Opinion ID: 787272
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Administration of the Proceedings

Text: 53 Finally, Focus points to the bankruptcy judge's administration of the proceedings as potential evidence of partiality. Although the proceedings were lengthy and the bankruptcy judge may at times have been stern, Focus has cited nothing in the record to suggest that the bankruptcy judge was unwilling to hear and respond to Focus' concerns and arguments. For example, although the bankruptcy judge expressed frustration with Focus' discovery responses and ultimately imposed a discovery sanction, she routinely sought Focus' version of the story and interrogated petitioning creditors' counsel about that version. Similarly, although Focus complains about a hearing that ended at almost one o'clock in the morning, Focus does not explain how the hearing was intended to disadvantage Focus. On the contrary, the bankruptcy judge stated that she thought it was in the interest of justice to get this completed. 54 `[J]udicial remarks during the course of a trial that are critical or disapproving of, or even hostile to, counsel, the parties, or their cases, ordinarily do not support a bias or partiality challenge.' United States v. Martin, 278 F.3d 988, 1005 (9th Cir.2002) (quoting Liteky, 510 U.S. at 555, 114 S.Ct. 1147). Here, the bankruptcy judge's comments may have been testy, but they do not justify a recusal under Liteky. The comments were not based on any extrajudicial source. Rather, the judge's `knowledge and the [disposition she] produced were properly and necessarily acquired in the course of the proceedings.' Id. (quoting Liteky, 510 U.S. at 551, 114 S.Ct. 1147). To the extent the bankruptcy judge treated Focus with disapproval, she did so by way of adverse rulings and — a reasonable observer would conclude — because of her view that Focus' claims tended to lack merit and that its cooperation (particularly during discovery) left much to be desired. These actions do not support Focus' argument that the bankruptcy judge's rulings evinced a broader, improper design to hurt Focus. We therefore hold that the bankruptcy judge did not abuse her discretion in denying Focus' motions for disqualification.