Man ordered not to father more children
A US court has ruled that a man who owes £18,000 in child support can be ordered not to father any more children while he’s on probation.
In 1999, David Oakley, the 34-year-old father of nine children by four women, was placed on probation for five years and ordered not to father more children, unless he showed means to support them all.
He faced eight years in jail if he failed to comply.
Yesterday the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s four male justices upheld the ban, with all three female judges disagreeing.
‘‘Here is a man who has shown himself time and again to be totally and completely irresponsible,’’ wrote Justice William Bablitch for the majority.
‘‘It is overwhelmingly obvious that any child he fathers in the future is doomed to a future of neglect, abuse, or worse.’’
The three female justices said that having children is a basic right guaranteed by the US Constitution.
The high court is the first in the nation to declare such a ban legal, even though it would be difficult to enforce and could end up coercing women into having abortions, Justice Ann Walsh Bradley wrote.
"It places the woman in an untenable position: have an abortion or be responsible for Oakley going to prison for eight years,’’ Bradley wrote.
In his appeal, Oakley argued the ban violated his constitutional right. A federal appeals court ruled against him earlier.
