Of all the legal maneuvers so far in Detroit’s bankruptcy case by unions or the city’s emergency manager, the one that may have the most impact was when the judge decided to name a mediator, according to a Reuters analysis today. In a July 23 filing, Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes said that he would appoint another federal judge, Gerald Rosen, as a mediator. “I think that’s going to be the key move in the case, in terms of getting it toward a solution,” said Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Klein, who is overseeing the bankruptcy of the town of Stockton, Calif., during an ABI media teleconference last week. Rosen is the chief district judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Judge Rhodes in his court filing deemed a mediator “necessary and appropriate” but did not specify which issues he feels should be mediated. He has scheduled a hearing on his proposal for Friday.
