Albert Branson Maris
Judge Maris no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.
How Judge Maris decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
Defers to a trial court's well-supported analysis when the record supplies no reason to add to it.
“The action of the district court was clearly right and nothing need be added to what was said in its opinion.”
Applies objective qualified-immunity principles by asking what a reasonable officer could believe under clearly established law and the information available.
“whether a reasonable person could have believed the defendant’s action to be lawful in light of clearly established law and the information he possessed.”
Procedural preferences
Requires judgments to be stated clearly and entered on the docket before they become effective.
“such an order or judgment should be framed in clear and definitive form and that it must be entered in the docket of the court”
Allows amendment and factual development when a self-represented complaint may state a viable claim with more specific allegations.
“the case should be remanded to enable the plaintiff, if so minded, to amend his complaint so as to supply more specific facts on this subject”
Cautions
Will not impose nearly all of an indigent prisoner's available funds as the price of filing a civil-rights action.
“the order of the court requiring the plaintiff to pay $4.00 of his $4.76 cash assets was an abuse of discretion”
Treats dismissal for lack of jurisdiction as distinct from a decision on the merits.
“The judgment of the district court will be vacated and the cause remanded with directions to dismiss the complaint for want of jurisdiction.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“the order of the court below must be Affirmed.”
“The decree of the court below is affirmed.”
“The order of the district court is affirmed.”
“The order appealed from in No. 7958 is affirmed. The order appealed from in No. 8015 is reversed and the cause is remanded for further proceedings.”
“The order of the district court is affirmed.”
“The motion to dismiss the appeal is denied.”
“The judgment of the district court is affirmed.”
“as so modified it will be affirmed.”
“The decision of the Tax Court will be affirmed.”
“The decision of the Tax Court will be reversed and the cause will be remanded for further proceedings not inconsistent with this opinion.”
A historical record
Judge Maris no longer hears cases. This profile stays available as a record of how they ruled. If you're preparing for a matter, start from the court's current bench.