David Bryan Sentelle
How Judge Sentelle rules, drawn from 16 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Judge Sentelle left this court for the U.S. Supreme Court. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled here.
About Judge Sentelle
David Bryan Sentelle was a judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina. Appointed by President Ronald Reagan, Judge Sentelle received a commission on October 17, 1985. Judge Sentelle left the court on October 19, 1987 on appointment to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
How Judge Sentelle decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In Gardner, Sentelle treated the state supreme court’s construction of an earlier repose statute as the best guide and declined to extend a product-liability repose period to asbestos disease without explicit legislative language.
“the State Supreme Court does not consider disease to be included within a statute of repose directed at personal injury claims unless the Legislature expressly expands the language to include it.”
Procedural preferences
In McDowell, Sentelle awarded fees to prevailing civil-rights defendants after finding the suit groundless, but cut the calculated award in half to balance deterrence against access to court.
“the Court further reduces the fee award to defendants by one-half and awards to defendants as reasonable attorneys’ fees the sum of $4,301.50”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“IT IS ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED that plaintiff’s motion for withdrawal of mandate is hereby DENIED.”
“the decision of the magistrate dismissing this prosecution is affirmed.”
“The decision of the Bankruptcy Court is AFFIRMED.”
“defendants’ motions for dismissal are allowed by Order filed contemporaneously herewith.”
“the Court further reduces the fee award to defendants by one-half and awards to defendants as reasonable attorneys’ fees the sum of $4,301.50”
“defendant’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment is denied.”
“The court will issue, and by Order filed contemporaneously with this memorandum has issued, the preliminary relief prayed by the plaintiffs.”
“Defendant’s motion for summary judgment is DENIED.”
“Plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment is ALLOWED.”
“Plaintiff take nothing by reason of this lawsuit”
“the Court will enter a judgment contemporaneously herewith that plaintiffs take nothing by reason of this action.”
“Based on the foregoing, the EPA is entitled to summary judgment”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
No assigned docket records were returned under three plausible Sentelle name variants.
A historical record
Judge Sentelle left this court for the U.S. Supreme Court. 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.