Roy Laverne Stephenson
Judge Stephenson no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.
How Judge Stephenson decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
Stephenson required meaningful adversarial testing when disputed facts could determine an administrative result.
“At some point in the administrative process the employer is entitled to have an opportunity to present the evidence upon which he relies and to question the evidence upon which the Board relies, and to submit this evidence for consideration by the Board and by this court in proceedings to enforce or set aside the Board’s order.”
He evaluated disability evidence as an individualized account of the claimant's overall condition rather than as an abstract diagnosis.
“Different people react in markedly different ways to similar injuries.”
Procedural preferences
He treated back pay under section 1981 as legal damages within a jury's practical competence.
“We conclude that back pay or lost wage determinations are inherently in the nature of legal damages.”
He required unions to justify use of appointment powers that displaced regular employees.
“We hold that a union cannot exercise its appointment of steward power to cause the layoff of a regular employee absent legitimate and substantial reasons for doing so, and conclude the Union has not made the required showing here.”
Cautions
He rejected agency inferences that lacked a substantial evidentiary foundation.
“Inferences cannot be based purely on speculation.”
He required judicial supervision when grand-jury material was disclosed for civil enforcement.
“Congress recognized this in amending Rule 6(e) and, accordingly, authorized judicially supervised disclosure of grand jury materials to government agency personnel for civil law enforcement purposes.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“Enforcement of the order is granted in full.”
“Enforcement is denied.”
“The Board’s order is hereby enforced, except with respect to its finding of violation of Section 8(a)(5) by Respondent in refusing to honor the collective bargaining agreement.”
“The Board order is enforced.”
“The judgment is vacated and the cause is remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.”
“We enforce in part and remand in part.”
“The Board’s order is hereby enforced.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Not applicable to this circuit-court record.
A historical record
Judge Stephenson 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.