Shane Devine
Judge Devine no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.
How Judge Devine decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
Devine allowed access to sensitive institutional records when the information was essential and no alternative source existed, while limiting who could see it.
“the information sought by the plaintiffs is critical to the issue of whether the constitutional rights of the residents at Laconia State School are being violated.”
Devine treated the administrative claims process as a settlement mechanism rather than a technical trap when the government had fair notice.
“Congress enacted the administrative claims procedure to lessen the court caseload by functioning as a settlement tool, not as a procedural roadblock.”
Devine required a concrete likelihood of success before granting campaign-related preliminary relief.
“the likelihood of success on the merits of this litigation is nil”
Procedural preferences
Devine preferred a complete administrative record before parallel claims arising from the same facts proceeded in court.
“it would inevitably result in duplicative discovery and possible piecemeal claims resolution.”
Devine declined to punish a client for counsel's filing lapse when no prejudice or bad faith was shown.
“the client is not to be penalized for the fault of counsel”
Devine treated interlocutory certification as exceptional relief reserved for genuinely controlling unsettled questions.
“interlocutory certification pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1292(b) is to be sparingly used and only in exceptional circumstances”
Cautions
Devine emphasized that federal courts do not serve as appellate zoning boards when state administrative and judicial remedies remain available.
“federal courts do not sit as a super zoning board or a zoning board of appeals.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“The plaintiff’s motion to remand is granted.”
“It is therefore ordered that the claims be and they hereby are dismissed for lack of jurisdiction.”
“the Court rules that the Aetna policy provides coverage and that Aetna is required to furnish coverage up to the limits of said policy in equal shares with Commercial.”
“the Court finds and rules that all of the motions to dismiss should be and they hereby are denied.”
“it is therefore ordered that the motions to dismiss in behalf of all defendants be, and they hereby are, granted.”
“the Court therefore finds and rules that the plaintiff is not entitled to either a temporary restraining order and/or preliminary injunction, and it is, therefore, ordered that said petitions for injunctive relief be, and they hereby are, denied.”
“it is clear that the action herein must be, and it hereby is, dismissed as to all defendants,”
“The defendants’ motions for protective order are denied, with the exception that (as set forth in a separate Order issued this date) access is to be limited to the named party plaintiffs and the attorneys for all parties herein.'”
“the Court finds that the petitioner’s constitutional rights have not been violated, and that the writ should not issue.”
“The Nashua Board of Education and the members thereof are hereby enjoined from the continued withdrawal of MS magazine from the shelves of the Nashua High School library and are ordered to replace the issues they have caused to be removed and to resubscribe to MS magazine”
“The Court finds and rules that plaintiffs Coletta and Burrelle, described as “concerned residents and taxpayers” of Nashua lack standing in this action, and the action is therefore dismissed as to them.”
“the client is not to be penalized for the fault of counsel, and, accordingly, the objection here filed is overruled.”
“Defendant’s motion to dismiss (document no. 11) is denied.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
The available historical slice contains twenty cases filed during Devine's first five months on the court, all later terminated. Because the archive returned no nature-of-suit labels and no entry timelines, it supports only a narrow duration snapshot, not a career-wide caseload description.
A historical record
Judge Devine 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.