Michele J. Kim

How Judge Kim rules, drawn from 14 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.

Court
U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Georgia
Position
bankruptcy
Appointed by
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
Commissioned
2017-06-23
Signed orders read
14

How Judge Kim decides

Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.

What persuades

A settlement-enforcement request requires agreement on every essential term; agreement on only part of a claim will not support enforcement.

“Absent agreement on all essential terms, no enforceable settlement exists.”

Procedural preferences

When prior relief was entered without a meaningful opportunity to object, reconsideration may be necessary to prevent manifest injustice.

“Debtor was not afforded a meaningful opportunity to object or otherwise be heard on the Motion to Extend and it would be manifest injustice to allow the Second Extension Order to stand.”

Cautions

A law firm's status alone does not establish an exemption from generally applicable debt-adjustment law at the pleading stage.

“As previously established, this does not constitute a blanket exemption for law firms.”

Signed rulings

A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.

In re Crosby
23-50149 · 2025-04-22
Objection to claim of exemptions (Chapter 7 Trustee) Denied

“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the Objection (ECF No. 97) is OVERRULED.”

In re Gastwirth
19-20309 · 2020-09-30
Motion for reconsideration (Davin Joshua Gastwirth) Granted

“THEREFORE ORDERED, that Debtor’s Motion (ECF No. 65) is hereby GRANTED;”

Dill v. Gandy
23-02005 · 2024-02-20
Motion to enforce settlement (Randy Dill) Denied

“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Plaintiff’s Motion to Enforce Settlement Agreement (ECF No. 36) is DENIED;”

Motion to enforce settlement (Tony M. Gandy) Denied

“FURTHER ORDERED that Defendant’s Cross-Motion to Enforce Settlement Agreement (ECF No. 39) is DENIED.”

In re Thomas
24-20266 · 2025-01-23
Motion to sell real property (Chapter 7 Trustee) Granted

“FURTHER ORDERED that the Motion (ECF No. 155) is GRANTED;”

In re Thomas
24-20266 · 2025-02-25
Motion for automatic stay sanctions (Johnnie Marene Thomas) Denied

“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the Motion (ECF No. 23) is DENIED.”

In re Thomas
24-20266 · 2025-07-01
Motion to strike objection (Johnnie Marene Thomas) Denied

“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Debtor’s Motion to Strike the Trustee’s Objection (ECF No. 225) is DENIED;”

Objection to motion to convert (Chapter 7 Trustee) Granted

“FURTHER ORDERED that the Trustee’s Objection (ECF No. 217) is SUSTAINED as provided in this Order;”

Motion to convert case (Johnnie Marene Thomas) Denied

“FURTHER ORDERED that Debtor’s Motion to Convert to Chapter 13 (ECF No. 215) is DENIED.”

Motion to convert case (Johnnie Marene Thomas) Moot / procedural

“It is duplicative of the Motion to Convert to Chapter 13 (ECF No. 215) and is now denied as moot.”

In re Thomas
24-20266 · 2025-07-01
Objection to motion for turnover (Johnnie Marene Thomas) Denied

“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Debtor’s Objections (ECF Nos. 177, 178) to the Motion are OVERRULED;”

Objection to motion for turnover (Johnnie Marene Thomas) Denied
Motion for turnover (Chapter 7 Trustee) Granted

“FURTHER ORDERED that the Motion (ECF No. 157) is GRANTED;”

In re Thomas
24-20266 · 2025-11-17
Motion for contempt (Chapter 7 Trustee) Granted

“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the Motion (ECF No. 280) is GRANTED;”

In re Thomas
24-20266 · 2025-11-18
Motion for turnover (Chapter 7 Trustee) Granted

“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the Motion (ECF No. 294) is GRANTED;”

In re Thomas
24-20266 · 2026-01-12
Motion for stay pending appeal (Johnnie Marene Thomas) Denied

“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Debtor’s Motion for Stay is DENIED.”

In re Thomas
24-20266 · 2026-07-21
Motion for contempt (Chapter 7 Trustee) Granted

“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the Motion (ECF No. 447) is GRANTED;”

Zelda Development, LLC v. Landon
19-01002 · 2020-03-31
Summary judgment (Patrick Andrew Landon) Granted

“IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that Defendant’s amended Motion for Summary Judgment (A.P. ECF No. 22) is hereby GRANTED;”

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