Should I Just Resign Myself to Go to Jail

1. I have never been able to earn money in my life
2. I have bipolar disorder , which is why I've never been able to keep a job or earn a living
3. I've only known that I have this condition for a short period. Life has been extremely difficult until I realized what was happening to me.
4. Since then I've been on medication which helps my issue but does not in any way solve the issue. I will never be able to earn a living the way most Americans do.

Last year I was arrested and extradited back to my home state for failure to pay child support, which I've never been able to pay. It was a horrible experience. This was a felony arrest , which I am looking at 4 years for. They have me down as making $50k/yr. I've never made that much in my whole life combined. They let me return home which my family bailed me out.
After 9months they have contacted me to go in for a pretrial conference back in my state and my court appointed attorney says they want a certain amount of money which is about 10percent of what I owe.
I've never made that amount of money in all of my years. Plus I am unable to attend the pretrial conference because I have no income to catch a plane or bus and my driver's license is suspended. This is being between a rock and a hard place, but after writing this, I'm realizing that I'm probably going to jail. I have no money , if I did I wouldn't be in this position.
If I took this to court would I win because I am not purposely trying not to pay , I simply do not have the money and they have me as making money that I've never even come close to making. I am diagnosed with bi-polar and have letters written on my behalf from my therapist and physicist that plainly say that I am unable to work. Also my tax returns will totally show that I haven't had that amount of money to pay. Should I take it to court? Since I'm going to jail because I can not make the pretrial conference which if I miss they will probably put a warrant out for my arrest. But I can't help it , I have no money to travel 800 miles. Its been 9months.
Can you be held in contempt of court if you can prove that you can not pay?
Can you be convicted of felony child support if you can show that you haven't made money to pay it.
This is not an attempt to get from under my responsibility. If I could maintain employment then I would have no problem paying but I simply do not earn any money and have never been able to. I am 46 years old and have only been able to survive based on the kindness of others. This illness has taken everything from me. Well actually I never been able to have anything. I would appreciate any help.

You forgot to tell us what state this is in.
It sounds like you had a CS order issued some time ago and you simply ignored it - is that correct? Did you attend the very first support hearing where your income was determined? What amount are you in arrears?

Its in Michigan and I am $41k in arrearage. Yes when they issued the cs order I was homeless.

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Quoting free4uonline

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Its in Michigan and I am $41k in arrearage. Yes when they issued the cs order I was homeless.

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If you are actually being charged with felony non-support the court should be able to appoint an attorney for you.

Have you applied for SS benefits?
If not, that's one thing you should do right away.

You are really going to need the help of an attorney who will know how to bnring the correct evidence to court. However, please be aware that simply being bi-polar does not automatically mean that you cannot work at all. Since you've mentioned tax returns, you must have been earning something and that is going to hurt you in court.

Either way, you really need an attorney.