Child Support : D.A. Spurns Proposal for Amnesty

Dist. Atty. Ira Reiner, in a move that angered feminists, has decided that a child-support amnesty program is “not practicable” in Los Angeles County.

The proposed amnesty program would allow parents who have been delinquent in their court-ordered support payments to pay their arrears within a certain period without fear of prosecution.

In a letter to the Board of Supervisors made public Thursday, Reiner noted that arrest warrants for delinquent parents are issued by the courts and that his office has limited powers to instruct police to ignore them.

Harsh Response

“We are limited in our authority to instruct any law enforcement officer not to execute the warrant,” Reiner said, “since it is a court order commanding the apprehension of the named defendant.”

Reiner’s decision drew a harsh response from feminist attorney Gloria Allred, who led a sit-in at Reiner’s office last month in an unsuccessful attempt to arrange a personal meeting with the district attorney on child-support issues.

“He has turned his backs on the mothers and children of this county, and he is continuing to do so,” Allred said. “Ira Reiner continues to refuse to meet with me and any mothers to hear our reasons for wanting amnesty and why we believe it can work.”

Reiner, in his letter, said he plans to launch an intensive “roundup” of delinquent parents to coincide with Father’s Day next month. He said this “will accomplish the goal of the proposed amnesty without involving the judiciary.” His office declined to spell out details of the roundup.

Reiner’s press secretary, Schuyler Sprowles, added that Reiner has refused to meet with Allred and her supporters because of the attorney’s confrontational tactics.

‘Self-Promotion’ Charged

“I don’t think she has any objective outside of self-service and self-promotion,” Sprowles said.

Allred, however, has been able to convince Sacramento officials that the amnesty idea has merit. After a two-hour meeting with her last month, Jim Stockdale, undersecretary of health and welfare, announced that the state Department of Social Services would contact district attorneys around California and encourage them to adopt pilot amnesty programs.