A new judge has been appointed to oversee the ongoing bankruptcy proceeding between Alabama One and other creditors, and former real estate developer Danny Ray Butler.

The previous judge, Jennifer Henderson, recused herself from the case on May 27, citing the section of the U.S. code that addressed disqualification of judges, according to court documents.

Henderson recused herself from the case after more information about the firm where she had been a partner before becoming a judge – Bradley, Arant, Boult, Cummings LLP, a 470-lawyer firm with offices in Birmingham, Ala. and Wash., D.C. – became known. While she had been with Arant Boult, the firm had done business with Alabama One, including a review of the performance of Alabama One CEO John Dee Carruth, that the credit union had later cited in an ongoing legal fight with the Alabama Credit Union Administration.

Because of the recusal, the chief judge of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for Northern Alabama named the Honorable Clifton R. Jessup to handle the case, according to a May 27 order.

Jessup earned his undergraduate degree from Oakwood University in 1976 and his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 1978, according to reports in media outlets. Prior to becoming a judge, Jessup was an attorney for the law firm of Greenberg Traurig LLP, an 1,800-lawyer, multi-national firm with locations in 37 cities in the U.S.

Instant Insights /

New Bankruptcy Judge Set in Alabama One Case

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