Patrick J. McNulty
How Judge McNulty rules, drawn from 1 signed order. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Judge McNulty no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled here.
About Judge McNulty
Patrick J. McNulty served as a bankruptcy judge in Duluth for the District of Minnesota during the 1970s and early 1980s. He became a full-time federal magistrate in 1984 and died in 1997.
How Judge McNulty decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
Silence can constitute actionable fraud when conduct implies ownership and the debtor knows the lender is relying on that implication.
“Remaining silent was concealment of a material fact, and was no less an effective misrepresentation than a blatant claim of ownership.”
The court read the exemption and lien-avoidance provisions in light of bankruptcy's rehabilitative purpose.
“A fresh start cannot be attained by returning a debtor to point zero.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
The signed decision followed trial and entered judgment on dischargeability, damages, exemptions, and lien avoidance; it is retained for reasoning but excluded from motion statistics.
A historical record
Judge McNulty no longer hears cases. This profile stays available as a record of how they ruled here. If you're preparing for a matter, start from the court's current bench.