Barry Russell
How Judge Russell rules, drawn from 4 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Russell
Barry Russell has served as a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Central District of California since 1974. He was the court’s chief judge from 2003 through 2006 and served on the Ninth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel. Before joining the bench, he worked for the Treasury Department, a public defender’s office, and the United States Attorney’s Office.
Judge Russell's practices and standing orders
Rules for cases before Judge Russell, as published on the court's website (checked October 10, 2026). Judges revise these often, so confirm the current version on the court's site before you file.
Key rules
Conferences
Check Judge Russell’s tentative ruling to learn whether an in-person hearing appearance is mandatory.
“It is extremely important that counsel and all interested parties read the Judge’s tentative rulings on his law and motion/trial calendar very carefully as the tentative rulings will indicate whether an in person appearance at a hearing is mandatory.”
Conferences
Attorneys appearing through ZoomGov must use video.
“All ZoomGov appearances by attorneys shall be by video on a laptop computer or on a ZoomGov interface on a mobile device or tablet.”
Standing orders for every case in this court
Orders the court applies to all of its cases, whichever judge has them, as published on the court's website (checked October 10, 2026).
How Judge Russell decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
Imputing fraud between spouses requires facts showing the kind of business partnership that existed when the fraud occurred.
“capacity as an attorney-wife and not as a business partner”
A debtor's possessory interest may receive automatic-stay protection even when state law has ended the debtor's legal right to possession.
“Butler possessed an equitable interest in the residential rental property at the time of her bankruptcy filing, which was protected by the automatic stay”
For homestead lien avoidance, the court applied the statutory impairment formula to each lien and relied on a valuation estimate prepared for a trustee by a broker with no stake in the outcome.
“Of all the valuation evidence presented to the Court, the most persuasive is the valuation estimate prepared by the real estate broker engaged by the chapter 7 trustee, who has no stake in the outcome of Debtor’s lien avoidance motions.”
Procedural preferences
Counsel should read tentative rulings carefully because they specify whether an in-person appearance is mandatory.
“the tentative rulings will indicate whether an in person appearance at a hearing is mandatory”
Tentative rulings are ordinarily posted one week before the scheduled hearing.
“The calendar with tentative rulings will be posted one week prior to the scheduled hearings”
Cautions
In Pelle, he found that counsel’s missed appeal deadline resulted from a lack of diligence rather than excusable neglect.
“While their explanations show a lack of diligence, carelessness, and neglect, they do not come close to meeting the standard of ‘excusable neglect.’”
An attorney seeking emergency remote access on the hearing date must contact chambers and obtain approval.
“attorneys who wish to appear by ZoomGov must contact Chambers at (213) 894-6091 and obtain approval”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“After balancing the four factors established by the United States Supreme Court in Pioneer to determine whether the neglect is excusable under Rule 9006(b)(2), this Court finds that the defendant/appellant has failed to establish excusable neglect for the late filing of the notice of appeal of the order granting the motion for summary judgment.”
“the facts do not support the imputation of Mr. Shart’s”
“By separate order, I grant Westside’s motion for relief from the automatic stay.”
“Therefore, each of Debtor’s four motions to avoid Mr. Rosenlund’s judicial liens will be denied.”
“Debtor is entitled to partially avoid the White Firm’s lien, but only to the extent of $11,187.00, with the lien continuing to attach to the extent of $123,405.77.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
The three terminated sampled adversaries lasted 482 to 569 days, with a median of 482 days. Four sampled adversaries remained pending. The cohort is useful for procedural timing but does not describe the court's broader caseload.
Draft for Judge Russell with the record in hand
Ezel grounds your drafting and research in this profile: what has persuaded Judge Russell, and what has not, cited to the signed orders.
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