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What Does the Bankruptcy Case Number Mean?

A bankruptcy case number consists of the filing year (along with five additional digits), the initials of the judge assigned to the case, and the bankruptcy chapter number. For example, for this case number

16-90131 - LT7

  • The number 16 refers to the year 2016
  • The number 90131 is a sequential number assigned to the case in the order it was filed
  • The letters LT refers to Judge Laura Taylor
  • The 7 refers to a Chapter 7 bankruptcy

Other common bankruptcy chapters are 11 and 13.

The other current judges' iniitials are CL (Christopher Latham), and MM (Margaret Mann).

Other judges who have served at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court - Southern District of California were PB (Peter Bowie), JH (John Hargrove), JM (James Meyers) and LA (Louise Adler).