Joseph William Woodrough
Judge Woodrough no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.
How Judge Woodrough decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
Woodrough treated clear regulatory text as controlling even when the agency had previously applied it differently.
“The Treasury regulation applied to the situation here involved makes it clear that freight should have been included in all taxpayer’s inventories.”
He required insurance exclusions to be drafted clearly when they narrowed an otherwise broad promise of coverage.
“Having affirmatively expressed the coverage in a broad promise to defend and to indemnify, it was incumbent on the company to define the exclusions from that promise in clear terms.”
Procedural preferences
He adhered to controlling circuit precedent when a later appeal presented materially the same legal issue.
“We adhere to our former decision and are satisfied that the trial court was not in error in its conclusion that that decision was controlling”
He treated a voluntary guilty plea as conclusive of guilt rather than a preliminary admission.
“This plea of guilty has the same force and effect as a conviction by a jury.”
Cautions
He would reverse when a trial court submitted a defense to the jury without supporting evidence.
“The court erred in denying the motions. The judgment is reversed with direction to enter judgment for plaintiff for the purchase price of the goods with interest and costs.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“The judgment is affirmed upon the same considerations as was the judgment in Ellingson v. DeVries, 8 Cir., 199 F.2d 677 which is handed down concurrently herewith.”
“The judgment is reversed with direction to enter judgment for plaintiff for the purchase price of the goods with interest and costs.”
“Enforcement of the order is awarded as prayed by the Board.”
“We think there was no testimony prejudicial to defendant erroneously admitted and none helpful to his defense erroneously excluded.”
“For the reasons heretofore stated the judgment is reversed and the cause remanded with directions to dismiss.”
“We conclude that he was lawfully indicted and that Judge Duncan’s finding that he “entered his plea of guilty with full knowledge and understanding of the charges made against him” was without error.”
“We find no error in the proceedings and judgment of the District Court which are fully supported by the reasoning of the District Court and the precedents cited in its opinion.”
“There is no basis in the record upon which this Court could properly make a finding to the contrary.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Not applicable to this circuit-court record.
A historical record
Judge Woodrough 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.