Raymond L. Erickson
Judge Erickson no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.
How Judge Erickson decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
On a prisoner-civil-rights motion to dismiss he recommends granting it in most respects while letting specific equal-protection and failure-to-supervise claims proceed, and his recommendations are adopted over objection on de novo review.
“The Motion of the Defendants to Dismiss (Doc. No. 9) is GRANTED in all respects except for the Plaintiff's claim that Defendants Officer Peine, and Jan Hanlon, denied him equal protection ... which are allowed to proceed.”
Procedural preferences
In immigration and habeas matters he recommends transfer to the court of appeals for want of jurisdiction rather than a merits ruling.
“This matter is hereby transferred to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.”
Cautions
In a contested Social Security appeal he recommends denying outright reversal and an award of benefits but granting the alternative remand for further administrative development, and denies the Commissioner's cross-motions.
“Plaintiff's motion for summary judgment [Docket No. 26] is denied as to outright reversal and an award of benefits but granted as to the alternative request that the case be remanded for further administrative proceedings.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“This matter is hereby transferred to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.”
“The Motion of the Defendants to Dismiss (Doc. No. 9) is GRANTED in all respects except for the Plaintiff's claim that Defendants Officer Peine, and Jan Hanlon, denied him equal protection ... which are allowed to proceed.”
District Judge Richard H. Kyle adopted Chief Magistrate Judge Erickson's September 30, 2005 recommendation over the plaintiff's objection (on de novo review). Erickson recommended summary dismissal; Kyle overruled the objection, adopted it, denied the in-forma-pauperis application, and summarily dismissed the action under 28 U.S.C. 1915(e)(2)(B)(ii). It is a screening ruling -- the in-forma-pauperis denial is incident to the 1915(e) screening -- resolving no party motion on the merits.
“Plaintiff's motion for summary judgment [Docket No. 26] is denied as to outright reversal and an award of benefits but granted as to the alternative request that the case be remanded for further administrative proceedings.”
“Defendant's motions for summary judgment [Docket Nos. 15, 30] are denied.”
“Plaintiff's motion to remand [Docket No. 20] is denied as moot.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Erickson's footprint as the assigned/referral magistrate spans the Duluth division (FELA/railroad, ERISA, employment civil-rights, PI) plus, in his final years, referral work on St. Paul/Minneapolis cases. Case-level durations (filed minus terminated): Lisdahl v. Mayo Foundation (USERRA) ~901 days; Stone v. Bemidji (civil rights jobs) ~589 days; Halunen v. Duluth Winnipeg (civil rights jobs) ~641 days. Sampled across 1995-2010; not exhaustive.
A historical record
Judge Erickson 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.