Lawmaker produces some but not all of the money due for child support

Friday, Aug. 1, 1997 | 11:41 a.m.

However, Williams only has part of the money - $35,000 - and the judgment is for $52,694.

If he doesn't come up with the entire amount by Aug. 6, the sale goes forward, said Las Vegas police Deputy Chief Dave Sweikert.

Sweikert postponed the auction for a week after Williams, who works for the city of Las Vegas, assured him and Winget he had the cash.

Williams, D-Las Vegas, says he thought his ex-wife Debra Gray, who he says had agreed earlier to a $35,000 settlement, would accept that sum.

Gray says she would have accepted it before June when she needed money to prevent eviction from her California home. But after the sheriff evicted her and auctioned her home in mid-June, she decided she wanted the full judgment.

Her attorney, Gloria Navarro, says settlement negotiations occurred, but no formal agreement was made. After the sale of Williams' homes was set, Navarro says no incentive existed to accept a smaller amount.

"Why would we agree to get less in the long run instead of the full amount immediately? How can you misunderstand something like that?" she asked.

In April, Williams was ordered to pay more than $50,000 in unpaid child support and interest for the two children he had with Gray.

Neither the assemblyman nor the lawmen thought anything was improper in his contacting them and asking for the delay.

"He said he had successfully raised the money he owed his ex-wife in child support and asked if it was feasible to put off the sale of his two homes," Winget said.

The undersheriff says he called the deputy chief in charge of the civil division, who decided to reschedule the auction to give Williams time to deliver the money.

"I wanted to do my best to make sure an injustice didn't occur," Winget said.

Sweikert said he couldn't reach Gray's attorney and decided postponing the auction wouldn't be a problem.

Gray, a tutor, says she needed the money to make a bid on a new home and may have lost that house as a result of the postponement.