turner rogers et argued march decided june south carolina family ordered petitioner turner pay per week respondent rogers help support child turner repeatedly failed pay amount due held contempt five times first four sentenced days imprisonment ultimately paid owed twice without jailed twice spending days custody fifth time pay completed sentence release family clerk issued new show cause order turner arrears rogers unrepresented counsel brief civil contempt hearing judge found turner willful contempt sentenced months prison without making finding ability pay indicating contempt order form whether able make support payments turner completed sentence south carolina rejected claim federal constitution entitled counsel contempt hearing declaring civil contempt require constitutional safeguards applicable criminal contempt proceedings held even though turner completed sentence alleged collateral consequences contempt determination might keep dispute alive case moot capable repetition evading review southern pac terminal interstate commerce case remains live challenged action duration short fully litigated prior cessation expiration reasonable expectation complaining party subjected action weinstein bradford challenged action turner imprisonment months duration short fully litigated state courts arrive prior expiration first bank boston bellotti reasonable likelihood turner subjected action frequently failed make support payments subject several civil contempt proceedings imprisoned several times subject civil contempt proceedings failure pay defunis odegaard pierre distinguished pp fourteenth amendment due process clause automatically require state provide counsel civil contempt proceedings indigent noncustodial parent subject child support order even individual faces incarceration particular clause require counsel provided opposing parent custodian represented counsel state provides alternative procedural safeguards equivalent adequate notice importance ability pay fair opportunity present dispute relevant information express findings supporting parent ability comply support order pp precedents provide definitive answer question whether counsel must provided sixth amendment grants indigent criminal defendant right counsel see dixon govern civil cases civil criminal contempt differ may impose punishment civil contempt proceeding clearly established alleged contemnor unable comply terms order hicks feiock civil contemnor complies underlying order purged contempt free due process clause allows state provide fewer procedural protections civil contempt proceedings criminal case cases directly concerning right counsel civil cases found presumption right cases involving incarceration held right counsel exists cases see gault vitek jones lassiter department social servs durham pp contempt proceeding compel support payments civil question whether specific dictates due process require appointed counsel determined examining distinct factors used decide specific safeguards needed make civil proceeding fundamentally fair mathews eldridge relevant factors include nature private interest affected comparative risk erroneous deprivation interest without additional substitute procedural safeguards nature magnitude countervailing interest providing additional substitute procedural requirement ibid private interest affected argues strongly right counsel interest consists indigent defendant loss personal liberty imprisonment freedom bodily restraint lies core liberty protected due process clause foucha louisiana thus accurate decisionmaking ability pay marks dividing line civil criminal contempt hicks supra must assured incorrect decision result wrongful incarceration ability comply divides civil criminal contempt proceedings erroneous determination also deprive defendant procedural protections criminal proceeding demand questions ability pay likely arise frequently child custody cases hand due process always require provision counsel civil proceedings incarceration threatened see gagnon scarpelli determine whether right counsel required opposing interests probable value additional substitute procedural safeguards must taken account mathews supra reveals three related considerations taken together argue strongly requiring counsel every proceeding present kind first likely critical question cases defendant ability pay often closely related indigence relatively straightforward second sometimes person opposing defendant hearing government represented counsel custodial parent unrepresented counsel requirement state provide counsel noncustodial parent cases create asymmetry representation alter significantly nature proceeding gagnon supra creating degree formality delay unduly slow payment immediately need make proceedings less fair overall third federal government points available set substitute procedural safeguards mathews supra employed together significantly reduce risk erroneous deprivation liberty include notice defendant ability pay critical issue contempt proceeding use form equivalent elicit relevant financial information opportunity hearing respond statements questions financial status express finding defendant ability pay decision address civil contempt proceedings underlying support payment owed state reimbursement welfare funds paid custodial parent question due process requires unusually complex case defendant fairly represented trained advocate gagnon supra pp circumstances turner incarceration violated due process received neither counsel benefit alternative procedures like describes clear notice ability pay constitute critical