Report: Terrell Owens missed hearing

By ESPN.com news services

Terrell Owens reportedly is in more hot water over his late child support payments.

Owens is $20,000 behind on the payments and could face jail time, according to a report posted on an Atlanta television station’s website.

Owens angered County Judge John Goger when he did not show up for his child support hearing Thursday, according to WSBTV.com. The report stated that Owens’ attorney, David Hartin, accepted blame for the wide receiver’s absence, claiming he didn’t communicate with his client.

Melanie Page Smith, the mother of Owens’ 7-year-old daughter, has alleged that Owens has not made any payments in months, according to the report. The six-time Pro Bowler previously had agreed to pay Smith $5,000 per month.

According to the report, Goger met with both Hartin and Smith’s attorney, Randy Kessler, in his chambers before resetting the case for next Thursday and declaring that Owens could face jail time if he does not attend.

“It’s a tragedy, not only that we are here today; this is the third case she has had to file in the last year,” Kessler told WSBTV.com. “We are hoping next week the case will come to a resolution and Mr. Owens will pay and pay every month.”
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Owens, 38, was released by the Indoor Football League’s Allen Wranglers in late May and has not played in the NFL since 2010 with the Cincinnati Bengals. He ranks second all-time in NFL history in receiving yards and touchdown catches but has drawn little interest from teams since suffering an offseason knee injury after the 2010 campaign.