Montgomery Oliver Koelsch
Judge Koelsch no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.
How Judge Koelsch decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In insurance disputes, Koelsch gave broad ordinary meaning to language covering losses 'arising from' a specified condition.
“The word 'arising' connotes, in ordinary usage, something broader than causation;”
For state jurisdiction on reservation land, he distinguished criminal prohibitions from civil regulatory schemes by the policy and enforcement structure of the state law.
“We conclude RCW Ch. 46.63 should be characterized as a civil, regulatory law.”
Procedural preferences
Koelsch required meaningful review of competency to plead guilty, not merely competency to stand trial.
“The scope of their examinations and the content of the opinions they expressed may be sufficient for the trial court to determine whether or not their opinions can support a finding that Seiling was competent to plead guilty as well as to stand trial.”
In union-discipline litigation, he treated a valid second proceeding as limiting damages when internal remedies had not been exhausted.
“The presumptively valid second proceeding thus serves to limit appellant’s claim for damages.”
Cautions
Koelsch treated fundamentally unfair government questioning as a due-process problem even when the self-incrimination clause did not supply the rule.
“We emphasize at the outset that affirmance is rested not on the self-incrimination clause, but rather on the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“Reversed and remanded for entry of judgment for the United States.”
“REVERSED with directions to the District Court to grant Appellants the relief sought.”
“Vacated and remanded with instructions to grant the motion, set aside the judgment of conviction and sentence, and permit the defendant to withdraw his plea of guilty and plead anew.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Not applicable to this circuit-court record.
A historical record
Judge Koelsch 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.