Thomas Austin Ballantine Jr.
Judge Ballantine no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.
How Judge Ballantine decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
Ballantine declined to create a new evidentiary privilege where Kentucky law favored access to information needed to test discrimination claims.
“Kentucky’s courts have chosen not to create a ‘self-critical analysis’ privilege in other contexts, and this court cannot conclude that, given the strong policy arguments on both sides, Kentucky would choose to deviate from its long charted course of judicial restraint in the creation of such a privilege here.”
Ballantine required evidence tied to the historical standard of medical practice before removing a failure-to-warn claim from the jury.
“The testimony does not establish, as a matter of fact, that standard medical practice in 1971 dictated that physicians not inform patients of the odds of contracting polio from oral vaccines.”
Ballantine used injunctive relief to end ongoing illegal discharges while directing a workable transition to the public sewer system.
“The plaintiff’s motion for injunctive relief will be granted. Pursuant to the All Writs Act, MSD will be ordered to accept and treat the sewage flow from residences in Confederate Acres’ sewage service area and to construct an intercepting line for this purpose.”
Procedural preferences
Ballantine scrutinized claimed litigation costs item by item and treated many preparation expenses as ordinary overhead rather than taxable costs.
“This Court has remained persuaded for almost 20 years that such costs are a part of the anticipated overhead of practicing law”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“The motion to compel discovery will be denied.”
“Accordingly, the motion of the plaintiffs to compel production of the portions of the affirmative action plan withheld by the defendants will be granted.”
“Respondent’s motion to dismiss will be granted and an appropriate order has been entered this 2nd day of December, 1985.”
“The local rules make no provision for such a filing and the motion will be denied.”
“For the reasons discussed in the memorandum above, the judgment of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Kentucky, and the order overruling the debtors’ motion to alter or amend the judgment are hereby affirmed.”
“The motion is granted, and the complaint is ORDERED filed.”
“The bankruptcy court’s opinion of May 21, 1984 will be reversed and an appropriate order has been entered this 21st day of January, 1986.”
“We agree with Judge Bland’s holding and it will be affirmed in all respects.”
“In light of the Court’s decision, appellant’s motion for oral argument will be denied.”
“The motion of the defendant, General Electric Company, for summary judgment against the plaintiff, Kiran Shah, will be granted.”
“The Court concludes that the exclusion quoted relieves defendants of any liability to plaintiffs and a judgment will be entered in favor of defendants on the claims of the plaintiffs against them.”
“The Court will direct the Clerk to tax costs at $729.00 as follows:”
“The Court has also considered and summarily rejects as frivolous defendant’s claim for attorneys’ fees incurred in resisting plaintiff’s tendered bill of costs.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
The located historical matters included product-liability, contract, insurance, prisoner civil-rights, tax, fraud, and railway disputes. The sampled records did not contain usable motion timelines.
A historical record
Judge Ballantine 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.