Bill H. Brister

How Judge Brister rules, drawn from 17 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.

Judge Brister no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.

Court
U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas
Position
bankruptcy
Status
Deceased
Served
1978–1985
Commissioned
1978
Education
University of Texas School of Law
Signed orders read
17

How Judge Brister decides

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

What persuades

A creditor seeking stay relief could be adequately protected by collateral that would not materially depreciate while a prompt reorganization proposal was prepared.

“Where the property against which the security interest is claimed is not reasonably calculated to depreciate that, in itself, is a form of adequate protection”

Procedural preferences

Actual knowledge of a bankruptcy required a creditor to investigate deadlines and protect its claim even without formal notice.

“Thus it had a duty to protect its interest by making inquiry as to the status of the bankruptcy case.”

Cautions

Property claimed as exempt remained in the estate until the objection period expired and could not be transferred prematurely.

“During that thirty day period neither the trustee nor the debtors can take any action concerning that property claimed to be exempt which might adversely affect the interest of the other.”

Signed rulings

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

In Re Duggan
· 1980-06-24
Motion to amend exemptions (Donnie Powell Duggan) Denied

“the debtor’s motion was not timely filed and is therefore denied.”

Hill v. Farmers Home Administration (In Re Hill)
· 1982-04-09
Motion for contempt (H. L. Hill) Granted

“FmHA and its cognizant officials are in contempt by virtue of that conscious and intentional action in making setoff demand against ASCS monies.”

Request for attorney fees (H. L. Hill) Denied

“I have considered all of those factors in rejecting the request by the debtor for compensatory award of attorney’s fees.”

Request for attorney fees (Farmers Home Administration) Denied

“the refusal of debtor’s counsel in that regard is not evidence of bad faith and does not entitle FmHA to an award of attorney’s fees.”

Declaratory judgment no setoff (H. L. Hill) Granted

“Farmers Home Administration may not setoff against the indebtedness owed it by Hill those monies which otherwise are payable by ASCS to, or for the benefit, of Hill.”

In Re McLaury
· 1982-07-19
Motion to dismiss case (Roy Don Hodges and Ann Hodges) Denied

“The motion by Roy Don Hodges and Ann Hodges to dismiss this Chapter 11 case be, and it is hereby, presently denied without prejudice.”

In Re Impact Publications, Inc.
· 1982-10-29
Application for compensation (Attorney for the debtor) Denied

“the application for compensation and expenses filed by Kathy Hall, attorney for the debtor, be, and it is hereby, denied.”

In Re Evans
· 1982-10-29
Claim of exemption (Debtor) Granted

“the following described real property and the following described personal property with aggregate value of less than $30,-000.00 be, and it is hereby, declared exempt on the debtor’s application”

Claim of exemption (Debtor) Denied

“the remaining claimed exemptions, including furniture to the extent of $1,000.00, cash value of Massachusetts Life Insurance Company policies numbered 6-576-108, 5-131-609, 4-143-959, and 4-562-187, and dentist and orthodontics tools and equipment be, and each of them is hereby, DENIED.”

In Re Archer
· 1983-09-29
Motion to prohibit use cash collateral (Brownfield State Bank & Trust Company) Granted

“those funds may not be used by the debtor without consent of the bank or order of this Court.”

In Re Jones
· 1984-01-16
Challenge to security transaction (Official Unsecured Creditors' Committee) Denied

“The challenges by the Official Unsecured Creditors’ Committee to the security transactions on June 8, 1982, be, and they are hereby, overruled and denied”

Challenge to security transaction (Official Unsecured Creditors' Committee) Granted

“The challenges by the Official Unsecured Creditors’ Committee to the security transactions on August 23, 1982, be, and they are hereby, sustained”

Motion to set aside cash collateral order (Official Unsecured Creditors' Committee and Tascosa National Bank) Granted

“The order for use of cash collateral and adequate protection entered by this Court on September 7, 1983, be, and it is hereby, set aside”

Motion for relief from stay (InterFirst Bank Odessa, N.A.) Denied

“The motion for modification of stay filed by InterPirst Bank Odessa N.A. be, and it is hereby, presently denied without prejudice.”

Oliphant v. Amarillo Pantex Federal Credit Union (In Re Oliphant)
· 1984-01-05

The court fixed the amount subject to setoff and ordered the balance returned, but the available disposition did not map cleanly to a single motion outcome.

In Re Price
· 1984-01-12
Motion for relief from stay (Small Business Administration) Denied

“the motion for modification of stay filed by Small Business Administration be, and it is hereby, presently denied without prejudice”

In Re Missionary Baptist Foundation of America, Inc.
· 1984-02-24
Summary judgment (Robert B. Wilson, trustee) Granted

“summary judgment be, and it is hereby, entered on behalf of the trustee Robert B. Wilson against the Department of Health and Human Services and Health Care Financing Administration”

In Re Estate of Shahan
· 1984-04-03
Secured hospital lien claim (Amarillo Hospital District) Granted

“To the Amarillo Hospital District the sum of $13,128.35 in payment of its secured hospital lien”

Claim of exemption (Wanda Marie Shahan) Granted

“To Wanda Marie Shahan, debtor, the sum of $7,500.00 in payment of the exemption to which she is entitled”

In Re Grant
· 1984-04-06
Objection to exemption (The Amarillo National Bank) Denied

“the challenges by The Amarillo National Bank to the exemptions claimed by the debtors, Huey Foster Grant and Taffy Jane Grant, be, and they are hereby, denied and overruled.”

A historical record

Judge Brister no longer hears cases. This profile stays available as a record of how they ruled. If you're preparing for a matter, start from the court's current bench.