Douglas L. Lutz
How Judge Lutz rules, drawn from 7 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Lutz
Douglas L. Lutz became a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Eastern District of Kentucky on April 15, 2024, and became Chief Judge on October 10, 2025. Before joining the bench, his practice focused on bankruptcy, reorganizations and insolvency. He earned degrees from Miami University and the University of Toledo College of Law.
Judge Lutz's practices and standing orders
The court's website lists no individual practices or standing orders of Judge Lutz's own (checked October 11, 2026), so the court's local rules and general orders are the place to look (court page ↗).
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 11, 2026).
How Judge Lutz decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Procedural preferences
In Popovich v. Turner, Lutz granted the defendant's summary judgment motion after finding that the plaintiff failed to meet the evidentiary burden at that stage.
“Plaintiff was called to ‘put up or shut up’ and did not meet the moment.”
Cautions
In In re Hansen, Lutz denied the creditor's extension request because the creditor had not shown facts that would justify revoking the debtor's discharge.
“Creditor has not established that his objection is based on facts that would justify a revocation of Debtor’s discharge under § 727(d).”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“Defendant is entitled to a judgment in his favor on Plaintiff’s § 523(a)(5) claim.”
“For the foregoing reasons, Defendant’s Motion will be granted.”
“Plaintiff’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment [ECF No. 20] is GRANTED as to Garcia Auto’s liability under Counts I and II and DENIED as to Count III in its entirety.”
“Creditor’s Motion to Extend Time to Object to Discharge [ECF No. 42] is DENIED.”
“Plaintiff’s Motion for Summary Judgment [ECF No. 13] is GRANTED.”
“MEMORANDUM OPINION GRANTING PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT AND DENYING DEFENDANT’S CROSS MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT”
“The Bluegrass Motion [ECF No. 60] is GRANTED.”
“The Trust’s Motion [ECF No. 61] is GRANTED as to the dismissal of Bluegrass’s Counts Two (Injunctive Relief) and Three (Contempt Sanctions), and is DENIED as to the Trust’s requests for a summary judgment in its favor on its Counterclaims One (Declaratory Judgment), Three (Trespass to Land), and Four (Slander of Title), and on its request for a summary judgment in its favor on Bluegrass’s affirmative defense of mutual mistake (as moot).”
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