Robert Daniel Potter
How Judge Potter rules, drawn from 20 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Judge Potter no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.
How Judge Potter decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In Hardin, Potter treated the place of contracting, performance, payment, and pickup as concrete contacts supporting personal jurisdiction.
“Defendant had to know that the contract would be executed in North Carolina, that the subject matter of the contract was in North Carolina, that payment was due in North Carolina before delivery per the contract”
Procedural preferences
In Fair, Potter emphasized that employment-discrimination review concerns the employer's honest reason rather than the court's independent view of the business decision.
“This Court does not need to judge the correctness of AMP’s assessment of Fair’s abilities; it need only determine that AMP believed in good faith that Fair’s performance was unsatisfactory”
Cautions
In Childers, Potter rejected adding incarceration time as a penalty for exercising statutory extradition rights.
“To punish Petitioner with an additional 64-day period of incarceration for refusing to waive extradition would totally eviscerate his rights under this statute.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“this Court finds merit in the application and herewith issues the writ in the form of a 64-day credit against the original sentences which Petitioner was serving at the time of his escape.”
“Defendant’s motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction is DENIED;”
“Defendant’s motion to dismiss for improper venue is DENIED;”
“Defendant’s motion to transfer should be DENIED.”
“the matter should be REMANDED to the Bankruptcy Court for further consideration of whether the Arent, Fox services were ‘in the best interests of the estate’ and for more specific findings of fact on that issue.”
“the Court’s Memorandum of Decision, filed August 12, 1985, and the Court’s Amended Memorandum of Decision, filed August 30, 1985, be vacated to the extent they support an award of attorney’s fees to Defendant.”
“the Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss should be GRANTED.”
“Defendant’s Motion to dismiss, or alternatively, for summary judgment, should be DENIED.”
“The Plaintiff’s Motion to Compel is DENIED;”
“The Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(2) is GRANTED;”
“The Court need not rule on the Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss for improper venue pursuant to Fed.R. Civ.P. 12(b)(3).”
“Defendants’ Motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction is DENIED.”
“A judgment dismissing Fair’s action with prejudice will be filed simultaneously with this Memorandum of Decision.”
“A Judgment dismissing Crawford’s action with prejudice will be filed simultaneously with this Memorandum of Decision.”
“the Plaintiff’s Motion to preclude evidence of the Covenants Not To Sue is GRANTED”
“the Plaintiff’s Motion to preclude evidence of the prior state court action is DENIED”
“the Plaintiff’s Motion to preclude evidence of the prior criminal conviction is GRANTED”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
The fixed five-docket sample included insurance, contract, and lease matters. All five cases were terminated, but none had an electronic entry stream, so only case durations and administrative closing categories could be summarized.
A historical record
Judge Potter 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.