Jolie loses struggle to remove judge found in Pitt divorce case

Actor Angelina Jolie has lost her battle to have Judge John W Ouderkirk taken off her bitter divorce proceedings with ex-partner Brad Pitt. Ouderkirk may be the same judge who wedded the actor couple in 2014.

Jolie had previously claimed that Ouderkirk didn't disclose 'ongoing organization and professional romantic relationships' that he had with Pitt's legal workforce, thereby triggering a conflict of fascination. She had said that it wasn't 'fair' for him to preside over the divorce proceedings.

Court papers obtained by the Daily Mail express that Ouderkirk will remain on the circumstance. The article quoted a origin as saying, "This was the judge who was simply originally earned by Angie's crew. He wedded them, for heaven's sake. It's a prime exemplory case of somebody who tried to acquire the referee removed late in the overall game because they weren't likely to just like the outcome."

The former couple can be involved in a custody battle over their kids -- Maddox, 19, Pax, 16, Zahara, 15, Shiloh, 14, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 12.

The court papers reveal that the judge had disclosed his ties to Pitt's legal team previously, and that Jolie has recognized Ouderkirk's appointment and connections to Pitt's legal team since 2018. Before this season, Pitt's legal team possessed accused her of wanting to delay the proceedings. Her crew experienced responded by noting that she wanted a 'fair' trial.

"All my consumer is requesting is a good trial predicated on facts, with no particular favors extended to either area," Jolie's lawyer, Samantha Bley DeJean, told UsWeekly in a statement previous month. The affirmation added: "The only method litigants can trust the procedure is for everyone involved to ensure that there's transparency and impartiality."