UPDATE 7/9/25: We want to thank everyone for their prayers and donations. Your donations contributed to retaining an attorney for Garrick's Civil Court Case. Shortly after retaining the attorney, he got a special court date and in the hearing, the Commissioner almost apologized for the actions of the judicial staff and ordered an immediate release.. Garrick had been sentenced to six months of jail without being allowed to attend his court date. Garrick is home and there is one final, telephonic hearing on July 22. 

The only missing piece is getting our car to Idaho. We are working on arranging a car transport.  

All of the pieces are falling into place. Thank you again for your help and generosity.

Let’s start with the ending and work backwards on how it happened.

Ending: On June 14, my 75-year-old husband was traveling through Wisconsin on his way home to Idaho. He was stopped for a traffic violation and when the police ran his driver’s license, he was placed under arrest for a Contempt of Court warrant, issued 24 years ago in 2001. He was placed in jail with no bond available.

So, how did he get to this spot? Now, let’s start from the beginning:

In 2001, my husband and I divorced. I was hurt and upset, and I will admit a bit vindictive. Part of our divorce settlement was that he paid me back for a debt and the attorney's fee. It was not for child support (we didn’t have children) nor was it for alimony. He missed payments and I asked the attorney to let the court know. At this point, my ex had moved to California, and I had moved to Colorado.

He missed the court date about the nonpayment issue and apparently the judge issued a Contempt of Court ruling and had ordered him to pay the debt and attorney’s fees with a judgement of “No Bail and a six-month Jail Sentence” this was done in 2001. He wasn’t aware of the ruling, and I do not remember.  Our Wisconsin Civil Court Case Number is: 2001FA001559: It is listed under my name: Rosemary OBryan

My husband and I reconnected, reconciled and remarried in 2005 and have retired to Idaho. We have been happily together for 20 years.

There isn’t a debt to me anymore, and I have written three letters to the court and two judges about the fact that I forgot to rescind the debt. While my husband sits in jail.

We live on Social Security, and it is hard enough to pay for basic expenses. An attorney was out of the question. Public Defenders only work on Criminal cases not Civil. Legal Aid declined to help and I was unable to find a pro bono attorney to help. On Friday, June 20, my husband was scheduled to go to court. He was told it was canceled. I called the jail on Monday, June 23 to find out his new court date and was told he was sentenced to six months in jail. When I talked to my husband, no one told him. In fact, the jail didn’t tell him that he was getting out on December 14, until Wednesday, June 25.

Doesn’t my husband have the right to face the judge? I mean, after 20 years circumstances may have changed.

Things kept getting worse. My husband hasn’t been given all his medications, despite our requests. The county jail is not equipped to handle geriatric inmates, despite what their “advertising” says. Finally, a friend lent us $2,000 to help retain an attorney. I found an attorney and paid his $2,000 retainer. His billable rate is $350 an hour and our $2,000 retainer is dwindling quickly. I need to fund more money for his fee. If he can get my husband out, he will be worth every penny! I don’t know where to turn.

Plus, are you curious about what happened to the car he was driving? We bought it because it was a good deal, and it is ten years newer than our current vehicle. It was parked on a public street in Wisconsin. Thankfully, I have a long-time friend in St. Paul, Minnesota who picked up the car with her daughter and parked it in St. Paul at a friend’s house. I haven’t been able to find anyone to drive it back to Idaho. All my friends are too old to be comfortable driving that distance. The only way I can get the car is via a car transport service and the fees range between $1,300 to $1,500. Meanwhile, I do not have a viable vehicle or the money to haul it back.

My husband’s health is poor: he needs two knee replacements, and he has a bad back. Despite his maladies, he has been my caregiver. I was supposed to have a knee replacement this summer, and I had to cancel everything.

I feel like I am in a bad movie script or in a twilight zone. If there is anything you can do to help, it would be greatly appreciated. Being a Senior Citizen may have its plusses, but right now I am feeling very vulnerable and scared for my hubby.