Peter Woodbury
How Judge Woodbury rules, drawn from 28 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Judge Woodbury no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled here.
About Judge Woodbury
Peter Woodbury was a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Judge Woodbury received a commission on February 25, 1941. Judge Woodbury assumed senior status on December 31, 1964 and served until death on November 17, 1970.
How Judge Woodbury decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In classifying patent payments for tax purposes, examines the rights actually conveyed, treating retained uses as evidence that the agreements were licenses rather than assignments.
“The agreements do not purport to transfer either entire or undivided interests in the patents but instead only segregated rights to some but not all of the uses of the patents.”
Procedural preferences
Allows an agency to clarify an ambiguous bargaining unit after a participatory hearing when the parties' election and seniority practices support inclusion of the disputed employees.
“But they are certainly enough to warrant the Board’s conclusion that the Union’s petition for clarification ought to be taken seriously, and, taking the petition seriously, the Board’s procedure was fair and appropriate to the end of clarification.”
Cautions
In reviewing a criminal conviction, rejects a corroboration instruction that permits an inference with no rational connection between the physical evidence and the accused.
“The inference which the jury was permitted to draw from the evidence of the bloodstained panties does not meet the constitutional test.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“Judgment will be entered affirming the judgment of the District Court.”
“Judgment will be entered affirming the judgment of the District Court.”
“Sims v. United States, 359 U.S. 108, 79 S.Ct. 641, 3 L.Ed.2d 667 (1959), clearly and categorically establishes the Treasurer’s personal liability. ... Since it is acknowledged that the employee-taxpayers have been making payments on their federal taxes since the judgments, and that one has even paid all that he owes, and since under § 6332(b) the liability of persons subject to levy may not exceed the ‘amount of taxes for the collection of which * * * levy has been made,’ revision of the judgments is in order. ... Judgments will be entered vacating the judgments of the District Court and remanding the cases to that court for further consistent proceedings.”
“Judgments will be entered reversing the judgments of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico and remanding the cases to that court for the entry of appropriate judgments consistent with that court’s judgment of June 22, 1962, in Puerto Rico Drydock and Marine Terminals, Inc., v. Secretary of the Treasury of Puerto Rico.”
“The order of the District Court is vacated and the case is remanded to that Court for further consistent proceedings.”
“Judgment will be entered affirming the decision of the Tax Court of the United States.”
“An order will be entered dismissing the appeal for lack of appellate jurisdiction.”
“A decree will be entered enforcing the order of the Board.”
“A decree will be entered enforcing the order of the Board.”
“The appeals in both cases are dismissed for lack of appellate jurisdiction.”
“A decree will be entered enforcing the supplemental order of the Board.”
A historical record
Judge Woodbury no longer hears cases. This profile stays available as a record of how they ruled here. If you're preparing for a matter, start from the court's current bench.