In a stunning late-night reversal, U.S. Greg Guidry, a district judge, disqualified himself from the New Orleans Roman Catholic bankruptcy case involving nearly 500 victims of clergy sex abuse. The choice was made a week after an Associated Press story revealed Guidry had given the archdiocese tens of thousands of dollars while routinely siding with the church in his decisions.

In his initial announcement, Judge Guidry had stated that he would continue to hear the case because no “reasonable person” could dispute his impartiality, according to other federal judges. But in a terse, one-page filing late Friday, he reversed course in the face of mounting pressure and nagging questions. To avoid the appearance of any personal bias or prejudice, Guidry wrote, “I have chosen to recuse myself from this matter.”

Judge Guidry’s Recusal Throws New Orleans Roman Catholic Bankruptcy Case into Disarray

According to Associated Press News, the 62-year-old judge, who served as an appellate judge for the three-year-old bankruptcy, is expected to recuse himself, likely resulting in new hearings and appeals of every significant decision he has made.

This development comes after an image from a U.S.-provided video. Senate, depicting Judge Greg Guidry speaking on Wednesday, February 13, 2019, in Washington, D.C., during a hearing for district court candidates held by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. According to The Associated Press, Guidry’s support of the disputed bankruptcy of the New Orleans Roman Catholic archdiocese through donations and decisions may have created a conflict of interest that might have thrown the case into turmoil. 

According to another source, The Guardian reported that Despite giving over $50,000 to Catholic organizations in the New Orleans region, Guidry had previously informed lawyers involved in the case that a federal court committee on standards of conduct had cleared his handling of appeals about the issue. During his ten years as a justice on the Louisiana state supreme court, his residual contributions were used to make the payments.

Due to federal legal precedence that permits every decision made by a recused judge to be appealed and overturned potentially, Guidry’s decision is anticipated to completely destabilize the bankruptcy case, which has been underway since May 1, 2020.

Under the bankruptcy court records, a well-known local lawyer named John Litchfield, who served as the campaign finance committee head and cleared Guidry’s gifts to the New Orleans archbishop, received at least $80,000 straight from the neighborhood church. Litchfield’s firm had been defending some archdiocesan affiliates wherein, mainly nursing homes and senior living facilities, that are against allegations of medical misconduct. However, Litchfield emphasized that his company had steered clear of the most divisive claims at the heart of the bankruptcy, those involving people who claim they were assaulted as minors by Catholic priests and deacons.

Also Read:Connecticut Catholic School’s Alumni Rally to Rescue School Amidst Diocese’s Sex-Abuse Bankruptcy

Judge Guidry’s Recusal Prompts Reactions from Court Spokesman and Bankruptcy Creditor

According to the article shared in Arkansas Democrat Gazette, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts’ Charles Hall said Judge Guidry had no additional comments beyond the recusal order delivered last Friday.

James Adams, a bankruptcy creditor who claims he was molested by a priest in 1980, thinks the judge’s removal from the case was long overdue. Like the church, some federal judges won’t frequently act honorably until the press starts looking into and questioning them, according to Adams. “Putting on a black robe can have dangerous side effects, such as inflated ego and arrogance.”

Related Article:Catholic Diocese of Albany Might Face Bankruptcy Due to Lawsuits Alleging Sexual Abuse