Erithe A. Smith
How Judge Smith rules, drawn from 2 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Smith
Erithe A. Smith joined the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California in May 1994 and was reappointed in 2008. She served on the Ninth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel from 2004 through 2007 and later served as a recalled judge in Santa Ana. Before joining the bench, she clerked for a California appellate justice and a federal bankruptcy judge.
Judge Smith's practices and standing orders
Rules for cases before Judge Smith, 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.
- Courtroom Policies & Procedures ↗
- Notice to Practitioners Re: LBR 7016-1(a)(2) ↗
- Trial Procedures Supplemental to Local Rules ↗
- Telephonic Appearance Procedures ↗
Key rules
Motions
Support every motion and application with declarations.
“All motions and applications must be supported by declaration(s).”
Motions
For a motion that does not require a hearing absent objection, file a declaration stating that no opposition was served during the objection period.
“the moving party must file a declaration stating that no opposition to the motion has been served within the objection period.”
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 Smith decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
A disqualification request requires evidence rather than speculation about how a judge might participate in separate litigation.
“speculation by a non-party to a lawsuit as to the possible future litigation strategy of a plaintiff cannot establish partiality or bias”
A party seeking recusal should move promptly after learning the asserted basis; an unexplained eight-month delay weighed against the request.
“Debtor waited eight months to submit the Motion.”
Procedural preferences
Remote participants should connect at least ten minutes before the hearing so check-in and display-name issues can be resolved.
“Dial in or connect at least 10 minutes prior to you hearing start time”
A participant should state their name when first speaking and again after another speaker to preserve a clear audio record.
“When you first speak—and each time you speak after someone else has spoken—please say your name.”
Cautions
A party choosing remote participation bears the practical risk of a malfunction or disconnection.
“any party or counsel that elects to appear remotely bears the risk of malfunction or disconnection from the hearing”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“Motion granted:”
“the Motion to Disqualify Hon. Alan Ahart, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge is denied”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
The ten terminated sampled matters lasted 54 to 1,347 days, with a median of 829 days. No pending matter was returned by the exact-name searches. This fixed sample is descriptive and is not a complete caseload census.
Draft for Judge Smith with the record in hand
Ezel grounds your drafting and research in this profile: what has persuaded Judge Smith, and what has not, cited to the signed orders.
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