Legal Question in Credit and Debt Law in Indiana
Bad debt ended in jedgement & contempt of court
I missed a court date for a judgement hearing for a medical bill. Now I have received a letter for a hearing for contempt of court for not being there. I am bipolar and have an extremely hard time dealing with stressful situations like this and tend to avoid them at all cost - which is what I did. Is this a legal defense to the contempt of court? My doctor could back me up. My hearing is tomorrow.
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Bad debt ended in jedgement & contempt of court
Contempt is the intentional and willful violation of a court order. I assume this is a small claims case. Tell the jduge the problem in detail. I also assume that you probably receive SSI or Social Security Disability. If so, make sure to tell this to the person trying to collect the debt (and hopefully it is an attorney representing the creditor). If no attorney, make sure the judge knows. This type of creditor cannot get at SSI or Social Security money.