John Glover Roberts Jr.
Judge Roberts no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.
How Judge Roberts decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
Roberts polices reasoned agency decisionmaking and consistency: an agency applying a multi-factor test must explain any departure from its own precedent, or the petition is granted and the matter remanded.
“We therefore grant the petition for review, deny the cross-application for enforcement, and remand to the NLRB for further proceedings.”
Where an agency's interpretation is reasonable and supported by substantial evidence, he defers and denies review; deference does not extend to a reading that contradicts the regulation's text.
“Finding that substantial evidence supports the Commission’s decision and that the decision is otherwise reasonable, we deny Consumers’ petition for review.”
Procedural preferences
Roberts prizes clean, bright-line jurisdictional rules and resists tests that force a court into the merits before deciding it has jurisdiction; he reads exclusive statutory remedial schemes as foreclosing end-runs.
“We affirm the judgment dismissing the action for lack of jurisdiction.”
He enforces preservation and plain-error discipline, declining to reach a merits argument a party never squarely raised below.
“For the foregoing reasons, the judgment is affirmed.”
Cautions
An agency owes regulated parties fair notice: Roberts will grant a petition where the Commission decides a rate proposal on an element it never signaled it was considering, even while deferring on the substantive ratemaking judgments.
“grant the petition because FERC failed to provide adequate notice that it would consider such an element in assessing the pending rate proposal. In all other respects, we affirm the Commission.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“For the foregoing reasons, the judgment is affirmed.”
“For the reasons stated, we vacate the orders and remand to the Board for further proceedings.”
“We dismiss the appeals for lack of jurisdiction.”
“we affirm the district court’s denial of the motion to dismiss for lack of subject matter and personal jurisdiction with respect to Pakistan. We reverse the denial of the motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction over Junejo.”
“We affirm the district court’s dismissal of Graham’s complaint.”
“we dismiss the petition for lack of jurisdiction.”
“We therefore grant the petition for review, deny the cross-application for enforcement, and remand to the NLRB for further proceedings.”
“We reverse the denial of summary judgment on qualified immunity grounds for the inaction theory of liability, and remand to the district court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.”
“The petition for review is granted and the Board’s order is vacated.”
“Finding that substantial evidence supports the Commission’s decision and that the decision is otherwise reasonable, we deny Consumers’ petition for review.”
“We reverse the district court’s grant of summary judgment on the legal malpractice claim based on the alleged conflict of interest, and remand to the district court to permit Bow to pursue his claim with respect to the attorneys’ conduct and any resulting damages within the three-year period prior to the filing of his complaint.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Not applicable to this circuit-court record.
A historical record
Judge Roberts 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.