question civil contempt proceeding one provided form equivalent designed elicit information financial circumstances trial find able pay arrearage nonetheless found civil contempt ordered incarcerated vacated remanded breyer delivered opinion kennedy ginsburg sotomayor kagan joined thomas filed dissenting opinion scalia joined roberts alito joined parts ii michael turner petitioner rebecca rogers et al writ certiorari south carolina june justice breyer delivered opinion south carolina family enforces child support orders threatening incarceration civil contempt subject child support order able comply order fail must decide whether fourteenth amendment due process clause requires state provide counsel civil contempt hearing indigent person potentially faced incarceration conclude custodial parent entitled receive support unrepresented counsel state need provide counsel noncustodial parent required provide support attach important caveat namely state must nonetheless place alternative procedures assure fundamentally fair determination critical question whether supporting parent able comply support order south carolina family courts enforce child support orders part civil contempt proceedings month family clerk reviews outstanding child support orders identifies supporting parent fallen five days behind sends parent order show cause held contempt rule family show cause order attached affidavit refer relevant child support order identify amount arrearage set date hearing hearing parent may demonstrate contempt say showing able make required payments see moseley mosier parent unable make required payments contempt fails make required showing may hold civil contempt may require imprisoned unless purges contempt making required child support payments one year regardless see code ann supp imprisonment one year adult wilfully violates order price turner civil contempt order must permit purging contempt compliance june south carolina family entered order amended required petitioner michael turner pay per week respondent rebecca rogers help support child rogers father larry price currently custody child also respondent next three years turner repeatedly failed pay amount due held contempt five occasions first four times sentenced days imprisonment ultimately paid amount due twice without jailed twice spending two three days custody fifth time pay completed sentence release turner remained arrears march clerk issued new show cause order initial postponement due turner failure appear turner civil contempt hearing took place january turner rogers present without representation counsel hearing brief clerk said turner behind payments judge asked turner anything want say turner replied well first got got back dope done meth smoked pot everything else paid little bit finally get working broke back back september filed disability ssi get straightened dope broke back laid two months dope everything hope give chance know else say mean know done wrong paying helping sorry mean dope hold app pet cert judge said kay asked rogers anything say ibid brief discussion federal benefits judge stated nothing else order find defendant willful contempt going sentence twelve months oconee county detention center may purge contempt avoid sentence zero balance release also placed lien ssi benefits judge added turner receive work credits got job make eligible work release ibid turner asked receive work credits judge said ecause ruling ibid made express finding concerning turner ability pay arrearage though turner wife voluntarily submitted copy turner application disability benefits cf post thomas dissenting app judge ask followup questions otherwise address issue hearing judge filled prewritten form titled order contempt included statement defendant gainfully employed ability make support payments due judge left statement without indicating whether turner able make support payments serving sentence turner help pro bono counsel appealed claimed federal constitution entitled counsel tempt hearing south carolina decided turner appeal completed sentence rejected right counsel claim pointed civil contempt differs significantly criminal contempt former require constitutional safeguards applicable criminal proceedings right counsel held one safeguards required ibid turner sought certiorari light differences among state courts federal courts applicability right counsel civil contempt proceedings enforcing child support orders granted writ compare pasqua council black division child support enforcement del mead batchlor ridgway baker finding federal constitutional right counsel indigents facing imprisonment child support civil contempt proceeding rodriguez eighth judicial dist county clark right counsel civil contempt hearing nonsupport except rarest cases andrews walton circumstances parent entitled counsel civil contempt proceeding failure pay child support compare also grand jury proceedings per curiam general right counsel civil contempt proceedings duval duval general right counsel may required basis ii respondents argue case moot see massachusetts mellon article iii judicial power extends actual cases controversies alvarez smith slip actual controversy must extant stages review internal quotation marks omitted point turner completed prison sentence add collateral consequences particular contempt determination might keep dispute alive compare sibron new york release prison moot criminal case collateral consequences presumed continue spencer kemna declining extend presumption parole revocation short conclusive answer respondents mootness claim however case moot