State of Tennessee, ex rel. Teresa Garrison v. Larry L. Scobey

This is a child support case. The trial court determined Respondent Father had the ability to earn minimum wage and entered a temporary order of support ordering him to pay child support based upon a minimum wage income. Father filed a motion to set aside the order and failed to pay the ordered support. The State, acting ex rel. Mother, filed a petition for contempt, a petition for retroactive child support, and a petition to set permanent child support. Following a hearing, the trial court denied Father’s motion to set aside the temporary support order, affirmed the finding that Father was capable of earning minimum wage, and held Father in criminal contempt. The trial court also ordered Father to pay retroactive child support. The trial court stayed its order sentencing Father to jail for criminal contempt pending appeal to this Court. Father appeals the order finding him in contempt, the denial of his motion to set aside the temporary order of support, and the order of retroactive child support. We reverse the order on contempt and dismiss the remainder of Father’s appeal for failure to appeal a final judgment.