Ex-Bankruptcy Judge Case Manager Says He Knew of Lawyer Romance

Former bankruptcy judge David R. Jones’ longtime case manager and at least two other court staffers knew about his romantic relationship with a local attorney before it became public last year, according to a newly-released deposition.

Jones’ former case manager Albert Alonzo last month admitted he was aware since at least 2013 that his boss was dating Houston attorney Elizabeth Freeman, a short excerpt of a deposition filed Friday by Jackson Walker LLP in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas shows. Freeman was a partner at Jackson Walker until late 2022.

The deposition was taken in litigation brought by the Justice Department’s bankruptcy watchdog, the US Trustee, to claw back millions of dollars in fees Jackson Walker collected in cases involving Jones while it employed Freeman.

Jones’ own deposition, an excerpt of which was also filed on Friday, shows on multiple occasions last month the former judge cited his Fifth Amendment and Texas constitutional rights against self-incrimination in response to questioning by the US Trustee.

Alonzo’s deposition statements come as the list of people who seemingly knew of the relationship before Jones admitted to it publicly last year has grown. Jones, Freeman and Jackson Walker have since been mired in litigation over the lack of disclosure.

The US Trustee has said Jackson Walker should have disclosed the relationship. Jones’ former colleague, Judge Marvin Isgur, last month referred Jackson Walker for disciplinary action. Ethics experts have said Jones, who was once the most high-profile bankruptcy judge in the country, should have disclosed the relationship or removed himself from cases in which Freeman’s firm was involved. A federal criminal probe is also ongoing.

Alonzo was Jones’ case manager for years before the judge resigned in November 2023, and the two were also friends. Alonzo stopped working at the court soon after Jones announced his resignation last year.

Freeman was Jones’ law clerk from around the time Jones took the bench in 2011 until 2018, when she left for Jackson Walker.

A US Trustee attorney last month probed Alonzo on who he would address Jones’ Christmas card to over the years.

“I would have sent it to him, and as a joke I would have said ‘Mr. and Mrs. Freeman’ probably,” Alonzo answered.

Alonzo said he didn’t share knowledge of the relationship with anyone but his wife and two former courtroom deputies for Jones—Elizabeth Miller and Diyana Staples. The deposition excerpt filed Friday didn’t make clear when Alonzo shared the information with his colleagues.

For many years, Alonzo was a familiar presence to lawyers presenting Chapter 11 cases before Jones, who helped put in place rules in the Houston court that funneled all large Chapter 11s to just two judges. He got Alonzo a court-issued cell phone, and published the number on the court website.

Alonzo also said statements Freeman purportedly gave the US Trustee saying he was previously asked about the status of the relationship were incorrect.

“As I sit here today, nobody has ever asked me prior to 2020—prior to it becoming public,” Alonzo said.

Alonzo, his attorney, and an attorney for Miller didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment on Friday. Staples declined to comment. Freeman’s attorney declined to comment.

Pleading the Fifth

In the excerpt of Jones’ September deposition filed Friday, he declined to answer questions about who he lives with, who he owns a home with, whether he owns more than two homes, or his highest level of education. Jones also declined to answer whether Freeman moved out of their home 2021.

In May 2017, Jones agreed to pay $985,000 cash for a four-bed home in Houston, records show. Paperwork was filed soon afterward with the Harris County clerk’s office showing they jointly owned it.

Jones during his deposition said Freeman generally didn’t confide in him about things that troubled her at work, or frustrations with coworkers or supervisors. He also answered he and Freeman didn’t talk about her Jackson Walker work at home, according to the transcript.

“‘Never’ is a strong word, but as a matter of practice, no,” Jones said.

Jones and his attorney didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment on Friday.

Jones is represented by in the fee matters by Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP. Freeman is represented in the fee matters by The Law Office of Tom Kirkendall. Alonzo is represented by The Downey Law Firm. Miller is represented by Joseph G. Epstein PLLC.

The case is Professional Fee Matters Concerning the Jackson Walker Law Firm, Bankr. S.D. Tex., No. 23-00645, exhibits 10/11/24.