falls within special category disputes capable repetition evading review southern pacific terminal icc dispute falls category case based dispute remains live challenged action duration short fully litigated prior cessation expiration reasonable expectation complaining party subjected action weinstein bradford per curiam precedent makes clear challenged action turner imprisonment months duration short fully litigated state courts arrive prior expiration see first nat bank boston bellotti internal quotation marks omitted period short southern pacific terminal supra period short time reasonable likelihood turner subjected action pointed supra turner frequently failed make child support payments subject several civil contempt proceedings imprisoned several occasions within months release imprisonment issue subject civil contempt proceedings imprisoned time six months december turner arrears another contempt hearing scheduled may app reply brief petitioner facts bring case squarely within special category cases moot underlying dispute capable repetition yet evading review see nebraska press assn stuart internal quotation marks omitted moreover underlying facts make case unlike defunis odegaard per curiam pierre per curiam two cases respondents believe require us find case moot regardless defunis moot plaintiff unlikely suffer conduct complained others likely suffer conduct bring lawsuits petitioner likely suffer future imprisonment pierre moot petitioner witness held contempt sentenced five months imprisonment failed apply stay order imposing imprisonment like witness pierre turner seek stay contempt order requiring imprisonment case unlike pierre arises proceeding respondents give us reason believe granted timely request stay one made cf granting jurisdiction review final judgments sibron rejected similar mootness argument reason find case similar respect sibron pierre iii must decide whether due process clause grants indigent defendant turner right counsel civil contempt proceeding may lead incarceration precedents provide definitive answer question long held sixth amendment grants indigent defendant right counsel criminal case gideon wainwright held rule applies criminal contempt proceedings summary proceedings dixon cooke sixth amendment govern civil cases civil contempt differs criminal contempt seeks coerc defendant previously ordered gompers bucks stove range may impose punishment civil contempt proceeding clearly established alleged contemnor unable comply terms order hicks feiock civil contemnor complies underlying order purged contempt free carr ies keys prison pockets internal quotation marks omitted consequently made clear case involving right counsel civil contempt issue fourteenth amendment due process clause allows state provide fewer procedural protections criminal case state may place burden proving inability pay defendant decided handful cases directly concern right counsel civil matters application decisions present case clear one hand held fourteenth amendment requires state pay representation counsel civil juvenile delinquency proceeding lead incarceration gault moreover vitek jones plurality four members held fourteenth amendment requires representation counsel proceeding transfer prison inmate state hospital mentally lassiter department social servs durham case focused upon civil proceedings leading loss parental rights wrote generalization emerges precedents indigent right appointed counsel right recognized exist litigant may lose physical liberty loses litigation drew precedents presumption indigent litigant right appointed counsel loses may deprived physical liberty hand held criminal offender facing revocation probation imprisonment ordinarily right counsel probation revocation hearing gagnon scarpelli see also middendorf henry due process right counsel summary proceedings time gault vitek lassiter readily distinguishable civil juvenile delinquency proceeding issue gault little different comparable seriousness criminal prosecution vitek controlling opinion found right counsel powell concurring part assistance mental health professionals sufficient statements lassiter constitute part rationale denying right counsel case believe statements best read pointing previously found right counsel cases involving incarceration right counsel exists cases position difficult reconcile gagnon civil contempt proceedings child support cases constitute one part highly complex system designed assure noncustodial parent regular payment funds typically necessary support children often family receives welfare support federal program state seeks reimbursement noncustodial parent see supp iii ed code ann cum times custodial parent often mother sometimes father grandparent another person custody receive government benefits entitled receive support payments federal government created elaborate procedural mechanism designed help government custodial parents secure payments entitled see generally blessing freestone describing interlocking set cooperative welfare programs relate child support enforcement cfr pt prescribing standards state child support agencies systems often rely upon wage withholding expedited procedures modifying enforcing child support orders automated data processing sometimes use contempt orders ensure custodial parent receives support payments government receives reimbursement although experts criticized procedure federal government believes routine use contempt child support likely ineffective strategy government also tells us coercive enforcement remedies contempt role play brief amicus curiae citing dept