Mark D. Houle
How Judge Houle rules, drawn from 30 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Houle
Mark D. Houle has served as a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Central District of California since February 2012 and began a second term in February 2026. Before joining the bench, he practiced bankruptcy and insolvency law and represented debtors, creditors’ committees, and trustees. He served in the United States Air Force and Massachusetts Air National Guard.
Judge Houle's practices and standing orders
Rules for cases before Judge Houle, 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.
- Early Meeting of Counsel and Status Conference Instructions ↗
- Miscellaneous Instructions ↗
- Trial and Evidentiary Hearing Procedures ↗
- Telephonic Appearance Procedures ↗
Key rules
Trial
File a trial brief unless Judge Houle excuses it by court order.
“timely file a trial brief, unless excused by court order.”
Trial
Deliver the original tagged exhibit set and four conformed copy sets to the courtroom deputy at least five court days before trial or an evidentiary hearing.
“All parties shall prepare one tagged original set of exhibits to be offered into evidence and four sets of conformed copies (one for each counsel, one for the judge, and one for the witness). All sets of exhibits shall be delivered to Judge Houle’s Courtroom Deputy, at least five court days prior to the scheduled trial or evidentiary hearing.”
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 Houle decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
A party claiming that commingled funds remain separate or exempt should provide a tracing analysis tied to the account record.
“Because Debtor has not provided a tracing analysis, and the Court has concluded that the entirety of the Funds should be treated as community property, Mr. Hammond's exemption is not valid.”
Issue preclusion requires a record showing that the prior tribunal actually resolved the precise mental-state issue presented.
“The State Court Judgment is therefore insufficient to permit application of collateral estoppel as to the willfulness prong of § 523(a)(6).”
A creditor's work that substantially benefits a Chapter 7 estate may support an administrative expense, but the award is limited to services performed for the estate rather than the creditor alone.
“where a creditor has made a substantial contribution to a Chapter 7 case, the Bankruptcy Court has discretion to allow an administrative expense in accordance with the equities of the case.”
Procedural preferences
In In re Washington, Houle denied the debtor’s motion to disallow a junior lienholder’s claim because avoiding the underwater lien converted the claim to an unsecured claim against the Chapter 13 estate.
“the wholly underwater junior lien becomes an unsecured claim upon lien avoidance.”
Cautions
In Kim v. Yoon, Houle held that the creditor lacked standing to pursue a fraudulent-transfer claim because she did not possess the trustee’s avoidance powers.
“Plaintiff, a creditor, does not have standing to pursue the fraudulent transfer claim, absent Trustee's avoidance powers.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“AMENDED MEMORANDUM DECISION AND ORDER DENYING MOTION TO DISALLOW CLAIM”
“the amended complaint's first claim is DISMISSED. Because the amended complaint's second and third claims are contingent on the first claim, those claims are also dismissed.”
“Albrecht is not entitled to summary judgment on either prong of § 523(a)(6).”
“Schrader is not entitled to summary judgment as to 'willfulness' but partial summary judgment shall be entered as to a finding that the State Court Judgment and record support a finding that Sangha's conduct as adjudicated by the State Court was 'malicious' under § 523(a)(6).”
“Because Claim 5 was not discharged, there can be no violation of the discharge injunction, and, therefore, the motion is DENIED.”
“The Motion is granted for the reasons set forth in the Court's Tentative Ruling”
“For those reasons, and as set forth above, Debtors' motion is DENIED.”
“the Trustee's Motion for Order Revoking Abandonment of Real Property (6 Dover Ct., Rancho Mirage, CA 92270) be, and hereby is, DENIED.”
“the total allowed administrative expense will be $8,491.02.”
“Defendants' motion for summary judgment is hereby granted.”
“The Motion is granted in part, and denied in part as follows:”
“the Court GRANTS Defendant's motion, VACATING entry of default on the condition that Defendant reimburse Plaintiff in the amount of $4,593.75.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Five sampled early-tenure matters terminated in 109 to 2,191 days, with a median of 379 days. Five recently filed sampled matters remained pending. This boundary sample is descriptive and is not a complete caseload census.
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Ezel grounds your drafting and research in this profile: what has persuaded Judge Houle, and what has not, cited to the signed orders.
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