Father of nine ordered by judge to stop procreating

Looking across the courtroom at a Wisconsin father of nine, who owes almost $100,000 in back child support and interest, a judge on Monday lamented not being able to prohibit certain men from breeding. “This has come up before,” Racine County Circuit Court Judge Tim Boyle began. “It’s too bad the court doesn’t have the authority to sterilise.”

Before him was Corey Curtis, 44, of Racine. Curtis had fathered nine children with six women, Boyle said, and was in the hole on child support payments for his youngsters. Assistant District Attorney Rebecca Sommers said Curtis owed about $50,000 in back child support, plus another $40,000 in interest. “Common sense dictates you shouldn’t have kids you can’t afford,” Boyle said, voicing frustration.



That’s when Sommers pointed out that Boyle did have authority to restrict Curtis’ future breeding. She said a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling found that a judge may, as a condition of a person’s probation, order the defendant not to have another child unless he can show he can support that child. “I will make that a condition of the probation,” Boyle said immediately, sentencing Curtis to serve three years’ probation.

Curtis pleaded no contest in October to one count each of felony bail jumping and failure to pay child support, which is a misdemeanor, court records show. “He is not to procreate until he can show he can provide for them,” Boyle ordered, adding Curtis must show he can financially support all nine of his existing children, as well.