Judge handling Jolie-Pitt divorce case told to step down

After Jolie's complained about the judge's 'bias', he was ordered to step down on Friday.

LOS ANGELES:

The decide dealing with the bitter divorce case between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie was ordered to step down on Friday after Jolie complained that he was not neutral.

An appeals court docket ruling in California mentioned Decide John Ouderkirk ought to have disclosed his earlier skilled relationships with attorneys representing Pitt within the couple’s protracted dispute over custody of their kids.

Jolie and Pitt, as soon as one in every of Hollywood’s most glamorous {couples}, separated in September 2016 after a greater than 10-year romance and two-year marriage. Jolie filed for divorce citing irreconcilable variations.

The couple have been declared legally single in 2019 however the two actors have remained locked in a battle over the care of their 5 minor kids.

The appeals court docket ruling mentioned Ouderkirk had dedicated an “moral breach” that “would possibly trigger an goal individual, conscious of all of the details, fairly to entertain a doubt as to the decide’s capacity to be neutral. Disqualification is required.”

Ouderkirk, a non-public decide, was employed by the couple in a bid to maintain particulars of the divorce out of the general public eye. His departure is prone to additional prolong the custody dispute.

Pitt had opposed Jolie’s bid to take away Ouderkirk.

Pitt and Jolie at present share custody of 5 of their six kids. The sixth – Cambodian-born Maddox – is nineteen and isn’t topic to custody preparations.

A spokesperson for Pitt mentioned the ruling was primarily based on a technical challenge and that the decide’s earlier resolution to permit Pitt to share custody was primarily based on the testimony of knowledgeable witnesses.

“We’ll proceed to do what’s mandatory legally primarily based on these detailed findings of what is finest for the youngsters,” the Pitt spokesperson mentioned in an announcement.

Representatives for Jolie on Friday declined to remark.

Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below.