James Leo Ryan
Judge Ryan no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.
How Judge Ryan decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
Protects discretionary government policy choices from tort-based judicial second-guessing.
“Judicial intervention in such decisionmaking through tort suits would require the courts to ‘second guess’ the political, social, and economic judgments of an agency exercising its regulatory function.”
Predicts unsettled state law by exercising independent judgment about how the state's highest court would decide.
“Where the relevant state law is unsettled, we rule based on our best judgment as to how the Ohio Supreme Court would rule if faced with the same case.”
Procedural preferences
Reviews consent to search under the totality of circumstances and defers to factual findings unless clearly erroneous.
“Whether consent to a search is voluntary is a question of fact to be determined from the totality of circumstances and will not be reversed on appeal unless clearly erroneous.”
Requires a prisoner to invalidate underlying state convictions before seeking to reopen a federal sentence enhanced by them.
“Only after Turner succeeds in such a challenge can he seek to reopen his sentence in this case.”
Cautions
Grants summary judgment only when no genuine factual dispute remains and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.
“Summary judgment is appropriate where no genuine issue of material fact exists so that the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.”
Distinguishes business plan-design decisions from actionable fiduciary conduct under employee-benefit law.
“the decision to terminate the plan was purely a business decision, the plaintiffs failed to state an actionable claim under ERISA”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“the decisions of the district court granting summary judgment to the Linden-Alimak defendants and the individual defendants are AFFIRMED.”
“The judgment of the district court is REVERSED and the case is REMANDED for further proceedings.”
“the district court’s denial in part of the government’s motion for summary judgment is REVERSED, and the case is REMANDED to the district court for further proceedings.”
“§ 922(g), is AFFIRMED. The sentence imposed under the Armed Career Criminals Act, 18 U.S.C. § 924, is VACATED and we REMAND for resentencing.”
“The judgment of the district court denying CBS’ motion for a stay of proceedings is AFFIRMED”
“the judgment of the district court overruling defendant’s motion to suppress evidence discovered during the search of his person at Detroit Metropolitan Airport is AFFIRMED.”
“we REVERSE the judgment of the district court and REMAND the matter with the instruction that the plaintiff’s amended complaint be dismissed.”
“Day’s conviction must be VACATED and his case REMANDED for a new trial.”
“we AFFIRM the court’s grant of summary judgment as to defendants OTS, RTC, and FDIC. We hold that the district court did not consider whether it possessed jurisdiction over the private defendants under section 27 of the Exchange Act. We therefore REVERSE the court’s grant of the private defendants’ motion to dismiss and REMAND the case”
“the Commission’s final order is AFFIRMED.”
A historical record
Judge Ryan 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.