(WAVE/WKYT) – After multiple no-shows, former Gov. Matt Bevin was scheduled to appear in court for a hearing Tuesday for his on-going child support case and failed to do so, again.
The case involves child support possibly due to Bevin’s adopted son Jonah.
Bevin’s ex-wife Glenna appeared at the beginning of hearing. But as the 9 a.m. start time for the hearing came and went, Bevin did not appear.
Judge Angela Johnson has had warrants issued and rescinded previously for Bevin, who has failed to provide financial documents requested by the court.
Bevin’s attorneys requested that the former governor was only available by Zoom.
Judge Johnson responded, “My orders were clear.”
At one point during the proceedings, an anonymous called dialed in via Zoom to listen. When repeatedly ordered to identify themselves, they did not. The judge disconnected that caller.
The judge continued, saying Bevin broke court demands by not appearing in person and not following through with producing financial documents as required.
Jonah Bevin is seeking financial support that he feels he is owed after his adopted parents, Matt and Glenna Bevin, placed him in a youth facility in Jamaica, where Jonah alleges he was physically and mentally abused.
The first person to take the stand was Dawn Post. She’s an attorney who claims the Bevins abandoned Jonah in Jamaica after the foster care facility he was at shutdown due to abuse allegations.
Post said she worked to get him into a transitional housing situation with a caretaker in Florida, to which Glenna and Matt Bevin agreed as they were not open to a reunion with Jonah.
Florida never happened.
Then we heard from Jonah, where he expressed resentment towards his parents. At one point, saying the weren’t his mom or dad.
He said they paid other people to be his parents and got emotional when talking about bouncing around to different facilities that he was in from age of 13 to 18 that his parents sent him to in various states including Missouri, Utah, Florida and then Jamaica.
Jonah alleges cases of abuse took place at the facilities in Missouri, Utah and Jamacia, including instances of getting beat up by staff, or held in restraints.
He said he tried several times to talk to his parents about what was going on.
Glenna sat with her head down, and wiped tears, and several times shook her head and looked to her attorney.
Jonah also said that visits with his parents were limited, and he was not able to get an attorney to represent himself or a bank account until he was 18.
When Glenna took the stand, she said that she’s never asked Matt Bevin for child support for herself, because he pays for everything with the kids.
She was questioned about why she didn’t go to Jamaica to get Jonah when the facility he was at was shut down due to allegations of abuse, and left in the country.
Glenna said she didn’t have a passport.
And the hearing quickly turned into a heated exchange between one of Jonah’s lawyers, John Helmers, and Glenna.
“I did not have a passport and my child had been abusing us and I had three kids at home,” Glenna said.
Helmers then asked if Matt Bevin have a passport, to which Glenna responded with,
“I don’t know you’ll have to ask him,”
Helmers was quick to respond and said
“He’s not here today,”
To which Glenna said,
“That’s not my fault,”
He then asked when was the last time she talked to Matt Bevin and she said she couldn’t remember.
Helmers also asked Glenna if it were fair to say that during that period, the Bevins’ other kids had food, water and shelter provided and Jonah didn’t, Glenna responded with ‘yes’.
The day wrapped up with the lawyers asking for 21 days to write up a memorandum, after getting the video from the day’s court proceeding, and they’ll write up their arguments.
Then judge Angela John will make a decision.
Following the hearing, reporters outside the court room attempted to ask Matt Bevin’s attorney, Jesse Mudd where he was. Mudd did not respond to the question.