Elijah Dukes ordered to increase child support

TAMPA -- A Hillsborough judge ordered baseball player Elijah Dukes to increase child support payments to his estranged wife, NiShea Gilbert, after a court hearing this morning.

He had been paying $2,800 a month in support for his two children. That amount will increase to $3,536 per month because Dukes received a bonus from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays of $150,000 -- the latest installment toward his original $500,000 signing bonus -- in August. Dukes was removed from the Rays roster after controversy over allegations from his wife that he threatened to kill her and their children.

Judge J. Kevin Carey ordered the increase Wednesday after reviewing the request from Gilbert's attorney, Catherine Real. He also set another hearing for Monday to consider a request by the Devil Rays to withhold records that Real requested.

Dukes' attorney said during a July hearing that Dukes had undergone an evaluation while at the Menninger Clinic in Texas, Real said.

Real said the clinic records may include drug test results that could show whether Elijah Dukes had taken steroids or growth hormones. But she acknowledged she isn't sure what the records contain because she hasn't seen them.

The judge in July gave Dukes' attorney 10 days to send Real the records. Real never received them. She subpoenaed the Devil Rays for them.

The Devil Rays say in court papers that any documents in the team's possession about Dukes' health are confidential and cannot be released without Dukes' permission, which he has not given.

In response to today's court proceedings, the Devil Rays released this statement: "The Rays are not a party to these matters, and the law prohibits the release of any employee's medical records or other information without employee permission."

The judge also ordered the couple to begin arrangements for weekly visits between Dukes and his children at the Children's Justice Center in Tampa.

Kevin Graham, Times staff writer

Complete coverage of the Dukes case.