Ross Thompson Roberts

How Judge Roberts rules, drawn from 19 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.

Judge Roberts no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.

Court
United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri
Position
district
Status
Deceased
Served
1982–1987
Appointed by
Ronald Reagan (Republican)
Commissioned
1982-08-20
Education
DePauw University, B.A. (1960); University of Missouri School of Law, J.D. (1963)
Signed orders read
19

How Judge Roberts decides

Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.

What persuades

In the Financial Assurance case, Roberts credited direct testimony about a pregnancy-related statement and found pregnancy was a substantial factor in the employee’s discharge.

“was in fact a substantial motivating factor in that decision.”

Procedural preferences

In Havens Steel, Roberts declined a damages theory where the evidence supplied no non-speculative method for calculating the claimed loss.

“I have no method — other than complete, uninformed speculation — of making the calculations necessary for the present claim.”

Signed rulings

A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.

Johannsen v. Block (In re Koran Enterprises, Inc.)
· 1987-04-08
Bankruptcy appeal (appellant) Moot / procedural

“ORDERED that the appeal of the bankruptcy court’s order of September 10, 1986 be dismissed.”

Donovan v. Health Care Resources, Inc.
· 1983-05-17
Request to dismiss or stay (defendant) Denied

“ORDERED that defendant’s request that this action be dismissed or stayed shall be and the same is hereby denied.”

Spurgeon v. Spurgeon (In Re Spurgeon)
· 1984-08-17
Bankruptcy appeal (appellant) Denied

“ORDERED that the bankruptcy court’s decision be affirmed.”

Webster v. Wishon
· 1986-02-10
Claim to foreclosure surplus (Farmers Home Administration) Granted

“the remaining balance of surplus funds shall be paid by the Trustee to the Farmers Home Administration, to the extent of the balance remaining due on the indebtedness secured by its deed of trust”

Davis v. Line Construction Benefit Fund
· 1984-05-10
Summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“defendant’s motion for summary judgment will be granted;”

Summary judgment (plaintiff) Denied

“plaintiff’s will be denied.”

Hailey v. Yellow Freight System, Inc.
· 1985-02-14
Judgment on the pleadings (defendant) Granted in part

“the action is, upon the record presently before me, rather clearly time-barred. I reach a different result with respect to plaintiff’s fraud claim.”

Houk v. Kimberly-Clark Corp.
· 1984-06-13
Motions to transfer (defendant) Denied

“under 28 U.S.C. § 1404(a) shall be and the same is hereby denied.”

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Financial Assurance, Inc.
· 1985-09-24
Pregnancy discrimination claim (plaintiffs) Granted

“Liability under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act amendments to Title VII, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e(k), is thus established.”

Request for front pay (Butler) Denied

“I accordingly decline to order ‘front pay’ relief.”

Request for record revision (Butler) Denied

“Plaintiffs cite no authority for such an order; and even if I had that power I would refuse to exercise it.”

Request for injunctive relief (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) Denied

“I see nothing to be gained, in those circumstances, by ordering injunctive relief or by attempting to frame any other sort of affirmative action”

Anheuser-Busch Employees Credit Union v. Federal Deposit Insurance
· 1986-12-01
Summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“ORDERED that defendant’s motion for summary judgment should be, and the same is hereby, granted;”

United States v. Amoco Oil Co.
· 1984-01-03
Summary judgment (defendant) Denied

“ORDERED that defendant’s motion for summary judgment in the above-styled matter should be and is hereby denied;”

Summary judgment (plaintiff) Denied

“ORDERED that plaintiff’s motion for partial summary judgment on the issue of liability in the above-styled matter should be and is hereby denied.”

Grand Motors, Inc. v. Ford Motor Co.
· 1982-12-21
Summary judgment (Ford Motor Company) Granted

“ORDERED that the motion by Ford in Case No. 80-0587 for summary judgment is granted;”

Summary judgment (Ford Motor Credit Company) Granted

“ORDERED that the motion by FMCC in Case No. 81-0560 for partial summary judgment on the issue of liability is granted;”

Summary judgment (Ford Motor Credit Company) Denied

“ORDERED that the motion by FMCC in Case No. 81-0560 for summary judgment in its favor on the counterclaim is denied.”

Adams v. Lederle Laboratories
· 1983-04-29
Motions to remand (plaintiff) Denied

“plaintiff’s motion to remand should be, and the same is hereby, denied.”

Caseload & timing

From public federal docket records for this judge.

No assigned docket records were returned under three plausible Roberts name variants.

A historical record

Judge Roberts 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.