In re: Dean M. Harris
In re: Dean M. Harris
Opinion
FILED APR 27 2022 NOT FOR PUBLICATION SUSAN M. SPRAUL, CLERK U.S. BKCY. APP. PANEL OF THE NINTH CIRCUIT UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY APPELLATE PANEL OF THE NINTH CIRCUIT
In re: BAP No. CC-21-1128-FLG DEAN M. HARRIS, Debtor. Bk. No. 2:21-bk-10152-ER
DEAN M. HARRIS, Appellant, v. MEMORANDUM* CRYSTAL HOLMES, Appellee.
Appeal from the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California Ernest M. Robles, Bankruptcy Judge, Presiding
Before: FARIS, LAFFERTY, ** and GAN, Bankruptcy Judges.
Rosalina Harris is a detective in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s
Department. She had a long-running dispute with her neighbor, appellee
Crystal Holmes. She abused her position as a law enforcement officer to
* This disposition is not appropriate for publication. Although it may be cited for whatever persuasive value it may have, see Fed. R. App. P. 32.1, it has no precedential value, see 9th Cir. BAP Rule 8024-1. ** Judge Taylor originally heard oral argument in this case. Before the Panel rendered its decision, Judge Lafferty replaced Judge Taylor on the Panel. Judge Lafferty has reviewed the oral argument, the parties’ filings, and the record on appeal. Judge Taylor did not participate in this decision. cause the wrongful arrest of Ms. Holmes. A district court jury found that
Detective Harris had violated Ms. Holmes’ civil rights and awarded more
than $3 million in damages, including $1.5 million of punitive damages.
Ms. Holmes took steps in the district court to enforce her judgment
against the Harrises’ property. Hoping to stymie this effort, Detective
Harris and her husband, chapter 7 1 debtor Dean M. Harris, filed successive
bankruptcy cases. The bankruptcy court dismissed Detective Harris’ case
and granted relief from the automatic stay in Mr. Harris’ case to allow the
district court to decide Ms. Holmes’ motion to sell the Harrises’ property.
The district court held that Mr. Harris was not entitled to the
California homestead exemption and allowed the sale of the residence.
Ms. Holmes was the successful bidder at auction. The Harrises appealed
the district court’s order to the Ninth Circuit.
In the meantime, Mr. Harris also claimed a homestead exemption in
his bankruptcy case. Ms. Holmes objected, arguing that the district court
had already decided that Mr. Harris could not claim the homestead
exemption. The bankruptcy court agreed. Mr. Harris appealed the
bankruptcy court’s order to this Panel.
The Ninth Circuit has recently affirmed the district court’s order. The
Ninth Circuit ruled that the Harrises had failed to establish that they were
entitled to any homestead exemption and rejected the Harrises’ arguments
Unless specified otherwise, all chapter and section references are to the 1
Bankruptcy Code,
11 U.S.C. §§ 101-1532.
2 based on § 522. Holmes v. Harris, Case No. 21-55330,
2022 WL 1198204(9th
Cir. Apr. 22, 2022).
The Ninth Circuit’s affirmance of the district court’s order effectively
rejects all of Mr. Harris’ objections to the bankruptcy court’s order. We
could not grant any of the relief that Mr. Harris requests without
contradicting the Ninth Circuit’s decision. Therefore, we AFFIRM.
3
Reference
- Status
- Unpublished