George Thomas Washington
Judge Washington no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.
How Judge Washington decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
Washington treated confidential access to counsel as a structural protection that prosecutorial purpose could not override.
“But high motives and zeal for law enforcement cannot justify spying upon and intrusion into the relationship between a person accused of crime and his counsel.”
He accepted corroboration when contemporaneous reports and testimony adequately supported the inventor's account.
“Further corroboration could not reasonably be required.”
Procedural preferences
Washington treated failure to object at trial as a direct answer to a later evidentiary complaint.
“The short answer to this is that the appellant made no objection to the question at the time.”
He declined to entertain claimed error when the appellate record omitted the objection, ruling, and evidentiary context needed for review.
“Under these circumstances, appellant is in no position to urge error.”
Cautions
Washington expected parties before agencies to disclose changed positions and facts promptly rather than save them for review.
“Orderly dispatch of administrative business — as of judicial business — demands that parties give timely notice of changed positions or changed facts.”
He kept ordinary trial complaints outside the limited scope of statutory collateral review.
“None of these matters is within the scope of the collateral attack authorized by Section 2255.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“Reversed, and the case remanded for further proceedings not inconsistent with this opinion.”
“The cause will accordingly be remanded to the Tax Court for further proceedings not inconsistent with this opinion.”
“The orders of the Commission will accordingly 'be affirmed.”
“For these reasons this court lacks jurisdiction over these proceedings, and leave to file the petitions will be denied.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Not applicable to this circuit-court record.
A historical record
Judge Washington 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.