Televangelist Juanita Bynum Jailed Over $140,000 Court-Ordered Payment
Televangelist Dr. Juanita Bynum was served with a warrant and arrested for failure to appear in court over a case going back to 2007 and in which the Christian minister was ordered by a judge to pay $140,000 to promoter ALW Entertainment.
The Dallas Morning News crime blog reports that Bynum was booked into the Lew Sterrett Justice Center in Dallas at about 10:30 p.m. last Thursday and was released the following day after appearing in court to address questions stemming from the case brought by ALW Entertainment.
The Dallas County Sheriffs Department's media relations unit confirmed with The Christian Post Monday that Dr. Bynum had been arrested by the Dallas Police Department and was released on court order last Friday. The department also provided a copy of Bynum's booking photo (seen at left).
Get Our Latest News for FREE
According to court records, Al Wash filed a lawsuit against Bynum several years ago for failing to honor an agreement to perform in a play although she had been paid to do so by his company, ALW Entertainment. Named as defendants in the lawsuit were Bynum and Juanita Bynum Enterprises, Inc.
While public court records indicate that the case was initially closed in March of this year, civil proceedings were reinstated on April 5 and a warrant issued for Bynum's arrest three days later. The Religion News Blog reports that the minister was arrested before her speaking engagement at the Ninth Annual Spring Prophetic Conference in Irving, Texas.
"She has disclosed the whereabouts of her assets and her business dealings," the Dallas Morning News quoted entertainment attorney David Small as saying, as his client reportedly had initially requested that Bynum disclose her financial records and provide proof of income.
The Christian Post contacted Juanita Bynum Ministries Monday and was told by a receptionist that there was no comment on her arrest.
Bynum, 54, is a Pentecostal minister and self-proclaimed prophetess who travels regularly to preach, with her messages said to reflect a prosperity, or health and wealth, theology. She is also an author and recording artist.
The Atlanta, Ga.-based minister shared some of her testimony during a radio broadcast last summer, revealing that she had struggled with drugs and been involved in lesbian relationships. While some listeners found Bynum's testimony startling, the Christian preacher said she hoped her story would inspire others to "serve Christ for real."
Bynum gained widespread attention in 2007 when she was a victim of domestic violence at the hands of her then-husband, Thomas Weeks III. Weeks pleaded guilty to physically assaulting Bynum in a hotel parking lot, and the pair divorced in 2008. Bynum revealed during the case that she also had been subjected to domestic violence during her first marriage.