health human services national child support enforcement strategic plan fy pp south carolina relies heavily contempt proceedings agrees important tool consider indigent right paid counsel contempt proceeding civil proceeding consequently determine specific dictates due process examining distinct factors previously found useful deciding specific safeguards constitution due process clause order make civil proceeding fundamentally fair mathews eldridge considering fairness administrative proceeding relevant factors include nature private interest affected comparative risk erroneous deprivation interest without additional substitute procedural safeguards nature magnitude countervailing interest providing additional substitute procedural requirement ibid see also lassiter applying mathews framework private interest affected argues strongly right counsel turner advocates interest consists indigent defendant loss personal liberty imprisonment interest securing freedom freedom bodily restraint lies core liberty protected due process clause foucha louisiana made clear threatened loss legal proceedings demands due process protection addington texas given importance interest stake important assure accurate decisionmaking respect key ability pay question moreover fact ability comply marks dividing line civil criminal contempt hicks reinforces need accuracy incorrect decision wrongly classifying contempt proceeding civil increase risk wrongful incarceration depriving defendant procedural protections including counsel constitution demand criminal proceeding see dixon proof beyond reasonable doubt protection double jeopardy codispoti pennsylvania jury trial result six months imprisonment since child support arrears nationwide owed parents either reported income income per year less issue ability pay may arise fairly often see sorensen sousa schaner assessing child support arrears nine large nation prepared urban institute online http visited june available clerk case file research suggests many obligors reported quarterly wages relatively limited resources patterson civil contempt indigent child support obligor silent return debtor prison cornell pub see also mcbride mcbride surveying north carolina contempt orders finding failure trial courts make determination contemnor ability comply altogether infrequent hand due process clause always require provision counsel civil proceedings incarceration threatened see gagnon determining whether clause requires right counsel must take account opposing interests well consider probable value additional substitute procedural safeguards mathews supra find three related considerations taken together argue strongly due process clause requiring state provide indigents counsel every proceeding kind us first critical question likely issue cases concerns said defendant ability pay question often closely related question defendant indigence right procedures place indigence question many cases sufficiently straightforward warrant determination prior providing defendant counsel even criminal case federal law example requires criminal defendant provide information showing indigent therefore entitled counsel receive assistance see second sometimes person opposing defendant hearing government represented counsel custodial parent unrepresented counsel see dept health human services office child support enforcement understanding child support debt guide exploring child support debt state nationwide arrears south carolina owed government custodial parent perhaps woman custody one children may relatively poor unemployed unable afford counsel yet may encouraged enforce order contempt cf tr contempt proceedings app rogers asks light pattern nonpayment confine turner may able provide significant information cf rogers describes turner lived worked proceeding ultimately benefit requirement state provide counsel noncustodial parent cases create asymmetry representation alter significantly nature proceeding gagnon supra mean degree formality delay unduly slow payment immediately need perhaps important present purposes make proceedings less fair overall increasing risk decision erroneously deprive family support entitled receive needs families play important role analysis cf post opinion thomas third solicitor general points available set substitute procedural safeguards mathews employed together significantly reduce risk erroneous deprivation liberty moreover without incurring drawbacks inherent recognizing automatic right counsel safeguards include notice ability pay critical issue contempt proceeding use form equivalent elicit relevant financial information opportunity hearing defendant respond statements questions financial status triggered responses form express finding defendant ability pay see tr oral arg brief amicus curiae presenting alternatives government draws upon considerable experience helping manage statutorily mandated efforts enforce child support orders see supra claim possible alternatives cases suggest example sometimes assistance purely legal assistance say neutral social worker prove constitutionally sufficient cf vitek powell concurring part provision mental health professional government claim alternatives assure fundamental fairness proceeding even state pay counsel indigent defendant recognizing strength turner arguments ultimately believe three considerations discussed must carry day view categorical right counsel proceedings kind us carry disadvantages form unfairness delay terms ultimate fairness deprive significant superiority alternatives mentioned consequently hold due process clause