Press release

State District Court Judge Patrice McDonald got an earful this week from the Ninth Court of Appeals after she threatened to jail a guy in Willis because he didn’t want to pay his ex-wife who turned out to be a bigamist.

Mark Athans was held in contempt and threatened with jail time by Judge McDonald for refusing to pay $34,000 in support to Charity Lenee Parchem. She refused to change her mind after South Dakota voided the marriage. She refused to change her mind even after Parchem pleaded guilty to being married to another guy when she married Athans. Parchem is apparently married to at least two other guys.

The Ninth Court of Appeals in Beaumont put an emergency hold last month on the judge’s ruling, and this week handed down a strong reprimand of the judge.

“By refusing to admit the evidence Mark offered to support his defense that Charity was married to another when they married, the trial court abused its discretion when it decided Charity’s motion to enforce.”

The appeals court then sent a very clear message to Judge McDonald.

“We are confident the trial court will vacate the order the court signed holding Mark in contempt and placing him on community supervision. The writ shall issue only if the trial court fails to comply.” That’s judge jargon for do it, or else we will.

Dolcefino Consulting has a better idea.

“Judge McDonald should donate her entire salary to Mark Athans because she has cost him a fortune unnecessarily defending the most ridiculous family court decision we have seen,” says Wayne Dolcefino, President of the Houston-based investigative media firm Dolcefino Consulting. “Then, she should save the voters the effort and resign.”