Rison’s Ex Considering Options

ATLANTA (AP) — Landing employment abroad shouldn’t affect former NFL wide receiver Andre Rison’s child-support obligations, said the attorney for the mother of two of his children.

Two weeks after a DeKalb County judge ordered Rison arrested for failure to pay more than $100,000 in child support, Rison signed a contract to play with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.

Rison joined the team Saturday, but working in Canada shouldn’t prevent him from fulfilling his child-support obligations to ex-girlfriend Raycoa Handley of Atlanta, who he owes $107,350 in back child support for their children, ages 16 and 18.

Handley’s attorney, Randall Kessler, said he will either petition a Canadian court to enforce DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Cynthia Becker’s order that Rison pay the back child support or wait to see if Rison’s return to the gridiron rekindles a career in the NFL, where he surely would be paid more and it will be easier to garnish his wages because he’ll be in the United States.

“Everyone wants him to do well. Then everyone wants his money,” Kessler said.

Rison has had other problems with back child support payments in Michigan, prompting that state’s attorney general in May to issue an arrest warrant for Rison’s failure to pay $94,891 to his ex-wife, Tonja. Rison was never arrested because a Michigan judge canceled the warrant in June and instead sentenced Rison to two years of probation.

Kessler has repeatedly expressed frustration with authorities’ inability to arrest Rison and he said in June that he suspects Rison is hiding his money, making it difficult to inventory his assets. He said Monday he was pleased to hear Rison is working and doesn’t want him to go to jail.

“Better employed in another country than unemployed here,” Kessler said. “We don’t want to ruin his career. Putting him in jail doesn’t help in the long run.”

Because Rison will be making money in Toronto, Kessler said he’s reluctant to seek his arrest there. The judge’s clerk, Jessica Harris, would not comment on the matter.

Rison’s Michigan attorney, David Kallman, was out of the office until Wednesday. His Atlanta attorney, Max Richardson, and agent, Charles Tucker, did not immediately return messages left at their offices.

His longtime business manager, Bill Thies, told Toronto’s Globe and Mail on Sunday that the Georgia judge merely wants to see Rison gainfully employed, which is written nowhere in her court order. Thies also said Rison will resolve his child support problems by Saturday.

“That situation will be resolved. It’s not a criminal matter. It’s a civil matter in a small county court in Georgia,” Thies told the newspaper, “but because it’s Andre Rison, people like to jump and run with it.”

Rison also spoke with the newspaper after his Sunday practice with the Argonauts. Calling himself “the best receiver to play the game,” he told the newspaper that others were handling the child-support situation. He also said he has a great relationship with his children. Handley claims Rison hasn’t seen or talked to their children in 21/2 years.

Argonauts coach Michael Clemons said in a team statement that Rison was hired because of his outstanding ability and so he could help groom Toronto’s young receivers.

Rison last played for the Oakland Raiders in 2000, finishing with 41 catches for 606 yards. He was suspended for four games in 2001 for a repeat violation of the league’s substance abuse policy and had been out of football until signing with the Argonauts.

Rison, who played from 1989 to 2000, had 743 catches for 10,205 yards and 84 touchdowns in 12 seasons with seven teams.ATLANTA (AP) — Landing employment abroad shouldn’t affect former NFL wide receiver Andre Rison’s child-support obligations, said the attorney for the mother of two of his children.

Two weeks after a DeKalb County judge ordered Rison arrested for failure to pay more than $100,000 in child support, Rison signed a contract to play with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.

Rison joined the team Saturday, but working in Canada shouldn’t prevent him from fulfilling his child-support obligations to ex-girlfriend Raycoa Handley of Atlanta, who he owes $107,350 in back child support for their children, ages 16 and 18.

Handley’s attorney, Randall Kessler, said he will either petition a Canadian court to enforce DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Cynthia Becker’s order that Rison pay the back child support or wait to see if Rison’s return to the gridiron rekindles a career in the NFL, where he surely would be paid more and it will be easier to garnish his wages because he’ll be in the United States.

“Everyone wants him to do well. Then everyone wants his money,” Kessler said.

Rison has had other problems with back child support payments in Michigan, prompting that state’s attorney general in May to issue an arrest warrant for Rison’s failure to pay $94,891 to his ex-wife, Tonja. Rison was never arrested because a Michigan judge canceled the warrant in June and instead sentenced Rison to two years of probation.

Kessler has repeatedly expressed frustration with authorities’ inability to arrest Rison and he said in June that he suspects Rison is hiding his money, making it difficult to inventory his assets. He said Monday he was pleased to hear Rison is working and doesn’t want him to go to jail.

“Better employed in another country than unemployed here,” Kessler said. “We don’t want to ruin his career. Putting him in jail doesn’t help in the long run.”

Because Rison will be making money in Toronto, Kessler said he’s reluctant to seek his arrest there. The judge’s clerk, Jessica Harris, would not comment on the matter.

Rison’s Michigan attorney, David Kallman, was out of the office until Wednesday. His Atlanta attorney, Max Richardson, and agent, Charles Tucker, did not immediately return messages left at their offices.

His longtime business manager, Bill Thies, told Toronto’s Globe and Mail on Sunday that the Georgia judge merely wants to see Rison gainfully employed, which is written nowhere in her court order. Thies also said Rison will resolve his child support problems by Saturday.

“That situation will be resolved. It’s not a criminal matter. It’s a civil matter in a small county court in Georgia,” Thies told the newspaper, “but because it’s Andre Rison, people like to jump and run with it.”

Rison also spoke with the newspaper after his Sunday practice with the Argonauts. Calling himself “the best receiver to play the game,” he told the newspaper that others were handling the child-support situation. He also said he has a great relationship with his children. Handley claims Rison hasn’t seen or talked to their children in 21/2 years.

Argonauts coach Michael Clemons said in a team statement that Rison was hired because of his outstanding ability and so he could help groom Toronto’s young receivers.

Rison last played for the Oakland Raiders in 2000, finishing with 41 catches for 606 yards. He was suspended for four games in 2001 for a repeat violation of the league’s substance abuse policy and had been out of football until signing with the Argonauts.

Rison, who played from 1989 to 2000, had 743 catches for 10,205 yards and 84 touchdowns in 12 seasons with seven teams.