Joe McDonald Ingraham
How Judge Ingraham rules, drawn from 25 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Judge Ingraham no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled here.
About Judge Ingraham
Joe McDonald Ingraham was a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Appointed by President Richard M. Nixon, Judge Ingraham received a commission on December 18, 1969. Judge Ingraham previously served on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, commissioned there on August 6, 1954. Judge Ingraham assumed senior status on July 31, 1973 and served until death on May 27, 1990.
How Judge Ingraham decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
The Fourth Amendment governs the entire execution of a warrant, not just the search for listed items.
“From the moment of entry until the moment of departure, appellees’ conduct was subject to scrutiny for reasonableness under the fourth amendment.”
Construes the Jones Act liberally and refuses to let an employer's vessel-ownership or work-assignment arrangements defeat seaman status.
“To require common ownership or control when seamen work on several vessels but not when they work on a single vessel is inconsistent with the liberal construction of the Jones Act that has characterized it from the beginning and is inconsistent with its purposes.”
Procedural preferences
Reserves for the jury factual disputes where fair-minded jurors could reach differing conclusions on the evidence.
“The case should have been submitted to the jury for consideration upon all of the competent evidence before it.”
Treats Article III standing as a threshold jurisdictional question that must be resolved before the merits.
“Since plaintiff must satisfy the case or controversy requirement of Article III to properly invoke the court’s jurisdictional powers, standing must be resolved as a preliminary matter.”
Cautions
Treats characterizing a prior liquor-offense conviction as involving moral turpitude as highly prejudicial where the case turns on credibility.
“This distinguishing feature in the case at bar does not abate the highly prejudicial effect such comment and evidence has in a case of this nature, especially since the case turns on the defendant's credibility.”
A one-sentence appellate brief amounts to abandonment of representation and violates due process.
“The submission of a one sentence brief by Mr. Lofthus was tantamount to abandonment of representation.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“Affirmed in part, reversed and remanded in part.”
“The judgment of the district court is reversed and remanded with instructions that the petition for the writ of habeas corpus be dismissed.”
“After a full examination of the record we affirm the district court's denial of habeas corpus relief.”
“We also agree that the exercise of this jurisdiction may be withheld in these circumstances for reasons of forum non conveniens. ... The order of the district court is affirmed.”
“Affirmed in part, reversed and remanded in part.”
“The judgment of the district court is affirmed.”
“The judgment of the district court is affirmed.”
A historical record
Judge Ingraham 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.