriff to place him under arrest and hold him in jail for five days.
We wonder if Judge Lane has seen this video?
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