Jennie D. Latta
How Judge Latta rules, drawn from 20 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Latta
Jennie D. Latta has served as a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Western District of Tennessee since March 1997. She served on the Sixth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel from 2003 to 2007 and has chambers in Memphis.
Judge Latta's practices and standing orders
Rules for cases before Judge Latta, 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.
Key rules
Contacting chambers
Write to Judge Latta about pending cases through pleadings rather than letters.
“Letters to the Judge regarding pending cases are discouraged; written communication ordinarily should be through pleadings.”
Filing
Send proposed Chapter 13 orders to the trustee assigned to the debtor’s case.
“Proposed orders in Chapter 13 cases must be submitted to the Chapter 13 Trustee assigned to the Debtor’s case.”
Motions
For an adversary dispositive motion, a hearing is set only if specifically requested.
“a hearing on the motion will not be set unless specifically requested.”
Conferences
For an agreed Chapter 7 or 11 continuance, contact the courtroom deputy or chambers by 3:30 p.m. the day before the hearing.
“the continuance may be requested as late as 3:30 p.m. on the date before the scheduled hearing by a telephone call or email to Courtroom Deputy Debra Hayes or Chambers staff.”
Conferences
Present Chapter 13 continuance requests to the trustee by 1:00 p.m. the day before the hearing.
“Judge Latta requests that announcements or requests for continuance be presented first to the Chapter 13 Trustee, by 1:00 p.m. the day before the date of a scheduled 10:00 a.m. hearing.”
Conferences
For a telephone appearance, give the courtroom deputy the calling number by 3:30 p.m. the day before the hearing.
“you need to notify Courtroom Deputy Debra Hayes and provide the telephone number from which you will be calling for identification purposes no later than 3:30 p.m. the day before your scheduled hearing.”
Trial
Attend evidentiary hearings in person with witnesses.
“Evidentiary hearings require that attorneys and witnesses appear in person.”
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 Latta decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In one discharge decision, unanswered requests for admission conclusively established the facts needed for partial summary judgment.
“By failing to respond to the Plaintiff’s requests for admissions, the Defendant is deemed to have admitted all the statements in the requests for admissions.”
Procedural preferences
The proof-of-claim deadline is enforced unless a specifically authorized exception applies.
“It is clear, however, that Rule 3002(c) provides a hard deadline for filing proofs of claim except in certain limited and specific circumstances, none of which apply here.”
In In re Tawana Ann Coleman, Judge Latta struck a limited liability company’s letter without considering its requested relief because the company had not appeared through licensed counsel.
“Should Auto Haven desire to appear in this bankruptcy case, it must do so by a licensed attorney.”
Cautions
A dismissal argument raised for the first time in reply did not support immediate dismissal where the opposing parties had no opportunity to respond.
“The Motion to Dismiss is denied because the County, having conceded to the Plaintiffs’ position concerning the abrogation of sovereign immunity by section 106 of the Bankruptcy Code and the waiver of sovereign immunity by section 1-3-121 of the Tennessee Code, raised a new issue in its Reply concerning the breadth of the waiver of sovereign immunity in the Tennessee Code to which the Plaintiffs have not had an opportunity to respond.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“For the foregoing reasons, the Motion to Reconsider is DENIED.”
“Accordingly, the Trustee’s motion is DENIED.”
“Accordingly, the Motion to Reconsider is DENIED.”
“Summary Judgment is DENIED to the Plaintiffs and GRANTED for the Defendant.”
“For the foregoing reasons, the Motion to Dismiss Laksh Nandrajog as Defendant is GRANTED because it fails to state a claim against the defendant for which relief may be granted.”
“For the foregoing reasons, the Motion to Dismiss will be DENIED.”
“Judgment by default will be entered for the Plaintiff SCGV Dexter Ridge, LLC against the Defendants, Theodore E. Harris, Jr., and Jo Carol Harris, as to Count IV of the Complaint only.”
“Because Reliable does not object to the temporary allowance of Virtus’s claim for purposes of voting to accept or reject the competing plans, Virtus’s motion is GRANTED.”
“As a result, Pool 5 holds no allowed claim against the bankruptcy estate.”
“Answer: No, the March Monthly Rent is not allowable as an administrative expense because it was fully mitigated together with the balance of the potential damages of Pool 5.”
“For the foregoing reasons, the complaint is DISMISSED because the Plaintiffs lack standing to proceed with recovery of property of the estate.”
“For the foregoing reasons, the Motion to Dismiss and the Motion for Summary Judgment are DENIED.”
“For the foregoing reasons, judgment shall be entered for the Plaintiff, Peacola Inetta Walker, against the Defendants, Triple Diamond Auto Sales, LLC, Black Diamond Auto Sales, LLC, Raymond Clayborne, and Bernard Evans, jointly and severally, in the amount of $7,000, for which let execution issue.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Five sampled matters were terminated and the Jefferies case remained pending. The pending matter supplied one express reconsideration outcome.
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