Court Connection: e-Edition

The Court is proud to share the e-edition of the Court Connection.

For readers who prefer to read the newsletter on paper, it can be printed in its entirety by downloading a full-text PDF version.

Click here for the PDF version.

Local Bar Events       Click here for a list of upcoming events around the district.

Local Bar Associations News and events from your local bar association

By: John J. Freeman, Esq. President

On Thursday, December 13, 2018, the Jacksonville Bankruptcy Bar Association held a cocktail party at the law firm of Nelson Mullins celebrating Kathy Para’s recent retirement.

Click here for more details.

By: Michael A. Nardella, Esq.  2018 President

On October 3rd, CFBLA hosted our Division’s amazing clerks and support staff at the Citrus Club for a luncheon in their honor. Thanks again to all of you who make our jobs possible^.

Click here for more details.

By: Joshua J. Tejes, Esq. Chair

The OCBA is excited to hear from Consumer Debt Counselors at its January 25, 2019 luncheon regarding student loan repayment options. They will be able to give an overview of 2018 statistics regarding student loan repayment and current issues with borrowers’ defenses to repayment on student loans related to the for-profit college industry.

Click here for more details.

Southwest Florida Bankruptcy Professional Association

By: Jonathan Tolentino, Esq.  President

The Seventh Annual Alexander L. Paskay Memorial Dinner was held this past October 25th at The Edison by the Southwest Florida Bankruptcy Professionals Association. As the host of the dinner, I was able to see the event develop and was very pleased with how the event turned out.

Click here for more details.

Editors:

Bradley M. Saxton & C. Andrew Roy Winderweedle, Haines, Ward & Woodman, P.A.

Eleventh Circuit Cases

Dukes v. Suncoast Credit Union (In re Dukes), 909 F.3d 1306 (11th Cir. 2018)

Bertram v. HSBC Mortgage Services, Inc. (In re Bertram), 2018 WL 5797725 (11th Cir. Nov. 5, 2018)(unpublished)

Bankruptcy Court Cases

Luria v. ADP, Inc. (In re Taylor, Bean & Whitaker Mortgage Corp.), 593 B.R. 862 (Bankr. M.D. Fla. 2018)(Colton, J.).

In re Carr, 591 B.R. 474 (Bankr. M.D. Fla. 2018)(McEwen, J.)

In re Harris, 2018 WL 4944990 (Bankr. M.D. Fla. Oct. 11, 2018)(Jackson, J.).

Click here for the latest updates.

Honor Roll of Tampa Clinic Volunteers

Rounding out our 2018 year of thanks, the district's bankruptcy judges honor the fourth quarter's Tampa courthouse clinic volunteers. A special shout out goes to Mike Barnett for his Christmas Eve tour of duty, staying late to help a pro se debtor.  And another special shout out goes to Patti Halloran for taking the unfilled hour of duty on New Year's Eve! 

Click here for the full story.

Click here for the latest statistics.

Clerk's Message January 2019

By: Sheryl L. Loesch, Clerk of the Court

It’s hard to believe another year has come and gone. As we get ready to close out 2018 and welcome 2019, I want to thank all of our Court family for another year of living our goal of “One Court, One Team” and for everyone’s dedicated service, excellent work ethic, and caring for one other.  This is always the time of year when we reflect upon accomplishments from the past year while looking forward to our goals and dreams for the upcoming one. 

Click here for the full story.

Judge's Corner

Chief Judge Isicoff (FLSB) and Judge McEwen enjoying the presidential decorations at the White House in December

While in Washington DC, Judge McEwen runs into former FLMB Shared Law Clerk, Amir Shachmurove.

Click here to view larger image of pictures.

Calling all Lawyers to Reignite our Court's Legal Assistance Program

By: The Honorable Judge Catherine Peek McEwen

Perhaps you do not know about a pro bono program administrated by our Court. No, it's not the (very successful) courthouse clinics operated by the local bankruptcy bar associations in our divisions, which clinics provide on-the-spot limited legal advice.  Our Court's program is called the Legal Assistance Program (LAP), which provides a longer-term commitment to an indigent client. 

Click here to read the full story.

Pro Se Debtor Negotiates Improved Reaffirmation Agreement on Her Own

By: The Honorable Judge Catherine Peek McEwen

Debtor Christina P. did for herself something that we do not see many lawyers even attempting, which is obtaining concessions in the context of negotiating a reaffirmation agreement.

Click here for the full story.

The United States Trustee Program:  Celebrating 30 Years

By: Charles R. Sterbach, Asst. U. S. Trustee

Between 1987 and 1988, the United States Trustee Program opened more than seventy offices, enhancing fourteen existing offices that had been opened earlier during a pilot phase, and commenced its nationwide efforts to serve as the “watchdog” of the national bankruptcy system with the singular goal of promoting the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system.

Click here to read the full story.

District Steering Committee Update

On November 7, 2018, the Steering Committee hosted its 7^th Annual Bench Bar Conference at the Sam Gibbons Federal Courthouse.  The Conference was well attended and included judges, courtroom personnel, trustees, and attorneys from each division in the Middle District.  Additionally, faculty members and law students from the University of Florida, Stetson, FAMU, Barry, and Thomas M. Cooley law schools were invited to participate.

Click here for the full story.

Dear Point & Click: Answers to Technical Questions

Dear Point and Click,

Question: I have forgotten the password associated with my Bankruptcy Court CM/ECF filing account; how do I obtain a new one?

For the Answer, click here.

The Court Connection is published quarterly.  Please submit items for inclusion in the next edition by

March 31, 2019 to:

newsletter@flmb.uscourts.gov