Henry Luesing Brooks

How Judge Brooks rules, drawn from 15 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.

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

Court
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky
Position
district
Status
Elevated to a higher court
Served
1954–1969
Appointed by
Dwight D. Eisenhower (Republican)
Commissioned
1954-08-21
Education
University of Wisconsin (A.B., 1927); Jefferson School of Law (LL.B., 1929)
Signed orders read
15

How Judge Brooks decides

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

What persuades

The court treated an unlocked car’s theft and negligent use as an intervening act the owners had no duty to foresee.

“the defendants could not as a matter of law be charged with the duty of anticipating that their unlocked and unattended car would be stolen and negligently operated so as to injure the plaintiffs.”

In a bankruptcy preference dispute, the court required proof of every statutory element before avoiding the creditor’s transfer.

“If these six essential elements are established, the preference exists and is voidable by the trustee”

Procedural preferences

A related criminal prosecution justified sustaining a Fifth Amendment objection to civil requests for admissions.

“The defendant’s objection to the request for admissions is sustained”

After transfer, the court applied the limitations period of the forum the plaintiffs originally chose.

“Plaintiffs having chosen their forum are therefore bound by its three-year statute of limitations”

Cautions

A new-trial request could not displace the jury where reasonable care and negligence remained factual questions.

“Whether defendant was negligent in this regard was a question for the jury.”

Signed rulings

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

Eck Miller Transfer Co. v. United States
· 1956-08-01
Petition for review of agency order (plaintiff) Denied

“The Commission’s order is not unlawful or .arbitrary, and an order is this day entered dismissing plaintiff’s complaint.”

Frank v. Ralston
· 1956-10-22
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Granted

“An order dismissing the plaintiffs’ complaint is this day entered.”

In re Kaufman
· 1956-08-02
Petition to review referee order (creditor) Granted in part

“this case is remanded for further proceedings consistent with ■this memorandum.”

United States v. Logsdon
· 1955-06-22
Motion to dismiss indictment (defendant) Denied

“the motion of the defendant to dismiss the indictment is overruled”

Rodgers v. United States
· 1955-02-11
Summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“The motion of the defendant for summary judgment is sustained.”

In re Heat 'N' Eat Brands, Inc.
· 1959-07-09
Petition to review referee order (trustee) Granted

“The order of the Referee giving preference to the claim of Hope Machinery ■Company is set aside”

Sellers v. Bardill
· 1955-06-16
Motions to remand (plaintiff) Granted

“the motion to remand is sustained and proper order entered.”

Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. v. Logsdon
· 1955-07-19
Objection to request for admissions (defendant) Granted

“The defendant’s objection to the request for admissions is sustained”

Tarrence v. Buchanan (Roy Tarrence)
· 1954-12-27
Habeas petition (petitioner) Denied

“The writ shall be vacated, the petition dismissed and the petitioner remanded to the respondent and the Kentucky authorities”

Food Basket, Inc. v. Amalgamated Meat Cutters
· 1954-09-30
Motions to remand (plaintiff) Granted

“the motion of the plaintiff to remand this action to the Jefferson Circuit Court must be sustained.”

Tarrence v. Buchanan (Leonard Tarrence)
· 1954-12-27
Habeas petition (petitioner) Denied

“The writ shall be vacated, the petition dismissed and the petitioner remanded to the respondent and the Kentucky authorities”

Kentucky Trust Co. v. Sweeney
· 1958-01-22
Summary judgment (plaintiff) Granted

“the 'trust estate, after payment of trustees’ fees, should be distributed as loL; lows:”

Caseload & timing

From public federal docket records for this judge.

The reviewed decisions include civil procedure, bankruptcy, criminal, labor, insurance, tax, patent, and administrative-review matters. No electronic records are available to quantify the district-court tenure.

A historical record

Judge Brooks 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.