Casper Platt
How Judge Platt rules, drawn from 48 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Judge Platt no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.
How Judge Platt decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
States the disposition as something the law compels rather than something he chooses, writing that a motion 'must be' granted or denied once the governing rule is identified.
“Therefore, the defendant’s motion for summary judgment must be granted with costs against the plaintiff.”
Reads a procedural rule toward reaching the whole dispute in one proceeding, and says so explicitly when allowing a non-party in.
“Construing Rule 24(a)(2) liberally, in order that justice may be obtained by all the parties concerned and that the suit between plaintiffs and defendant may be concluded without undue delay, the court is of the opinion that the motion to intervene must be allowed.”
Divides a single motion defendant by defendant instead of treating it as all or nothing, allowing it as to some parties and refusing it as to others in one sentence.
“For the reasons stated the motion to dismiss is allowed as to the two defendants Chanute Air Force Base Exchange and Air Force Exchange Service, and denied as to the United States of America.”
Names the precise defect that decides the motion rather than resting on a general insufficiency, here identifying which statutory element of the petition failed.
“Therefore, the amended involuntary petition must be dismissed for the reason that there are not three qualified petitioning creditors with provable claims fixed as to liability and liquidated as to amount.”
Says plainly when he considers himself bound to a result he regards as severe, separating his view of the rule from his duty to apply it.
“The Supreme Court has pronounced a harsh rule on priority of federal tax liens. However, this Court is bound by the decisions of the Supreme Court.”
Procedural preferences
Closes with a short decretal sentence and the words 'It is so ordered', so the operative ruling is a discrete line rather than something the reader must infer from the discussion.
“Petition for writ of habeas corpus is denied, and the action is dismissed. It is so ordered.”
Sets the next steps in the same order that decides the motion, fixing the time to amend and the time to answer rather than leaving the schedule open.
“The plaintiff is granted 30 days to file amendment to complaint”
Holds that a defense depending on facts outside the pleadings cannot be resolved on a motion directed at the complaint, and defers it rather than deciding it early.
“This motion is therefore denied.”
Tried a large share of his civil and criminal docket to the bench himself and resolved it in written findings, which is why most of his published work decides a case rather than a motion.
“Defendants waived trial by jury and consented to trial by court.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“We therefore come to the conclusion that so far as this Court is concerned the service on the defendant James Donald Green with the amended affidavit is sufficient.”
“Therefore, leave to substitute new parties defendant having been requested on April 7th more than one year after the death in question, it is denied.”
Mann Act and conspiracy prosecution tried to the court after both defendants waived a jury. The opinion weighs the testimony of the government agents, the two house-of-prostitution operators and the defendants themselves. A verdict after trial rather than a ruling on a motion, so it is excluded from the motion counts.
“Therefore, the defendant’s motion for summary judgment must be granted with costs against the plaintiff.”
Dispute over title to a two-acre school site and its buildings after the school trustees abandoned and sold the property. All facts were stipulated or admitted, and the court decided ownership as a question of law.
“The writ of habeas corpus is therefore denied, and it is ordered that the petition be and the same hereby is dismissed.”
“Construing Rule 24(a)(2) liberally, in order that justice may be obtained by all the parties concerned and that the suit between plaintiffs and defendant may be concluded without undue delay, the court is of the opinion that the motion to intervene must be allowed.”
Fraud and deceit action by a surety against a bank president and others over representations made to obtain a contractor's performance bond. By pretrial stipulation the court heard evidence on liability alone.
Competing claims to the proceeds of two National Service Life Insurance certificates among a deceased veteran's mother, putative father, half-siblings and a claimed in loco parentis relation. The cause was submitted to the court on the evidence.
Consolidated forfeiture libels against seized slot machines under the Johnson Act, decided on stipulated facts. The claimants denied being dealers required to register and challenged the statute as unconstitutionally vague.
“Therefore, the amended involuntary petition must be dismissed for the reason that there are not three qualified petitioning creditors with provable claims fixed as to liability and liquidated as to amount.”
Trademark infringement and unfair competition action over use of the organization's emblem by a commercial seller of chapter supplies. Issued as an amended opinion with findings of fact and conclusions of law after the parties stipulated further evidence into the record.
Three-judge court reviewing Interstate Commerce Commission orders denying a motor carrier temporary authority to haul glass bottles from an out-of-state plant.
A historical record
Judge Platt 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.