Walter Inglewood Smith
Judge Smith no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.
How Judge Smith decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
Smith rejected an executive limitation that was not supplied by Congress, treating policy arguments as matters for the legislature.
“If such a law would be wise, that is no reason why an executive department should make one, or the courts sustain it in doing so.”
He enforced the terms of an offer closely and distinguished specified goods from a materially different order.
“a proposition to sell 10 cars of nice white potatoes, Peerless stock, is not accepted by an order for 10 cars of choice potatoes.”
Procedural preferences
He treated an unexplained failure to follow the appellate briefing rule as grounds to decline discretionary review.
“There has been absolutely no effort to comply with this rule in the brief filed by the appellant.”
Cautions
He described leaving highly explosive caps where a child found them as gross negligence.
“If the foreman, Peterson, left these highly explosive caps where the child found them, that was negligence of the grossest kind.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“The case is reversed, with directions to the Circuit Court to set aside its former order, sustain the motion of the plaintiff, and enter •a decree as prayed.”
“The court erred in directing a verdict for the defendant on the second count of the complaint, and its action is reversed, and the cause is remanded, with directions to grant a new trial.”
“No error appears and the rulings of the court below are affirmed.”
“The decree of the District Court was correct, and is affirmed.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Not applicable to this circuit-court record.
A historical record
Judge Smith 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.