Stanley Sutherland Harris
Judge Harris no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.
How Judge Harris decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
He refused to dismiss a negligent-supervision claim before the factual record could establish whether the harm was foreseeable.
“Given the need to determine whether the harm was foreseeable in order to determine whether a duty exists, the Court cannot at this stage find that, as a matter of law, no duty exists.”
He preserved constitutional claims where the pleaded facts, if true, would establish a clearly recognized First Amendment violation.
“As previously discussed, the facts pled by plaintiffs, if true, establish a clear First Amendment violation.”
Cautions
He rejected unsupported factual leaps when a party sought summary judgment without affidavits or other proof.
“Although the NCH defendants contend in their motion that ‘[p]laintiffs] reference in the Complaint to the payment of salaries to employees and silence with respect to payments to NCH Board members fairly may be read as an acknowledgment that the NCH Board members serve as unpaid volunteers,’ NCH Defs.’ Mot. To Dis. or for S.J., at 9, the Court cannot agree that such an analytical leap is warranted.”
He required specific factual support for personal jurisdiction and would not accept conclusory jurisdictional allegations.
“While the Court will consider all allegations of jurisdictional facts in a light most favorable to the assertion of personal jurisdiction, conclusory jurisdictional statements will not suffice.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“For the foregoing reasons, the Court grants defendant’s motion to dismiss as to plaintiffs first, second, and third claims, and grants defendant’s motion for summary judgment on plaintiffs fourth, fifth, and sixth claims. The case thus is concluded.”
“For the foregoing reasons, the Court concludes that it has jurisdiction only over defendants PROGEN Musavirlik ve Yonetim Hizmetleri, Ltd. Sikerti, and Necmettin Oz-temir.”
“ORDERED, that the District of Columbia's motion to dismiss is granted in part and denied in part.”
“It hereby further is ORDERED, that Marion Barry, Jr.'s, and Larry Soulsby's motion to dismiss is denied.”
“ORDERED, that defendants’ motion for transfer is denied. It hereby further is”
“ORDERED, that defendants’ motion to dismiss is granted in part, denied in part, and deferred in part. It hereby further is”
“For the foregoing reasons, the Court: (1) grants in large part the federal defendants’ motion to dismiss or, in the alternative, for summary judgment, but defers judgment on plaintiffs contract claims against the federal defendants pending a possible amendment of plaintiffs complaint; and (2) grants in part and denies in part the NCH defendants’ motion to dismiss or, in the alternative, for summary judgment.”
“ORDERED, that defendants’ motion to dismiss is granted in part and denied in part. It hereby further is”
“Accordingly, the Court grants in part defendants’ motion to dismiss the amended complaint only to the extent that the Court lacks personal jurisdiction over defendants Al-Suwaidi, Al-Khazragi, and Al-Nahyan.”
“For the foregoing reasons, PBGC’s motion to dismiss plaintiffs’ complaint is denied.”
“ORDERED, that defendant’s motion to dismiss is granted with respect to Count I. It hereby further is”
“ORDERED, that defendant’s motion to dismiss is granted. It hereby further is”
“ORDERED, that plaintiffs motion to set trial date, reconsider the dismissal of common law claims, and amend the complaint is denied. It hereby further is”
“ORDERED, that plaintiffs and WMA-TA’s pending motions in limine are denied as moot.”
“ORDERED, that defendants’ motion to dismiss or stay litigation is denied.”
“For the foregoing reasons, the Court grants defendant’s motion to dismiss.”
A historical record
Judge Harris 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.