John R. Gibson
How Judge Gibson rules, drawn from 30 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Judge Gibson no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled here.
About Judge Gibson
John R. Gibson was a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Appointed by President Ronald Reagan, Judge Gibson received a commission on March 9, 1982. Judge Gibson previously served on the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, commissioned there on September 19, 1981. Judge Gibson assumed senior status on January 1, 1994 and served until death on April 19, 2014.
How Judge Gibson decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
Gibson treated an officer's mistake about an unambiguous traffic law as constitutionally insufficient to justify a stop.
“officers have an obligation to understand the laws that they are entrusted with enforcing, at least to a level that is objectively reasonable.”
He deferred to a trial judge's evidence-weight assessment when the new-trial ruling followed a detailed record review.
“The district court conducted a thorough review of the evidence, and we find no error in its conclusion that a new trial should be granted in the interest of justice.”
Procedural preferences
He required sentencing courts to resolve controverted presentence-report facts through findings or a determination that they would not affect sentencing.
“Therefore, the district court was required to make findings in accordance with the Rule.”
He treated an administrative law judge's failure to investigate vocational-testimony conflicts as harmless only after confirming no actual conflict appeared in the record.
“The ALJ was required not only to ask the expert whether there was a conflict, but also to obtain an explanation for any such conflict.”
Cautions
He treated intervening disclosure of the requested materials as eliminating any further judicial relief.
“Meredith did not ask for relief beyond what it has obtained, and there is no further relief for us to grant.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“For the foregoing reasons, we affirm the sentence imposed by the district court.”
“Because Thomas has failed to overcome the presumption that his sentence was reasonable, we affirm the judgment of the district court.”
“We affirm the district court’s denial of Stigler’s motion to suppress.”
“For these reasons, we affirm the judgment of the district court.”
“The judgment of the district court is affirmed.”
“For the foregoing reasons, we affirm the judgment of the district court.”
“The district court’s judgment is AFFIRMED.”
“We affirm the judgment of the district court.”
“We affirm the sentence imposed by the district court.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Not applicable to this circuit-court record.
A historical record
Judge Gibson 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.