Jose Alberto Cabranes

How Judge Cabranes rules, drawn from 20 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.

Judge Cabranes no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.

Court
United States District Court for the District of Connecticut
Position
district
Status
Elevated to a higher court
Served
1979–1994
Appointed by
Jimmy Carter (Democratic)
Commissioned
1979-12-10
Education
Columbia University, A.B., 1961; Yale Law School, J.D., 1965; University of Cambridge, Queens' College, M.Litt., 1967
Signed orders read
20

How Judge Cabranes decides

Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.

What persuades

Protects a litigant’s chosen federal forum absent a concrete showing that parallel state proceedings justify a stay.

“The defendant has not demonstrated sufficient cause in the instant action to deprive the plaintiff of his choice of a federal forum.”

Procedural preferences

Applies the liberal amendment standard and requires an affirmative showing of actual prejudice, not mere possibility.

“The mere possibility of prejudice, however, is not tantamount to an affirmative showing of actual prejudice.”

Cautions

Limits discovery to requests reasonably calculated to lead to admissible evidence, even in a broadly reviewed patent proceeding.

“A discovery request must be denied if it does not appear ‘reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence.’”

Signed rulings

A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.

Cheshire v. Fennell
· 1986-01-22
Motions to stay (defendant) Denied

“the defendant’s motion to stay is denied.”

Kelly v. Deere & Co.
· 1986-01-28
Motions to strike (plaintiffs) Granted

“the plaintiffs’ motion to strike the fourth special defense is granted without prejudice to the defendant’s amending its answer to allege knowing use of a defective product by one or both of the plaintiffs.”

Trustees of Bulkeley School v. United States
· 1986-02-18
Motions to dismiss (United States) Granted in part

“the government’s motion to dismiss count one of the complaint is denied. Count two of the complaint is stricken as redundant pursuant to Rule 12(f), Fed.R.Civ.P.”

Connecticut Fund for the Environment v. Stewart-Warner Corp.
· 1986-03-31
Summary judgment (plaintiff) Granted

“the plaintiffs motion for partial summary judgment is granted with respect to any of the 37 reported permit violations that occurred within five years of the commencement of this action.”

Summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“The defendant’s motion for partial summary judgment is granted with respect to any violations that occurred pri- or to April 23, 1979.”

Jaskilka v. Carpenter Technology Corp.
· 1991-02-22
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Denied

“defendant’s Motion to Dismiss is DENIED.”

Connecticut Fund for the Environment v. L & W Industries, Inc.
· 1986-03-31
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Denied

“the defendant’s motion to dismiss is denied”

Summary judgment (plaintiff) Granted

“the plaintiffs’ motion for partial summary judgment is granted.”

Feldt v. Sturm, Ruger & Co.
· 1989-08-23
Summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment (filed Mar. 1, 1989) is GRANTED.”

Summary judgment (plaintiffs) Moot / procedural

“Plaintiffs’ ‘Motion for Determination of Choice of Law and Cross Motion for Summary Judgment on the First and Second Affirmative Defenses of Defendant Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc.’ (filed May 19, 1989) is DENIED AS MOOT”

Motion for leave to amend (plaintiffs) Granted

“Plaintiffs’ application for leave to amend the complaint is GRANTED”

Albert v. Depinto
· 1986-07-22
Motion for judgment notwithstanding verdict (City of New Britain) Granted

“the court hereby grants the motion of the defendant City of New Britain for judgment notwithstanding the verdict.”

Motion for judgment notwithstanding verdict (individual defendants) Denied

“the individual defendants’ motions for judgment notwithstanding the verdict, for remittitur or for a new trial are denied.”

Motion for remittitur (individual defendants) Denied
Motion for new trial (individual defendants) Denied
Kintner v. Nidec-Torin Corp.
· 1987-06-02
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Granted

“defendant’s motion to dismiss Counts Four and Five of the complaint is granted.”

Allied-Signal, Inc. v. Allegheny Ludlum Corp.
· 1990-09-12
Motion for protective order (Allegheny Ludlum) Denied

“defendant Allegheny Ludlum Corporation’s Motion for a Protective Order (filed July 30, 1990) is DENIED.”

Motions to compel (Allied-Signal) Granted in part

“Plaintiff Allied-Signal, Inc.’s Renewal of its August 21, 1989 Motion to Compel and Motion to Compel Certain Deposition Testimony (filed July 30, 1990) is GRANTED with respect to Part A ## 1, 2, 3 and 4 (as modified in the oral hearing of August 17, 1990) and to the Part B deposi*139tions and DENIED with respect to Part A #5.”

Hicks v. Brophy
· 1994-01-13
Motion for reconsideration (Devoe Realty) Granted

“the defendant Devoe Realty’s Motion for Reconsideration (filed January 6, 1994) (doc. # 29) is hereby GRANTED.”

United States v. Hudson
· 1993-11-18
Motion for leave to amend (United States) Granted

“the plaintiffs Request for Leave to Amend Complaint (filed November 4, 1993) (doc. #69) is hereby GRANTED over the defendants’ objections.”

Caseload & timing

From public federal docket records for this judge.

The fixed ten-docket sample covered early 1990 filings and included prisoner, civil-rights, securities, and other civil matters. Every retained entry stream was empty, so no caseload or duration inference is made.

A historical record

Judge Cabranes 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.