Judge Craig Gargotta was a lawyer from 1990 to 2007. At that time, he was also the special editor of the Journal of the American Bankruptcy Institute and an adjunct professor at St. Mary's School of Law. He has served as a U.S. bankruptcy judge since October 1, 2007. He has written more than 40 columns and articles in the ABI Journal and the American Bankruptcy Research Legal Review.
February 15, 2024 (the sixth day of the first lunar month), four senior partner lawyers from Well Bond Law Firm came to the Hipolito F. Garcia Federal Building and United States Courthouse, which is a historic courthouse, federal office building and post office building, located in the center of San Antonio, Texas, Bill County, United States. Its predecessor is the United States Post Office, Federal Office Building and Court Building, which is the seat of the Federal District Court for the Southern District of Texas. The Federal Bankruptcy Court is on the fifth floor of this building.
The American judicial system is a parallel system of state courts and federal courts. Among them, the federal court system from top to bottom is: the Federal Supreme Court - Federal Court Circuit Court - Federal District Court (Federal Bankruptcy Court). There are 94 federal bankruptcy courts in the United States. All bankruptcy cases are heard by the federal bankruptcy court, and the state courts have no jurisdiction to hear bankruptcy cases.
Today, the Chinese lawyers entered the federal bankruptcy court to observe the on-site hearing of consumer bankruptcy cases heard by Judge Craig Gargotta. During the hearing from 10:00 to 11:30 in the morning, Judge Gargotta handled nearly 10 cases. One of the cases was that the bankruptcy applicant presented the court with the need to spend $8,000 to repair the car, and the bankruptcy trustee and the bankruptcy applicant had several rounds of debate. After hearing the opinions of all parties, Judge Gargotta made the ruling and elaborated the reasons for the ruling in court, which was convincing to both parties.
When the visit ended at noon, the Chinese lawyers tasted a Mexican-style lunch, visited the San Antonio Cathedral, the Spanish Governor's House, the Alamo and other historical sites, and took a boat trip on the inland river of San Antonio.
Judge Gargotta held a small legal seminar with the Chinese lawyers in his conference room. The judge in the court is majestic, and the judge under the court is a scholar. Judge Gargotta patiently answered the questions raised by the Chinese lawyers. For the legal background of the personal bankruptcy system, the selection and appointment of bankruptcy judges, the property disclosure system in personal bankruptcy, and the measures for debtors who violate the debt repayment plan, Judge Gargotta gave detailed answers.
