Court disqualifies private judge in Jolie and Pitt divorce

 Court disqualifies private judge in Jolie and Pitt divorce

 

 

LOS ANGELES.- A California appeals court disqualified a private judge in charge of the divorce of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, giving Jolie an important victory in the case.

The 2nd District Court of Appeals agreed with Jolie that Judge John W. Ouderkirk under revealed her business relationships with Pitt's attorneys.

 

“Judge Ouderkirk's misconduct, considered in conjunction with the information disclosed regarding his recent professional relationships with Pitt's advisers, could lead an objective person, privy to all the facts, to have a reasonable doubt about the ability of Mr. of the judge to be impartial. A disqualification is required,” the court ruled.

 

 

The decision means that the fight over custody of the couple's five minor children, which was coming to an end, could begin again.

 

The judge has already ordered the divorce of the couple, but separately handled the guardianship of the children.

Like many famous couples, Pitt and Jolie decided to hire their own judge for more privacy in the divorce process.

 

 

Ouderkirk declined to disqualify himself when Jolie requested it in August. A lower court judge ruled that Jolie's disqualification request had been filed too late. After this, Jolie's lawyers appealed.

Arguments made July 9 to the appeals court focused on what ethical rules should apply to private judges who, like Ouderkirk, are often retired superior court judges.

 

 

 

"If you're going to take on the role of a paid private judge you have to abide by the rules and the rules are very clear, they require full transparency," said Jolie's attorney Robert Olson. "Matters that should have been disclosed were not disclosed."

The panel questioned whether such an agreement should be allowed in California, but its ruling applies only to Ouderkirk.

 

 

Lawyers for Jolie and Pitt had no immediate comment on the ruling.

Jolie, 46, and Pitt, 57, were one of Hollywood's most prominent couples for 12 years. They were married for two years when Jolie filed for divorce in 2016. Their divorce was finalized in April 2019, after their attorneys filed for a ruling that allows married people to be declared single while other matters, including financial and custody issues, remain unmarried. their children, continued to resolve.

 

 

 

In May, Jolie and her attorneys criticized Ouderkirk for not allowing the couple's children to testify at the hearings.

The actress also said the judge had "failed to adequately consider" a section of the California court code that says the welfare of minors is affected if guardianship is awarded to a person with a history of domestic violence. The documents filed by Jolie did not give details about what she was referring to, but her lawyers filed a confidential document in March that allegedly includes more information.

The ruling does not indicate whether minors will be able to testify in the case.