Man Avoids Court-Ordered Test by Shaving

New York man Roberto De Paz attempted to avoid a court-ordered hair-follicle test in a custody case by shaving his body hair. Nassau County Family Court Judge Julianne Eisman ordered De Paz to undergo hair-follicle testing at his own expense as a part of his custody battle. Hair-follicle testing is often used by the courts in custody matters in order to determine whether parents have been using drugs. De Paz returned to court after a month without completing the test, so she gave him one more week to return to court with a receipt proving that he had paid for and underwent the test.

Although De Paz did show up and pay the fee for the test, allegedly, it could not be completed properly because he had shaved all of his body hair. As a result, the judge found him in contempt of the court for failing to abide by the court-order, and ordered him to be imprisoned for 90 days. Contempt refers to any actions that disregard or disobey a court-order, or behavior that hinders a judge’s ability to carry out justice. In this case, however, a New York State Appeals Court found that De Paz could not be held in contempt because technically, he did not disobey the judge’s order. Of all ways to defy the court (or, merely frustrate the court)—De Paz’s odd form of rebellion seems particularly unique.

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