A federal judge in New Jersey, in a blistering opinion, has refused to disqualify himself from a case involving his insurer, Liberty Mutual, and accused the insurer of seeking his recusal and attacking his integrity because it did not like the substance or tenor of one of his rulings.
Senior Judge Stanley R. Chesler of the U.S. District Court for New Jersey said Liberty Mutual offered no evidence to support its claim that the judge’s history with the company or a ruling he issued raised the perception of bias.
In a recent motion for disqualification, Liberty Mutual asserted that given the totality of the circumstances involving Chesler and the insurer, it was reasonable to conclude that the judge’s involvement in the case raised questions about bias and impartiality that the law is meant to prevent. The insurer further maintained tha