Khatchapuridze v. Noem et al

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
LAREDO DIVISION
TEVDORE KHATCHAPURIDZE 	§
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VS. 	CIVIL ACTION NO. 5:25-cv-169
KRISTI NOEM1 et al.
ORDER ADOPTING REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION
The Court referred a show cause hearing to United States Magistrate Judge Diana
Song Quiroga to determine whether attorney Julia Lowenfeld should be sanctioned
pursuant to the Court’s inherent authority for failing to abide by Court orders (Dkt. Nos.
7, 24). Judge Song Quiroga conducted the hearing and entered her Report and
Recommendation (Min. Ent. Jan. 15, 2026; Dkt. No. 46). She recommends no sanctions
be imposed, as Ms. Lowenfeld lacked personal knowledge of the bad actor’s conduct and
exercised extensive remedial measures upon her discovery of the wrongdoing (Dkt. No.
46 at 8).
Namely, Khatuna Jones—the paralegal who forged Ms. Lowenfeld’s signature and
unauthorizedly filed the Petition—had worked for Ms. Lowenfeld for years before this
incident (Dkt. No. 46 at 4). Prior to her indiscretion, Ms. Jones was professional and
extremely qualified, and holds a degree from Villanova University (Dkt. No. 46 at 4).
Based on her years of exemplary service, Ms. Lowenfeld entrusted Ms. Jones with “intake
and clerical work,” but never advocacy roles (Dkt. No. 46 at 4 n.1). Unbeknownst to Ms.
Lowenfeld, Ms. Jones intercepted the Court’s show-cause orders to conceal her actions
1 Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 25(d), Todd Blanche is automatically substituted
for Respondent Pamela Bondi in this case. Markwayne Mullin is automatically substituted for
Respondent Kristi Noem and David Venturella is substituted for Respondent Todd Lyons under this
same rule. The Clerk of Court is DIRECTED to substitute these parties on the docket sheet.
United States District Court
Southern District of Texas
ENTERED
July 10, 2026
Nathan Ochsner, Clerk
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and avoid responsibility (Dkt. No. 46 at 2). Judge Song Quiroga doubts Ms. Jones fully
recognized the gravity of her conduct; however, Ms. Lowenfeld—the subject of the show
cause matter—deemed Ms. Jones a “liability to any lawyer” and promptly terminated her
(Dkt. No. 46 at 5, 8).
Ms. Lowenfeld also enabled a “two-step identification” procedure for all attorney
credentials, implemented a “double-review sign-off process for all outgoing mail,” and
conducted an ethics training session for all presently employed paralegals (Dkt. No. 46
at 8). Because sanctions would not deter future misconduct, Judge Song Quiroga found
that Ms. Lowenfeld was not negligent in her supervision of Ms. Jones, even under the
stricter New York Rules of Professional Conduct (Dkt. No. 46 at 9). Finally, Judge Song
Quiroga emphasized that Ms. Lowenfeld has not acted in bad faith, “[b]ecause Ms.
Lowenfeld was unaware that this case had been filed and did not discover Ms. Jones’s
misconduct until after Ms. Jones had intercepted multiple court orders, [and] she made
no such ‘intentional and knowing effort’ to interfere with the course of litigation in this
case” (Dkt. No. 46 at 10.).
To date, no party has objected to these recommendations and the fourteen-day
objection period has lapsed. Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 72(b), the Court
reviewed the report and recommendation for plain error. CGI Logistics, LLC v. Fast
Logistik, No. 5:23-CV-43, 2023 WL 8313341, at *2 (S.D. Tex. Dec. 1, 2023) (Garcia
Marmolejo, J.) (citing United States v. Soto, 734 F. App’x 258, 259 (5th Cir. 2018)).
Finding none, the Court hereby ADOPTS IN WHOLE Judge Song Quiroga’s Report and
Recommendation (Dkt. No. 46). Accordingly, Ms. Lowenfeld will not be sanctioned for her
noncompliance with the Court’s orders.
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It is so ORDERED.
SIGNED July 10, 2026.
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Marina Garcia Marmolejo
United States District Judge
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