Ralph T. Overman v. United States of America, Fred Hornkohl and Frances Overman

BRIGHT, Circuit Judge.

This appeal raises important and novel questions concerning the scope of federal jurisdiction over domestic relations cases: It concerns a suit contesting the validity of a prior divorce decree that comes into federal court by removal after a federal employee garnished for alimony and child support obligations sought to enjoin his federal disbursing officer from honoring the garnishment. The district court rejected the plaintiff’s motions to remand the case to the Missouri state court, and on motion of the federal defendants, the court dismissed the action for want of an…