Peter Stenger Grosscup

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit circuit Retired 1911 · served 1899–1911 Appointed by William McKinley (Republican) 25 signed orders read

Judge Grosscup no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.

How Judge Grosscup decides

Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.

Procedural preferences

Grosscup treated a prior appellate majority ruling as binding law of the case; disagreement by the trial court did not permit departure from the mandate.

“What this Court said in its majority opinion, not its minority opinion, is the law of the case; and whatever the trial Court may have thought, respecting its soundness, it had no right to disregard the' law as thus laid down.”

Cautions

When statute vested discretionary immigration relief in an executive official, the court confined itself to reviewing legal authority and record support rather than substituting its own equitable judgment.

“But whatever discretion shall be exercised is for the Secretary of Commerce and Labor, and not for the courts.”

Signed rulings

A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.

General Electric Co. v. Sangamo Electric Co.
174 F. 246 (7th Cir. 1909) · 1909-10-05
Appeal (patent owner/appellant) Denied

“The decree of the Circuit Court is affirmed.”

Sheffield Car Co. v. Buda Foundry & Manufacturing Co.
187 F. 847 (7th Cir. 1911) · 1911-04-11
Appeal (patent owner/appellant) Denied

“The decree appealed from will be Affirmed.”

Pitts Anti-Skid Chain Co. v. Weed Chain Tire Grip Co.
192 F. 41 (7th Cir. 1911) · 1911-07-27
Appeal (accused infringers/appellants) Denied

“The decree of the Circuit Court is affirmed.”

Johnson v. McCurdy
108 F. 671 (7th Cir. 1901) · 1901-04-09
Appeal (patent owner/appellant) Denied

“The decree of the Circuit Court is accordingly affirmed.”

Strasburger v. Bach
157 F. 918 (7th Cir. 1907) · 1907-10-01
Appeal (bankruptcy trustee/appellant) Granted

“The decree of the Circuit Court is reversed with instructions to overrule the demurrer”

Illinois Commission Co. v. Cleveland Telegraph Co.
119 F. 301 (7th Cir. 1902) · 1902-10-28
Appeal (appellant) Denied

“Affirmed.”

Shepard v. Excelsior Steel Furnace Co.
137 F. 399 (7th Cir. 1905) · 1905-01-13
Appeal (patent owner/appellant) Denied

“The decree of the Circuit Court will be Affirmed.”

Superior Drill Co. v. La Crosse Plow Co.
168 F. 923 (7th Cir. 1909) · 1909-01-19
Appeal (patent owner/appellant) Denied

“The decree of the Circuit Court is affirmed.”

Davis v. Chicago, Indianapolis & Louisville Railway Co.
151 F. 1008 (7th Cir. 1907) · 1907-01-02
Appeal (plaintiff-appellant) Granted

“The judgment of the Circuit Court will be reversed with instructions to grant a new trial.”

Haarstick v. St. Louis Valley Transfer Railway
133 F. 1020 (7th Cir. 1904) · 1904-10-04
Appeal (plaintiff-in-error) Denied

“The decree of the Circuit Court will be affirmed.”

Erie Railroad Co. v. Pond Creek Mill & Elevator Co.
162 F. 878 (7th Cir. 1908) · 1908-04-14
Appeal (railroad/plaintiff-in-error) Denied

“The judgment of the Circuit Court will be affirmed.”

Schweichler v. Levinson
147 F. 704 (7th Cir. 1906) · 1906-08-11
Appeal (patent owner/appellant) Denied

“The decree must therefore be affirmed.”

Caseload & timing

From public federal docket records for this judge.

Circuit judges do not carry a single assigned trial caseload. Grosscup's earlier Northern District of Illinois service is outside this appellate record.

A historical record

Judge Grosscup 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.