Texas dad sentenced to SIX MONTHS in jail over child support payments he's already PAID after admin error bungled transactions

Clifford Hall was sentenced to six months in jail despite not owing any money in child support

The judge in the case said she was angry that Hall walked out of the courtroom when she found him in contempt of court

Hall says the only reason he ever fell behind in payments is because the amount he owed monthly was changed but he was never told

A Texas dad was sentenced to six months in jail in a dispute over his child support paymetns - despite the fact that he had paid his ex-wife all that he owed her.

Clifford Hall's child support payments are all caught up - he even paid back $3,000 that he says were inadvertently withheld from his ex-wife by his employer prior to the hearing.

But a judge in Texas said that fact did not excuse an initial delay - leaving Hal unable to pay more child support payments as he spends time in jail.



The confusion, according to Hall's attorney, Tyesha Elam, stems from someone changing the amount of Hall's mandatory child support payments without telling him.



Deadbeat? Clifford Hall was sentenced to jail even though he owes no money on his child support payments

Jail: Hall is preparing to turn himself in to begin serving a six-month jail sentence

'I discovered for some reason his employer was withholding a large amount some weeks a small amount some weeks a zero amount some weeks,' Elam tells MyFoxHouston.

Hall, saying that he 'didn't want to go to jail, basically,' paid the $3,000 balance on his child support bill prior to a November hearing in front of Judge Lisa Millard in November.

At the time of the hearing, Hall owed nothing.

'Opposing counsel testified twice that he's all paid up,' says Elam.

However, the attorney for Hall's ex-wife argued that he should be required to pay an additional $3,000 for his ex's attorneys fees.

Judge Millard agreed.



Disrespected: Judge Lisa Millard says Hall walked out of the courtroom when she found him in contempt of court

'The Judge ended up sentencing him to 6 months in jail.' Elam says.

Hall was stunned.

'When she said I remand you to the Harris County Jail for 180 days my mouth just dropped,' Hall told the station.

In addition to the attorney fees, Hall apparently wasn't following the court's scheduled times to pick up his son for visits - a change to his visitation stipulations he claims he knew nothing about.

Houston community activist Quanell X says he's never seen such a blatant miscarriage of justice.



'This entire situation is shocking to me,' X says. 'I've never seen one like this.'

'The court failed the child," he continues. 'The court failed Mr. Hall the system broke down.'

Hall says that sending him to jail is not going to help him or his son.



'I can't be there for my son in jail,' Hall says. 'I can't pay child support in jail. This is not in the best interest of the child.'

Activist: Community activist Quanell X says the court has failed both the child and Hall's son

Judge Millard, however, says that when she found Hall in contempt of court, he got up and walked out of the courtroom - which is enough to anger any judge.

Millard says Hall's attorneys can file a motion for reconsideration, which would allow her the opportunity to hear from both parties and reassess her decision.

Hall's attorney currently is working on an appeal.

Hall, meanwhile, is preparing to turn himself in to begin his sentence in a few days.