automatically require provision counsel civil contempt proceedings indigent individual subject child support order even individual faces incarceration year particular clause require provision counsel opposing parent custodian support funds owed represented counsel state provides alternative procedural safeguards equivalent mentioned adequate notice importance ability pay fair opportunity present dispute relevant information findings address civil contempt proceedings underlying child support payment owed state example reimbursement welfare funds paid parent custody see supra proceedings closely resemble proceedings government likely counsel competent representative cf johnson zerbst average defendant professional legal skill protect brought tribunal power take life liberty wherein prosecution presented experienced learned counsel emphasis added kind proceeding us neither address due process requires unusually complex case defendant fairly represented trained advocate gagnon see also reply brief petitioner claiming turner case especially complex iv record indicates turner received neither counsel benefit alternative procedures like described receive clear notice ability pay constitute critical question civil contempt proceeding one provided form equivalent designed elicit information financial circumstances find turner able pay arrearage instead left relevant finding section contempt order blank nonetheless found turner contempt ordered incarcerated circumstances turner incarceration violated due process clause vacate judgment south carolina remand case proceedings inconsistent opinion ordered michael turner petitioner rebecca rogers et al writ certiorari south carolina june justice thomas justice scalia joins chief justice justice alito join parts ii dissenting due process clause fourteenth amendment provide right appointed counsel indigent defendants facing incarceration civil contempt ceedings therefore affirm although agrees appointed counsel required case nevertheless vacates judgment south carolina different ground parties never raised solely invitation amicus curiae majority decides turner contempt proceeding violated due process cause include alternative procedural safeguards ante consistent longstanding practice reach question raised case whether due process clause fourteenth amendment creates right appointed counsel indigent defendants facing incarceration civil contempt proceedings original understanding constitution basis concluding guarantee due process secures right appointed counsel civil contempt proceedings certainly extent due process clause requires government must proceed according law land according written constitutional statutory provisions hamdi rumsfeld thomas dissenting quoting winship black dissenting one contends south carolina law entitles turner appointed counsel federal statute constitutional provision provide although sixth amendment secures right assistance counsel apply civil contempt proceedings criminal prosecutions amdt see ante moreover originally understood sixth amendment guaranteed right employ counsel use volunteered services counsel require appoint counsel circumstance padilla kentucky scalia dissenting slip see also van duzee beaney right counsel american courts heller sixth amendment constitution appointed counsel also required civil contempt proceedings somewhat broader reading due process clause takes approve process law otherwise forbidden show sanction settled usage weiss scalia concurring part concurring judgment quoting hurtado california despite long history courts exercising contempt authority turner identified evidence courts appointed counsel proceedings see mine workers bagwell describing courts traditional assumption inherent contempt authority see also blackstone commentaries laws england describing summary proceedings used adjudicate contempt indeed turner concedes contempt proceedings without appointed counsel blessing history see tr oral arg admitting historical support turner rule see also brief respondents even modern interpretation constitution due process clause provide right appointed counsel indigent defendants facing incarceration civil contempt proceedings reading render sixth amendment right counsel currently understood superfluous moreover appears even cases applying modern interpretation due process understood categorically require appointed counsel circumstances outside otherwise covered sixth amendment current jurisprudence sixth amendment entitles indigent defendants appointed sel felony cases criminal cases resulting sentence imprisonment see gideon wainwright argersinger hamlin scott illinois alabama shelton turner concedes even cases sixth amendment entitle appointed counsel see reply brief petitioner acknowledging civil contempt prosecution within meaning sixth amendment argues instead right assistance counsel persons facing incarceration arises sixth amendment also requirement fundamental fairness due process clause fourteenth amendment brief petitioner view relied due process rejec formalistic distinctions criminal civil proceedings instead concluding incarceration confinement triggers right counsel due process clause created right appointed counsel proceedings potential detention sixth amendment right appointed counsel unnecessary turner theory every instance sixth amendment guarantees right appointed counsel covered also due process clause sixth amendment however constitutional provision even mentions assistance counsel due process clause says nothing counsel ordinarily read general provision render specific one superfluous cf morales trans