William Henry Seaman

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit circuit Retired 1915 · served 1905–1915 Appointed by Theodore Roosevelt (Republican) 25 signed orders read

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

How Judge Seaman decides

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

Procedural preferences

Seaman treated an incomplete appellate record as fatal to a challenge depending on unpreserved circumstances; the lower court's ruling remained presumptively supported.

“If the ruling requires such support, therefore, the judgment is presumptive of ‘good cause shown,’ and stands unimpeached.”

Cautions

Executive immigration action could not be sustained on a different statutory theory when the affected person received no hearing on that theory.

“Whatever were the subsequent proceedings or conclusions in the department, they were ex parte, and the final orders for rearrest and deportation were without hearing and unauthorized.”

Commercial use beyond the time and scope reasonably needed to test an invention was public use rather than protected experimentation.

“Experimental use becomes public use when it extends further, either in time or in number of instances, than is reasonably required to test the invention.”

Signed rulings

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

Southern Pacific Co. v. Kelley
187 F. 937 (7th Cir. 1911) · 1911-01-10
Appeal (defendant/plaintiff-in-error) Denied

“The judgment of the Circuit Court, accordingly, is affirmed.”

Alwart Bros. Coal Co. v. Royal Colliery Co.
211 F. 313 (7th Cir. 1914) · 1914-01-06
Appeal (coal purchaser in two consolidated appeals) Granted in part

“the first-mentioned judgment, in No. 1999, is affirmed; and the judgment in No. 2022 is reversed, and the cause so designated is -remanded to the District Court, with direction to grant a new trial.”

United States v. Finch
201 F. 95 (7th Cir. 1912) · 1912-10-01
Appeal (United States/appellant) Denied

“The judgment of the District Court is affirmed.”

Davies v. Manolis
179 F. 818 (7th Cir. 1910) · 1910-04-19
Appeal (immigration inspector/appellant) Denied

“The decree of the District Court, accordingly, is affirmed.”

Cullom v. Traders' Insurance Co.
163 F. 45 (7th Cir. 1908) · 1908-04-14
Appeal (creditors/appellants) Denied

“the decree of the Circuit Court is affirmed.”

Ijams v. Andrews
151 F. 725 (7th Cir. 1907) · 1907-02-11
Appeal (business associates/plaintiffs-in-error) Denied

“The judgment of the Circuit Court is affirmed.”

Western Union Telegraph Co. of Illinois v. Louisville & Nashville Railroad Co.
201 F. 919 (7th Cir. 1912) · 1912-11-15
Appeal (telegraph company/appellant) Denied

“the order accordingly is affirmed.”

Gund v. Logan
187 F. 932 (7th Cir. 1911) · 1911-01-10
Appeal (customer/plaintiff-in-error) Denied

“the judgment, accordingly, is affirmed”

Kenwood Trust & Savings Bank v. Buell
211 F. 638 (7th Cir. 1914) · 1914-01-06
Appeal (secured creditor/appellant) Granted

“The order of the District Court is reversed, accordingly, -with direction to proceed in reference to the appellant's claim in conformity with the foregoing opinion.”

Corn Products Refining Co. v. Chicago Real Estate Loan & Trust Co.
185 F. 63 (7th Cir. 1911) · 1911-01-03
Appeal (litigant challenging costs/appellant) Denied

“the order of the Circuit Court is affirmed.”

Off v. Hakes
142 F. 364 (7th Cir. 1905) · 1905-10-24
Appeal (creditor/appellant) Granted

“The decree of the District Court is reversed, accordingly, with direction to hear further testimony as above indicated, and proceed thereupon in conformity with this opinion.”

Watts v. McCulloch
142 F. 102 (7th Cir. 1905) · 1905-05-20
Appeal (attorneys/appellants) Denied

“the District Court rightly disallowed their claim; and the order thereupon is affirmed.”

Caseload & timing

From public federal docket records for this judge.

Circuit judges do not carry a single assigned trial caseload. Seaman's earlier district service is outside this record.

A historical record

Judge Seaman 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.