Judge takes lawyer to task over anti-Catholic memo

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ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A federal bankruptcy judge in Minnesota is considering fining a lawyer and her client over a court filing with anti-Catholic statements.

The memo was signed by Hastings attorney Rebekah Nett and written by Naomi Isaacson, a Minneapolis woman who is president of Yehud-Monosson USA Inc., which owns gas stations and convenience stores. It’s a subsidiary of the Shawano, Wis., religious group called the Dr. R.C. Samanta Roy Institute of Science and Technology Inc. The institute is involved in a bankruptcy dispute before U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Nancy Dreher.

The St. Paul Pioneer Press reported that Dreher earlier this week told Nett and Isaacson to explain why they shouldn’t be fined up to $10,000. Dreher set a hearing for Jan. 4.

Among other things, the November filing said the courts were “composed of a bunch of ignoramus, bigoted Catholic beasts that carry the sword of the church” and called the judge a “Catholic Knight Witch Hunter.”

Dreher told Nett and Isaacson that she plans to order them to write public apologies for the filing.

The judge pointed to 10 passages with religious slurs, conspiracy claims or other comments against Dreher and others. Dreher told Nett and Isaacson they could face sanctions of up to $1,000 for each passage.

Nett did not immediately return a call seeking comment left at her office Friday night.