Arthur F. Lederle
How Judge Lederle rules, drawn from 20 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Judge Lederle no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled here.
About Judge Lederle
Arthur F. Lederle was a judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Judge Lederle received a commission on March 6, 1936. Judge Lederle assumed senior status on July 1, 1960 and served until death on April 29, 1972.
How Judge Lederle decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
Lederle followed unreversed circuit precedent even when the government urged that the controlling case had been wrongly decided.
“This point was decided adversely to the Government’s contentions by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in United States v. Lederer Terminal Warehouse, 139 F.2d 679, which case has never been reversed or overruled.”
He treated affiliated companies as a single employer when internal reassignment of payroll functions would otherwise defeat a returning veteran’s statutory rights.
“the two companies must be treated as identical in so far as the statutory rights of the veteran are concerned.”
Procedural preferences
Lederle enforced a reasonable claims deadline after reorganization, emphasizing that an estate cannot remain perpetually unsettled.
“If some limit is not placed upon the time within which creditors’ rights are barred, a bankrupt estate could never be settled.”
He required a judicial-disqualification affidavit to be filed before hearing and rejected its use after a guilty plea merely to seek a different sentencing judge.
“This statute provides for the filing of an affidavit before hearing, and has no application after a plea of guilty has been entered.”
Cautions
Lederle scrutinized complete diversity at pretrial and dismissed nondiverse joint-tortfeasor claims while preserving a separable controversy against the remaining defendant.
“this court is without jurisdiction over this controversy against allegedly joint tort-feasors for lack of diversity of citizenship between the parties hereto”
He required an out-of-state guardian to establish local capacity to sue, noting that otherwise the resulting judgment would not bind the minor’s claim.
“this Ohio Guardian lacks capacity to maintain this action and a judgment herein would not be res judicata of the matters in suit”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“Where, as here, a case is at issue, there is no dispute as to any material fact, and the plaintiff is entitled to judgment as a matter of law, plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment should be granted.”
“an order is being entered simultaneously herewith, overruling petition for order declaring the judgment satisfied.”
“In accordance with Rule 41 (a) (2), it is hereby ordered that the above-entitled cause be, and the same is, hereby dismissed and discontinued without prejudice to plaintiff’s rights provided that prior to the institution of another suit upon the cause of action here involved plaintiff pays to defendant all of its taxable costs and all expenses incurred by said defendant in preparation for this case, said costs and expenses to be determined by the court prior to the time such second suit is commenced.”
“Now, therefore, it is hereby ordered that this cause be and the same is hereby dismissed and discontinued, with prejudice, and without costs to either party except that final dismissal fee be paid to the Clerk of this Court by plaintiff.”
Lederle stayed an automobile-negligence action because the defendant’s military service materially impaired his ability to conduct the defense.
Lederle dismissed nondiverse defendants without prejudice while allowing the plaintiff to amend the complaint to allege a separable controversy against the remaining corporate defendant.
Lederle entered garnishment judgment against an insurer for the unpaid principal, costs, and interest on the plaintiff’s automobile-collision judgment.
“That said motion for substitution be, and it is hereby overruled”
“the defendant’s motion to dismiss be, and i't is hereby granted and the cause dismissed”
Lederle awarded life-insurance proceeds to the named beneficiary and rejected the widow’s competing claim because no agreement entitled the widow to share in the policy.
Lederle found a bridge company’s reorganization plan fair, equitable, and feasible and authorized submission of the plan to creditors for acceptance.
“It is therefore ordered that the petition for rehearing be, and it is hereby, overruled.”
Lederle dismissed a guardian’s personal-injury suit without prejudice because an out-of-state guardian lacked capacity to maintain the action without Michigan ancillary proceedings.
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
No case-level docket record assigned under Lederle’s name was returned for his tenure. The profile therefore makes no claim about his complete caseload mix, case duration, administrative dispositions, or motion timing.
A historical record
Judge Lederle no longer hears cases. This profile stays available as a record of how they ruled here. If you're preparing for a matter, start from the court's current bench.