Change of Heart in Conroe Judge Falls Short
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Judge McDonald experienced an involuntary change of heart this week in the bigamy case making headlines across the nation.
Just days after getting slapped by the Texas Court of Appeals, State District Court Judge Patrice McDonald vacated her own court order that had forced a Willis man to pay tens of thousands of dollars to the woman who lied to him.
Last week the Ninth Court of Appeals in Beaumont issued an order saying that if the Conroe Judge didn’t reverse her decision unfairly condemning Mark Athans, they would do it for her.
The Court of Appeals acted after Judge McDonald placed Mark Athans in contempt and threatened jail time when he refused to pay $34,000 in support to Charity Lenee Parchem. Athans could prove Parchem was a serial bigamist but the judge refused to consider the evidence.
A South Dakota court has already voided the marriage. Parchem pleaded guilty to being married to another guy when she married Athans. Judge McDonald didn’t care.
Despite Judge McDonald’s forced change of heart, Athans still has to spend tens of thousands of dollars to appeal the court decision.
“This is more injustice on this poor guy,” says Wayne Dolcefino, President of the Houston-based investigative media firm, Dolcefino Consulting. “It’s bad enough his wife lied to him. Judge McDonald should pay for the Athans appeal out of her own pocket. She has cost him a fortune. Then she should resign.”
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