Nathan Webb
Judge Webb no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.
How Judge Webb decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
Webb interpreted insurance cancellation to preserve the parties' evident prospective intent rather than erase a loss that had already occurred.
“like all contracts, must be interpreted so as to uphold and effect the intention of the parties”
Webb treated established administrative practice as persuasive when construing compensation for necessary commissioner work.
“The services charged for being so necessary; the usage to pay for them having existed continuously from the time of the enactment of the fee bill”
Procedural preferences
Webb followed controlling circuit authority even where the deciding judge had expressed dissatisfaction with its reasoning.
“Judge Lowell follows the decision, declaring it binding upon him as district judge.”
Webb measured negligence instructions against what prudent people would do under similar, not merely ordinary, circumstances.
“The conduct of prudent men, under similar circumstances, was the rule of standard of prudence required.”
Cautions
Webb limited the binding force of state-court opinions to the actual point decided.
“The obligation to follow state courts is limited to the point in issue”
Webb treated fishermen paid by a share of the catch as protected seamen rather than partners when they had not joined the charter.
“Fishermen are seamen, having uses and customs peculiar to their business, but are at the same time, except as modified by their peculiar contracts, express or implied, protected by the law as other seamen are.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“Judgment for the petitioner for $348 and costs is ordered.”
“There must he a decree in favor of the libelants for $50 and interest, with costs;”
“For which, with costs, let a decree be now entered.”
“Judgment for petitioner for $248.85.”
“judgment is ordered for the petitioner for the sum of $247.10, and for costs.”
“Judgment is to be entered for the petitioner for $141.65.”
“Let judgment be entered for the petitioner for §265.”
“Let the entry be made, dismissed for want of jurisdiction, without costs-”
“Decree for libelant; an assessor to be appointed, to determine amount of damage.”
“judgment for the petitioner for the sum of $330.40, being the whole amount claimed except the $115.05, which had been rejected anterior to the act giving jurisdiction in cases of this kind.”
“The decree is ordered to be against each part owner for the proportion of this amount that his individual share of the vessel boars to the whole.”
“A decree in favor of libelants for demurrage in the sum of $731.50, and costs.”
“The decree of the district court is reversed, and the case is remanded to that court, with directions to dismiss the libel, with costs for the appellants in each court.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
No case-level docket record was returned for Webb's 1882-1902 tenure. The profile therefore makes no claim about caseload mix, case duration, administrative dispositions, or motion timing.
A historical record
Judge Webb 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.