December 10, 2012
Dupuy seeks to have bankruptcy case, including a 145,333 student loan dismissed
GALVESTON — A county court judge who filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy protection in February is seeking to have the case dismissed, according to federal court documents filed Thursday.
Christopher Dupuy was elected judge of Galveston County Court of Law No. 3 during a 2010 Republican landslide. He has come under scrutiny related to incidents both before and after he became judge.
In October, Dupuy listed $299,772 as the amount in which creditors hold unsecured, nonpriority claims, court documents state.
On Thursday, Thomas M. Root, Dupuy’s bankruptcy attorney, filed a motion to dismiss his client’s Chapter 13 case.
Chapter 13 is called the wage earner bankruptcy, which is available to individuals who promise to repay as many debtors as possible.
Root and Dupuy didn’t immediately respond to messages seeking comment on the matter Thursday morning.
The February bankruptcy case was the second one for Dupuy since 2004, when he filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. He listed $404,706 in liabilities and $192,577 in assets then. An order was signed June 22, 2004, releasing all dischargeable debts.
In February’s filing, Dupuy listed 31 creditors on the form for those holding unsecured, nonpriority claims. Of those, 20 had dollar amounts attached, eight were listed as an unknown dollar amount and three were listed to provide notice.
The creditors included six different fees from attorneys, six credit card companies, four civil suits, two foreclosures, two repossessions, two student loans, a personal loan, a medical provider, a utility bill and a cellphone company.
The largest single debit listed was a $145,333 student loan, the document states.
Dupuy earns a $140,000 annual salary as judge, according to the Galveston County Human Resources Department.
Attorney David A. Bryant Jr. was among the attorneys listed as creditors. Bryant, on behalf of a company called Mr. Margarita, a former client of Dupuy’s, named Dupuy in a $500,000 fraud and malpractice lawsuit. The suit accused Dupuy of engaging in conduct that resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages to Dupuy’s clients.
In relation to that lawsuit, a judge ordered a $7,500 sanction against Dupuy and accused Dupuy of filing recusal motions solely for the purpose of delay and without sufficient evidence.
Shortly after the sanction, Dupuy filed for bankruptcy protection in February.
The bankruptcy filing put on hold the lawsuit, which is scheduled for a February status check.
Root seeks dismissal of the bankruptcy case without prejudice to refiling, the court document states.
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