world airlines commonplace statutory construction specific governs general fact one constitutional provision expressly provides right appointed counsel specific circumstances indicates constitution also sub silentio provide right far broadly another general provision cf albright oliver plurality opinion particular amendment provides explicit textual source constitutional protection particular sort government behavior amendment generalized notion due process must guide analyzing claims internal quotation marks omitted kennedy concurring judgment agree plurality allegation arrest without probable cause must analyzed fourth amendment without reference general considerations due process stop beach renourishment florida dept environmental protection opinion scalia slip applying albright takings clause moreover contrary turner assertions holdings due process decisions regarding right counsel actually quite narrow never found due process clause categorical right appointed counsel outside criminal prosecutions proceedings functionally akin criminal trial scarpelli gault consistent conclusion due process clause expand right counsel beyond boundaries set sixth amendment countless factors weighed mores evaluated practices surveyed determined due process principles fundamental fairness categorically require counsel context outside criminal proceedings see lassiter department social servs durham wolff mcdonnell see also walters national assn radiation survivors goss lopez even defendant liberty stake concluded fundamental fairness requires counsel always appointed proceeding see scarpelli supra probation revocation middendorf henry summary parham commitment minor mental hospital vitek jones powell controlling opinion concurring part transfer prisoner mental hospital indeed circumstance found due process categorically requires appointed counsel juvenile delinquency proceedings described functionally akin criminal trial scarpelli supra discussing gault supra see ante despite language opinions suggests find otherwise consistent judgment fundamental fairness categorically require appointed counsel context outside criminal proceedings majority correct therefore precedent require appointed counsel absence deprivation liberty complete description cases even liberty stake required appointed counsel category cases found sixth amendment required criminal prosecutions ii majority agrees constitution entitle turner appointed counsel invitation federal government amicus curiae majority holds contempt hearing violated due process clause entirely different reason parties never raised family procedures adequate ensure accurate determination turner present ability pay brief amicus curiae capitalization boldface type deleted see ante reach issue good reasons consider new issues raised first time amicus brief new issue may outside question see pet cert whether indigent defendant constitutional right appointed counsel civil contempt proceeding results incarceration see also ante identifying conflict among lower courts regarding right counsel new issue may addressed even presented state see describing question whether sixth fourteenth amendments constitution guarantee turner indigent defendant family right appointed counsel parties may preserved issue leaving record undeveloped see tr oral arg record insufficient regarding alternative procedures hey raised first time merits stage development brief respondents parties may address new issue leaving boundaries untested see brief petitioner reiterating particular constitutional violation turner challenges case failure family appoint counsel brief respondents declining address government argument properly capitalization boldface type deleted finally party may even oppose position taken allegedly supportive amicus see tr oral arg turner counsel rejecting government argument procedures short categorical right appointed counsel satisfy due process reply brief petitioner accordingly wise settled general practice consider issue first instance much less one raised amicus see rule questions set petition fairly included therein considered adarand constructors mineta per curiam final review first view internal quotation marks omitted parcel service mitchell declining consider amicus argument since raised either parties outside grant certiorari doubly true review decision state triply new issue constitutional matter see mcgoldrick compagnie generale transatlantique exceptional cases cases coming federal courts considers questions urged petitioner appellant pressed passed upon courts cardinale louisiana decide federal constitutional issues raised first time review state decisions majority errs moving beyond question litigated decided state courts petitioned argued parties resolve question raised exclusively federal government amicus brief cases properly affirms lower judgment alternative ground accepts persuasive argument amicus question parties raised see tinklenberg slip transforms case entirely vacate state judgment based alternative constitutional ground advanced amicus outside question petitioner sought granted review come surprise majority confines analysis federal government new issue knowledging government considerable experience field child support enforcement adopting government suggestions toto see ante perhaps issue preserved briefed parties majority alternative solutions procedures consider see tr oral arg development know range options federal government interest child support enforcement efforts may give government valuable overcome strong reasons behind practice considering new issues raised addressed