Suzanne H. Bauknight
How Judge Bauknight rules, drawn from 19 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Bauknight
Suzanne H. Bauknight has served as a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee since November 2014 and now serves as chief judge. Before joining the bench, she served as an assistant United States attorney and civil division chief. She earned undergraduate and law degrees from the University of South Carolina.
Judge Bauknight's practices and standing orders
Rules for cases before Judge Bauknight, as published on the court's website (checked October 11, 2026). Judges revise these often, so confirm the current version on the court's site before you file.
- Sample Pretrial Order Adversary Proceeding ↗
- Guidance on Bifurcated Fees & Unbundled Services in Chapter 7 Cases ↗
- Procedure for Telephonic Appearance ↗
Key rules
Filing
In an eligible Chapter 7 bifurcated fee arrangement, the postpetition agreement may be signed no earlier than the second day after filing.
“The postpetition agreement must be executed postpetition and no earlier than the second day after the petition is filed.”
Filing
In a Chapter 7 bifurcated fee arrangement, pay the court filing fee in full before counsel takes postpetition payments.
“The court filing fee must be paid in full before counsel may receive postpetition payments”
Discovery
The sample adversary pretrial order requires a filed one-page letter requesting a court conference before a discovery motion.
“Before filing a motion to compel discovery, a motion for protective order, or another motion relating to disclosure or discovery, a party must (after having in good faith conferred or attempted to confer with the person or party failing to make disclosure or discovery in an effort to resolve the issue without court action) request a conference with the Court.”
Conferences
Out-of-division attorneys must file notice by 4 p.m. two business days before a nonevidentiary hearing to appear by phone.
“Attorneys residing outside of the Northern (Knoxville) Division are permitted to appear at non-evidentiary hearings telephonically only if they file a notice of their intention to so appear by at least 4:00 p.m. EST/EDT two business days before the hearing.”
Conferences
Local counsel seeking a telephone appearance at a nonevidentiary hearing must file a reasoned ex parte motion by noon two business days before it.
“Local counsel may appear at non-evidentiary hearings telephonically only if they file an ex parte motion to so appear stating the reason for their request no later than 12:00 p.m. EST/EDT two business days before the hearing.”
Conferences
Self-represented parties may not appear by telephone.
“Pro se parties are not permitted to appear telephonically at any 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 11, 2026).
How Judge Bauknight decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
When state property law made a survivorship interest severable and left each co-owner with a divisible share, the debtor could claim the Tennessee homestead exemption in the whole jointly owned interest.
“The Court, therefore, finds that the survivorship interest has no impact on the availability of the homestead exemption and Debtor may claim the homestead exemption in his whole interest in the jointly owned Property.”
A preference defense required tangible economic value returned to the estate; avoiding incarceration did not replenish estate assets.
“[A] vast majority of courts agree that 'new value' for purposes of § 547 must be something of tangible economic value.”
A debtor showed irreparable harm for a preliminary injunction when a creditor’s diversion of receivables threatened payroll, operating costs, customer relationships, and reorganization.
“These types of injuries are certain, immediate, and cannot be remedied merely by a monetary judgment after this adversary proceeding is litigated.”
Procedural preferences
Repeated boilerplate discovery objections, delayed privilege logs, and hearings made necessary by incomplete responses supported both compelled supplementation and an expense award.
“The Court finding that the Amended Motion is well taken in most respects, UpRight Law must amend its responses to the Chapter 13 Trustee’s discovery requests as detailed herein.”
In a repeat Chapter 13 case, failure to submit required filings or attend hearings despite an express warning supported dismissal and a 180-day refiling bar.
“A totality of the circumstances evidences that Debtor repeatedly and willfully failed to comply with orders of this Court and the Bankruptcy Code and did not file this case in good faith.”
Cautions
For Tennessee entireties property in an individual bankruptcy, a lien on the estate's survivorship interest is not avoidable through a homestead exemption that does not reach that interest.
“Because only Debtor’s survivorship interest in the Residence is property of the estate, and the homestead exemption does not apply to that survivorship interest under Sixth Circuit and Tennessee law, the Court, accordingly, directs the following:”
Plan projections need evidentiary support for refinancing and operating assumptions; unsupported forecasts did not establish feasibility even where the proposed secured-creditor treatment was not inherently unfair.
“Because Debtor’s figures do not support a finding that the Second Amended Plan can be funded as proposed and is not likely to be followed by liquidation or the need for additional financial restructuring, confirmation will be denied based upon feasibility.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“The Amended Motion to Avoid Judicial Lien Pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 522(f)(1)(A) filed by Debtor on May 4, 2026 [Doc. 47], seeking to avoid the lien of ABC Supply Co. Inc. is DENIED.”
“The Amended Motion to Avoid Judicial Lien Pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 522(f)(1)(A) filed by Debtor on May 4, 2026 [Doc. 48], seeking to avoid the lien of Builders FirstSource, Inc. is DENIED.”
“For these reasons, the Objection to Exemption is overruled, and Debtor's $25,000.00 homestead exemption shall be *810allowed.”
“the court grants Defendant’s motion for judgment on the pleadings”
“and denies Plaintiffs cross-motion for summary judgment.”
“Because Defendants have failed to execute a document memorializing this binding settlement agreement, the Court will enter, a judgment to enforce the agreement.”
“they will be required to pay the reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred by Plaintiff to file and prosecute the Motion to Enforce.”
“The Court, however, finds no basis whatever for imposing joint and' several liability for such attorneys’ fees and expenses on Defendants’ counsel, and Plaintiffs request for such is denied.”
“The Court, having analyzed both sides' arguments, finds that the 2016 Levy is a continuing levy against the MLB disability pension benefits and that the IRS is entitled to retroactive stay relief and annulment of the stay”
“For these reasons, the Trustee’s Objection to Exemption shall be sustained”
“the Court determines that the Amended Application shall be granted in part, and [¶] & C shall be allowed fees in the amount of $18,334.00 and expenses in the amount of $785.83.”
“Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment will be denied”
“and Plaintiff's Motion for Partial Summary Judgment will be granted.”
“the Trustee is entitled to turnover of the cars. Wolfenbarger shall be required to turn over possession of the Antique Cars to the Trustee within thirty days.”
“Plaintiffs’ Motion for Summary Judgment is denied.”
“the Court sustains the Trustee’s objection to Debtor’s amended exemptions seeking to exempt the Annuity payments beyond the $8,340.00 stipulated exemption amount”
“and overrules Debtor’s objection to the Trustee’s proposed sale of future Annuity payments”
“The Objections to Confirmation filed by Tennessee State Bank and the United States Trustee shall be sustained”
“Debtor’s Second Amended Plan filed on October 30, 2014, is not feasible and cannot be confirmed as proposed.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
All six sampled matters were terminated. Campbell supplied two text-grounded contested-motion dispositions; the five early streams supplied filing labels without attributable disposition text.
Draft for Judge Bauknight with the record in hand
Ezel grounds your drafting and research in this profile: what has persuaded Judge Bauknight, and what has not, cited to the signed orders.
Opens in Ezel Pro.
- Grounded in Judge Bauknight's own signed orders
- Cites every source it relies on, so you can verify it
- Chat, drafting and research in one workspace