Court Rejects Free Exercise Defense To Child Support Order

A Washington state court of appeals this week in a child support case rejected a father's claim that as a church "missionary," he did not have an income and had taken a "vow of poverty" that precluded him from accepting paid employment. The court held that the state's child support laws are neutral laws of general applicability, and their enforcement does not violate the father's First Amendment's free exercise rights. The case is In re Didier, (Ct. App. Wash., Aug. 8, 2006).