The Cincinnati Enquirer

A federal judge agreed Wednesday to rescind an order that the state of Ohio pay $21 million to children who have been unable to collect support payments from delinquent parents.

A U.S. District Court clerk ordered the payment as a "default judgment" because it appeared the state had failed to respond to the $21 million claim before a Tuesday deadline. But on Wednesday, state officials successfully argued they had filed their response in time after all.

The claim stems from a suit filed last year on behalf of children who have not received support payments and for a company that was hired by the state to collect those payments.

The Blue Ash-based company, National Child Support Inc., accused the state of depriving children of their legal right to support payments. The state said it dropped the company because its billing method was "a scheme" that ripped off the federal government.

The judge now must decide whether to dismiss the lawsuit.