Edward James Devitt
How Judge Devitt rules, drawn from 38 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Judge Devitt no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.
How Judge Devitt decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Cautions
When considering a new trial, Devitt was willing to set aside a verdict when the interests of justice and the clear weight of evidence pointed the other way.
“The interests of justice as well as the clear weight and logical force of the evidence require a new trial.”
He treated attorney-fee awards as discretionary even after a civil-rights plaintiff prevailed, focusing on whether the action materially served a broader public interest.
“Therefore, this is one of those rare cases where the court in its discretion should not award attorney’s fees.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“For these reasons McKee’s motion to dismiss is denied and, because it is patent that venue properly should be in the Northern District of Illinois, the case is transferred to that jurisdiction.”
“Defendant’s motion for dismissal is granted.”
“the Court has denied the defendant’s motion and has certified that the appeal is not taken in good faith.”
“The petition for a writ of habeas corpus is denied.”
“The motion for a new trial is denied.”
“That Archer-Daniels-Midland Company is entitled to a judgment against the United States of America for a refund of the amount of $34,436.91 documentary stamp tax paid, plus interest from September 7, 1951.”
“a new trial must be granted to prevent a miscarriage of justice.”
“The defendant’s motion for summary judgment is granted, and the plaintiff’s similar motion is denied.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
No representative assigned case-level electronic docket sample is available for Devitt's historical tenure. The publication-selected decisions therefore do not establish his complete caseload mix or case duration.
A historical record
Judge Devitt 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.