EXCLUSIVE: Court Holds Hodge Patel, Democratic Candidate For County Commission, In Contempt In Custody Battle
Editor’s Note:
Shannon Pontney reached out and confirmed her statement to me this afternoon.
Janek ‘Hodge’ Patel was held in contempt by the court on August 19, 2020 for violating provisions of his custody agreement with his ex-wife Shannon Pontney. They were divorced in September 2018.
Hodge Patel is currently running as the Democratic candidate for St. Joseph County Commission in District 3 against Republican incumbent Deb Fleming. Hodge Patel announced his candidacy in December 2019.
In August of 2020, Hodge Patel was found to have failed to maintain health insurance for his children per the custody agreement when he divorced.
ORDER FROM AUGUST 19, 2020 HEARING:
Mother proved by clear and convincing evidence that Father is in contempt for failing to maintain health insurance on the minor children pursuant to Section 2, Paragraph 7 of the parties’ Settlement Agreement. The evidence established that even though Father’s loss of employment was not voluntary, he testified that he had access to money through his savings that he could have used to cover the cost of insurance obtained through the marketplace or via COBRA. Father testified that he really did not pursue or investigate either option.
Shannon Pontney also told the court that Hodge Patel failed to give adequate notice that he was moving to South Bend, IN.
Mother proved by clear and convincing evidence that Father is in contempt for failing to timely file notice of relocation prior to relocating to South Bend.
The court ruled Shannon Pontney proved her case on both issues.
When I reached out to the Hodge Patel campaign they issued this statement:
Hodge was self-employed during a period of time in 2019, and like many Americans, did not have access to employer provided insurance leaving the children covered by their mother’s health insurance for a time.
For the past eleven months, the children have been back on Hodge’s employer provided insurance which commenced immediately when it became available.
Hodge happily pays for 91% of the expenses for his kids which is over $33,000 annually and includes expenses for child support, health insurance, pre-school, and extracurricular activities.
Upon notification of this intended article, Hodge Patel’s ex-wife Shannon Pontney stated;
“Hodge Patel and I parent three kids that we had together when we were married. It is important for me to say for the record that our children were never without health insurance coverage. Hodge’s top priority continues to be the physical and financial well-being of our children.” ~ Shannon Pontney
I cannot independently confirm the statement from Shannon Pontney as I’ve been unable to reach her via social media. Her statement was sent to me from the official Hodge Campaign email address with their response.
It was Shannon Pontney who brought the case before the courts resulting in the hearing in August 2020, just two months ago. Shannon Pontney also sought to change the custody agreement with Hodge Patel by claiming in court that Hodge Patel failed to pay his share of ‘extracurricular expenses’ and she sought to have his parental rights reduced by 50% because he relocated to South Bend. The court order shows she failed to prove both of those issues. The court also ordered Hodge Patel to pay Shannon Pontney’s legal fees.
In addition to reaching out to the Hodge campaign, I reached out to his opponent Commissioner Deb Fleming. Here’s her campaign’s response:
I first learned of Mr. Patel’s legal trouble when contacted by Casey Hendrickson as he prepared to report his story. I was surprised to hear that my opponent found himself in contempt of court as it relates to his divorce from his first wife.
It is unfortunate that Mr. Patel’s children failed to receive the health insurance and monetary support required by his divorce settlement. It always saddens me when children are negatively impacted by their parents’ divorce. Too often they are the silent victims in
these situations.I’m not interested in wading into personal attacks and negative campaigning. I hope that my opponent puts the same fervor he’s spent criticizing me into making matters right with his children in Central Indiana.
Voters will decide if Democrat Hodge Patel will be the next St. Joseph County Commissioner for District 3, or if incumbent Republican Deb Fleming will retain her seat on Tuesday, November 3, 2020.
Get voter information and see what’s on your ballot at Vote 411.
