William Cook Hanson
Judge Hanson no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.
How Judge Hanson decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
Hanson protected employee informants where the requesting employer had not first shown special circumstances or made concrete efforts to obtain the information elsewhere.
“The privilege is necessary to protect the identities of informants whose means of livelihood are dependent upon the employer or who may need future job references.”
He upheld administrative action when the agency organized an exhaustive record around rational, legally relevant criteria.
“These conclusions dictate a final finding that the entire administrative procedure was rational and free from caprice.”
Procedural preferences
Hanson treated a service statute as prospective when it was in force at the time the alleged injury occurred, even though manufacture and sale predated it.
“The statute is not here applied retroactively, but in any event, the fact that a statute applies to a civil action retroactively does not render it unconstitutional.”
He demanded the procedural safeguards required before a local government could deny a theater license based on anticipated obscenity.
“not one of the four safeguards established in Freedman have been satisfied.”
Cautions
Statistics alone did not justify expanding an Equal Pay Act remedy beyond the store and positions actually proved at trial.
“statistics without any evidence as to job equality of the actual positions held by persons in other stores are, at most, of limited probative value.”
He distinguished a losing civil-rights claim from counsel conduct that unreasonably multiplied proceedings, limiting the fee sanction to the latter.
“the Court deems $275 to be a reasonable attorneys’ fee (five hours at $55 per hour) assessable against counsel for plaintiff.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“The Court concludes that Grady does not state a cause of action for habeas corpus relief or for any other relief this Court could grant.”
“defendant’s motion for production is denied.”
“defendant’s motion for summary judgment be granted, that the decision of the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare be affirmed, and the plaintiff’s Complaint be dismissed.”
“Plaintiff’s ‘Motion for Injunctive Relief and for Further Remedy Related Proceedings’ be, and the same is, hereby denied.”
“Defendant’s motion to strike is denied.”
“the defendant’s motion for summary judgment is denied.”
“the motion to dismiss for lack of diversity of citizenship is overruled”
“the motion to quash service of process is overruled.”
“defendants are hereby enjoined from refusing to issue a theater license on the basis that the movies to be shown may be obscene.”
“the motions to dismiss and to quash service of process are overruled and denied.”
“Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss be and it is hereby overruled.”
“this cause is reversed and remanded for further consideration not inconsistent with this Memorandum.”
“the relief requested in the complaints will be denied and the complaints dismissed at plaintiffs’ costs.”
“motion for summary judgment is hereby granted”
“the motion to remand is hereby overruled.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
No case-level docket assigned under Hanson’s name was returned for his Northern District service. The profile therefore makes no claim about complete caseload mix, case duration, administrative dispositions, or motion timing.
A historical record
Judge Hanson 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.