Kathy Surratt-States
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2003 - Present
2031
22
Kathy Surratt-States is the chief judge for the United States bankruptcy court, Eastern District of Missouri. She was appointed to the court on March 18, 2003, and elevated to the position of chief judge on February 1, 2012.[1][2]
Education
Judge Surratt-States earned her bachelor's degree, cum laude, from Oklahoma City University in 1988 and her J.D. from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis in 1991.[1][3]
Career
Surratt-States clerked for Bankruptcy Judge James J. Barta from 1991 to 1993 and then joined Campbell & Coyne, P.C. Later, in 1998, she joined Ziercher and Hocker. P.C. and became partner in 2000. Ziercher & Hocker, P.C. merged with Husch & Eppenberger, L.L.C., where she practiced until 2003.[1]
Noteworthy cases
Company obtains judicial approval to cut benefits to retired miners (2013)
Patriot Coal, which has filed for bankruptcy protection, has received approval from a United States bankruptcy court judge to cut benefits to retired miners, a move that allows the company to remain in operation.
Judge Kathy Surratt-States wrote a 102-page opinion, wherein she states that she read 900 letters from retired miners sent to her office ahead of her decision. Surratt-States indicated that, in her opinion, something is better than nothing. Her opinion ends any contractual obligation on the part of Patriot Coal to provide benefits to current or retired miners through agreements between the company and the United Mine Workers Association (UMWA), the miners’ union. The agreement to provide benefits after retirement resulted from a collective bargaining agreement.
UMWA said that Judge Sarrat-States’ opinion puts the company’s short term interests ahead of the workers who originally made the company profitable. Patriot Coal was pleased with the decision, saying that the approximately $150 million savings from the slash to benefits will allow it to become viable again.
Two weeks before this ruling Judge Sarratt-States approved Patriot Coal’s request to pay out $6.9 billion in bonuses to executives.
Articles:
- WV Gazette, "Letters from 900 parties read by judge before Patriot ruling," June 1, 2013
- National Catholic Reporter, "Judge OKs slashing of union coal miners' health benefits as part of bankruptcy solution," May 30, 2013
- FOX News, "Judge backs bankrupt coal producer in benefits dispute with union," May 29, 2013
See also
- United States bankruptcy court, Eastern District of Missouri
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
- United States Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit
External links
Footnotes
Federal courts:
Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Missouri, Western District of Missouri • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Missouri, Western District of Missouri
State courts:
Missouri Supreme Court • Missouri Court of Appeals • Missouri Circuit Courts • Missouri Municipal Courts
State resources:
Courts in Missouri • Missouri judicial elections • Judicial selection in Missouri
