Walters’ Wife Wants Her Court Case Moved

Jacqueline Walters, wife of Silverado Banking, Savings & Loan figure Bill Walters, on Monday asked to have her bankruptcy court case moved to district court, claiming that she could not get a fair hearing before U.S. Bankruptcy Judge John J. Wilson.

A federal bankruptcy trustee has sued Jacqueline Walters for an estimated $21 million in cash and assets, alleging that Bill Walters transferred those assets to his wife in order to hide them from his creditors.

Bill Walters declared bankruptcy in November, listing no assets.

At a hearing Monday, a lawyer for Jacqueline Walters claimed that Wilson had said in a private session with Walters and two of her lawyers that he did not trust her.

Wilson said Walters may have misinterpreted a warning he gave her about perjury. He asked Walters and her attorney to file a complaint if they want him to take himself off the case.

The hearing will continue Aug. 14.

Monday’s hearing was to have determined the exact amount of Walters’ assets. On May 29, Wilson ordered a temporary freeze on $300,000 of her assets, which was part of the proceeds from the sale of furnishings in her Indian Wells house.