Perceptions, Reality, and a Debtor’s Desire to Change Venue

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By Beverly M. Burden, Chapter 13 Trustee for the Eastern District of Kentucky

“In matters of ethics, appearance and reality often converge as one.” 1

A pro se debtor recently filed a chapter 13 petition in the proper district and immediately filed a motion to transfer venue because he believes his case will not be handled “in a proper and professional manner.” He is known to the bankruptcy judge and trustees because he has been involved in litigation before the judge; he was a former bankruptcy petition preparer; and he . . .

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