Stephen Chad Meredith
How Judge Meredith decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
4th-Amendment excessive-force defendants prevail on summary judgment where force is objectively reasonable under Graham and the plaintiff fails to rebut qualified immunity or KY discretionary good-faith immunity; an unrebutted immunity argument is treated as conceded.
“Ferreiras has provided no argument to the contrary regarding her state law claims, so Officers Ullrich and Fritsch are entitled to summary judgment on qualified immunity grounds.”
Procedural preferences
On a partial 12(b)(6) dismissal, grants leave to amend the surviving complaint within a short fixed window (14 days) -- repleading is invited where curable.
“Keitz is granted leave to file an amended complaint consistent with this Opinion within 14 days of the date of this Opinion.”
Cautions
Will not permit the unauthorized practice of law: a habeas (or other) petition signed/filed by a non-attorney 'next friend' is fatally defective and will be summarily dismissed (without prejudice to refiling pro se or through counsel).
“A non-attorney cannot represent another party, even if acting as a next friend. ... the signing and filing of a pleading on behalf of another person by one who is not a qualified attorney makes that pleading ineffective to vest a court with jurisdiction and warrants that such a pleading be dismissed.”
Motion outcomes
Counted from classified signed orders only. Percentages are shown only where the sample is large enough to be meaningful; smaller samples are reported as raw counts.
| Summary judgment N = 1 |
Granted: 1 | counts only |
| Motions to dismiss N = 1 |
Granted in part: 1 | counts only |
| Habeas petition N = 1 |
Moot / procedural: 1 | counts only |
A "1 of 1" is one ruling, not a tendency. Treat small samples as illustrative, not predictive.
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“For these reasons, the Court GRANTS the Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment, [Dkt. 76], as to all of Ferreiras's claims.”
“the Defendants' Motion to Dismiss, [Dkt. 3], is GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART. Counts V, VIII, IX, and X of Keitz's Complaint, as well as her failure-to-train-or-supervise claim in Count II, [Dkt. 1], are dismissed. The remainder of her claims may proceed. Finally, Keitz is granted leave to file an amended complaint consistent with this Opinion within 14 days of the date of this Opinion.”
“The Petition, [Dkt. 1], is DENIED and DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE.”