amicus first time iii reasons explained previous two sections engage majority balancing analysis yet another reason undertake mathews eldridge balancing test test weighs individual interest government identifying opposing interest government interest lassiter account interests child custodial parent usually child mother interests reason child support obligation civil contempt proceedings enforce fathers fail duty pay child support children suffer see cancian meyer han child support responsible fatherhood quid pro quo annals acad pol soc sci finding child support plays important role reducing child poverty homes cf sorensen zibman getting know poor fathers pay child support soc serv rev finding children whose fathers reside apart percent likely live poverty fathers nonpayment inadequate payment press children mothers poverty garrison goals limits child support policy child support next frontier oldham melli eds see also dept commerce census bureau grall custodial mothers fathers child support pp hereinafter custodial mothers fathers reporting percent custodial mothers lived poverty interests children mothers depend child support notoriously difficult protect see hicks feiock dissenting failure enforcement efforts area become national scandal internal quotation marks omitted less half custodial parents receive full amount child support ordered percent owed support receive nothing custodial mothers fathers see also dept health human services office child support enforcement fy annual report congress app iii table showing national child support arrears billion south carolina alone noncustodial parents defaulted child support obligations year end parents owed billion total arrears app iii tables fathers subject child support agreement report little income mean ability pay child support dept health human services sorensen sousa schaner assessing child support arrears nine large nation prepared urban institute hereinafter assessing arrears rather many deadbeat dads opt work underground economy shield earnings child support enforcement efforts sup task force report underground economy hereinafter underground economy avoid attempts garnish wages otherwise enforce support obligation deadbeats quit jobs jump job job become work table engage illegal see waller plotnick effective child support policy families evidence street level research analysis mgmt assessing arrears difficulties collecting payment traditional enforcement mechanisms many also use civil contempt proceedings coerce deadbeats paying owe use civil contempt threat detention find highly effective tool collecting child support nothing else works compendium responses collected dept health human services office child support enforcement reprinted app brief demint et al amici curiae see example virginia uses civil contempt last resort reports deadbeats paid approximately million either hearing avoid contempt finding hearing purge contempt finding confirm mere threat imprisonment often quite effective contemners pay rather go jail see also underground economy many judges report prospect detention often causes obligors discover previously undisclosed resources use make child support payments case illustrates point family imposed turner weekly support obligation june made payments held contempt three months later whereupon paid avoid confinement app three times turner refused pay family held contempt paid short order although think majority analytical framework account interests children mothers effective flexible methods secure payment pass wisdom majority preferred procedures address wisdom state decision use certain methods enforcement whether deadbeat dads threatened incarceration policy judgment state federal lawmakers entire question government involvement area child support see elrod dale paradigm shifts pendulum swings child custody fam observing federalization many areas family law internal quotation marks omitted repercussions shift away nuclear family ultimately business policymaking branches see popenoe family decline america reprinted war family discussing four major social trends emerged signal widespread nuclear family krause child support reassessed fam marriage casual cohabitation procreation collision course economic social needs children boumil friedman deadbeat dads many children deadbeat dads born wedlock others lost parent divorce young age little conscious memory affirm judgment south carolina due process clause provide right appointed counsel civil contempt hearings may lead incarceration issue properly respectfully dissent footnotes agree case moot challenged action likely recur yet brief otherwise evades review ante criminal contempt crime ordinary sense therefore criminal contemners entitled protections requires criminal proceedings including right counsel mine workers bagwell citing cooke internal quotation marks omitted indeed new question one even merit certiorari see rule family received form detailing turner finances judge hold turner contempt without concluding pay due process question majority answers reduces factbound assessment family performance see ante reply brief petitioner advance hearing turner supplied family form see deadbeat parents punishment act stat child support recovery act stat child support enforcement amendments stat social services amendments stat see deadbeat parents punishment act stat referring parents willfully fai pay support obligation eadbeat arents case turner switched eight different jobs three years made wage withholding difficult app recently turner sold drugs paid penny child support years app brief respondents