In a compelling legal battle, a Georgia resident is taking on the Texas Attorney General over alleged improper child support enforcement. James Stephen Hallman filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia on January 16, 2026, against Ken Paxton, the Attorney General of Texas, and the Texas Office of the Attorney General’s Child Support Division.
The case revolves around Hallman’s claim that despite fulfilling his child support obligations as per a 2009 Georgia divorce decree, the Texas authorities wrongfully initiated enforcement actions against him. According to Hallman, these actions began around 2017-2018 without proper registration of the Georgia order in Texas or any judicial proceedings. He alleges that this was done without providing him notice or an opportunity for a hearing, which he argues is a violation of his procedural due process rights under 42 U.S.C. § 1983.
Hallman further contends that even after notifying the defendants about these jurisdictional issues and their subsequent acknowledgment of errors in arrears determination, they continued to withhold funds from him. This persistence in enforcement despite admitted mistakes forms the basis of his substantive due process claim. Hallman asserts that such actions were arbitrary and shocking to the conscience.
The plaintiff is seeking several forms of relief from the court. He requests declaratory relief to affirm that the defendants lacked authority to enforce the Georgia order and seeks an injunction to stop any further enforcement actions. Additionally, Hallman demands restitution for any wrongfully withheld funds and consequential damages for harm caused by these actions. He also seeks attorney’s fees and costs under 42 U.S.C. § 1988.
Representing himself pro se, James Stephen Hallman has laid out his grievances clearly in hopes of securing justice against what he perceives as overreach by Texas authorities into matters where Georgia retains exclusive jurisdiction. The case underscores ongoing tensions between state jurisdictions in family law matters and raises questions about interstate enforcement practices.
The case is being handled by Judge VMC with Case ID 1:26-cv-00283-VMC.
Source: 126cv00283_James_Stephen_v_Ken_Paxton_Complaint_Northern_District_of_Georgia.pdf
