Charles Albert Woods
Judge Woods no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.
How Judge Woods decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
Treats substantial proof of loss as sufficient when it gives the insurer enough information to assess its rights and liabilities.
“no particular form of proof of loss is required, that the proof was ample to enable the insurer to consider its rights and liabilities”
Enforces an employer's nondelegable safety duty despite a claimed lack of capacity to inspect or repair.
“This duty is imposed on all railroads and cannot be affected by pleading the lack of ability or capacity to perform it.”
Procedural preferences
Requires the proper appellate mechanism for review of a bankruptcy lien ruling.
“The issue of allowing or rejecting claim of a lien on the bankrupt’s property is reviewable by appeal, and not by petition to superintend and revise.”
Treats illegally seized property as inadmissible and requires its return.
“The goods and the checks were therefore illegally seized, and the petition for their return should havé'been granted.”
Cautions
Reduces the usual presumption of patent validity when material prior art was not considered by the patent office.
“The presumption of validity from the issuance of the patent ought generally to have great weight, but in this case it is greatly weakened by the fact that the file wrapper does not contain any reference to the Eoewenbach patent.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“the judgment of the District Court must be affirmed”
“The jury should have been instructed to find a verdict for the plaintiff for $10,000 and interest. Reversed.”
“The judgment must therefore be reversed, and the cause remanded for a new trial. Reversed.”
“The evidence offered should have'been admitted, and for its exclusion the judgment must be reversed. Reversed.”
“The conclusion of the District Court, having ample support in the evidence, cannot be reversed by this court. Affirmed.”
“the decree of the District Court is affirmed as to the liability of the Central Elevator Company, and reversed as to the liability of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company.”
“The petition to superintend and revise is therefore dismissed. Dismissed.”
“The result is that the decrees of the District Court must be affirmed.”
A historical record
Judge Woods 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.