John William Showalter
Judge Showalter no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.
How Judge Showalter decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Procedural preferences
Showalter treated local real-property law as controlling for land in Illinois and rejected a federal injunction where state law supplied only a damages remedy.
“The local law, as declared in the Illinois constitution and statutes, and in the judicial opinions of the highest court of the state, is determinative in the one case, as in the other.”
Cautions
A newspaper received no special immunity for false defamatory publication; broader circulation increased the need for care because it magnified potential injury.
“There is no privilege in journalism which will excuse a newspaper in publishing false and defamatory charges when any other like publication by another person would not be excused.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“the order appealed from is affirmed, and the cause remanded to the circuit court for further proceedings not inconsistent with this opinion.”
“The judgment is reversed, and the cause remanded for further proceedings not inconsistent with this opinion.”
“The decree is reversed, and the cause remanded for further proceedings not inconsistent with this opinion.”
“The judgment is reversed and the cause remanded, with, directions to set aside the verdict and award a new trial.”
“The order appealed from is reversed, and the cause remanded, with the direction that said order be vacated, and the intervening petitions dismissed, for want of equity.”
“The decree of dismissal is affirmed.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Circuit judges do not carry a single assigned trial caseload.
A historical record
Judge Showalter 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.