The 'Maleficent' actress requested the disqualification of Judge John W. Ouderkirk with the argument that he failed to disclose his business relationships with one of her ex-husband's attorneys.
- Oct 3, 2020
AceShowbiz - Angelina Jolie has lost her battle to remove the private judge overseeing her divorce from Brad Pitt.
The "Maleficent" star filed paperwork in August, requesting the disqualification of Judge John W. Ouderkirk from the proceedings, claiming he failed to disclose his business relationships with one of Pitt's attorneys, but on Friday, October 2, court documents revealed she had been unsuccessful in her quest, and the case was "assigned" Ouderkirk "for all purposes".
A source confirmed to Us Weekly magazine that the judge will be presiding over the case as Angelina and the "Fight Club" actor prepare for an upcoming custody hearing.
In Angelina's original filing, she argued the judge should be taken off the case because he was not forthcoming enough about other legal proceedings involving Brad's attorney, Anne C. Kiley. Documents filed at the time suggested the judge had "failed to disclose the cases that demonstrated the current, ongoing, repeat-customer relationship between the judge and Respondent's counsel".
Angelina's legal team also claimed Pitt's attorney "actively advocated for Judge Ouderkirk's financial interests in moving - over the opposing party's opposition - to have his appointment (and his ability to continue to receive fees) extended in a high profile case".
Angelina's lawyer, Samantha Bley DeJean, later told news outlets the actress simply wanted "transparency and impartiality" in her divorce case: "All my client is asking for is a fair trial based on facts, with no special favours extended to either side. The only way litigants can trust the process is for everyone involved to ensure that there's transparency and impartiality."
