Ex Parte Colley

PHILLIPS, Chief Justice.

This is a petition for Habeas Corpus brought as an original proceeding in this Court pursuant to Tex.Rev.Civ.Stat.Ann. art. 1824a (Supp. 1980-81). This Court released Relator on bond pending our determination of the case.

Joe Colley, relator, was divorced from Rita Colley on January 11, 1979. At that time, the trial court orally ordered child support payments to begin on January 20, 1979. A written decree was not signed by the judge until April 12, 1979. Rita Colley filed a motion for contempt for failure to pay child support and to reduce child support arrearages to…