Sharon A. King
How Judge King decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
On a post-deadline motion to amend she enforces the Rule 16(b)(4) 'good cause' gate BEFORE the liberal Rule 15 standard (Premier Comp Solutions, 3d Cir.): a movant who briefs only Rule 15 (or who raises Rule 16 for the first time on reply) forfeits the argument and the motion is denied for that reason alone, independent of any prejudice analysis.
“the Court finds that Plaintiff forfeited any argument he could have raised under Rule 16. ... For this sole reason, the motion will be denied.”
Rule 15 futility is analyzed under the Rule 12(b)(6)/Iqbal-Twombly standard, and she will test the proposed pleading against its own integral documents: where the documents the plaintiff relied upon to frame the amendment actually contradict the new allegation, the amendment is futile and leave is denied.
“Were these documents to be included as attachments to the proposed amendment, the documents themselves would render Plaintiffs' claims directed at Ann Stocklin therein futile.”
Motion outcomes
Counted from classified signed orders only. Percentages are shown only where the sample is large enough to be meaningful; smaller samples are reported as raw counts.
| Motion to amend N = 2 |
Denied: 2 | counts only |
| Motion to enforce N = 1 |
Granted: 1 | counts only |
| Motion to enforce settlement N = 1 |
Granted: 1 | counts only |
| Motion for reconsideration N = 1 |
Denied: 1 | counts only |
A "1 of 1" is one ruling, not a tendency. Treat small samples as illustrative, not predictive.
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“it is respectfully recommended that the Government's petition be GRANTED and that an order be issued requiring Roderick Jefferson to appear to provide sworn oral testimony pursuant to CID No. NJ-2024-113.”
“it is respectfully recommended that Defendant's Motion to Enforce Settlement be GRANTED.”
“Plaintiff's motion to amend [ECF No. 43] is DENIED. ... Plaintiff forfeited any argument he could have raised under Rule 16. ... For this sole reason, the motion will be denied.”
“the Court finds the proposed amendment is futile and will deny Plaintiffs' motion. ... Plaintiffs' motion to amend [ECF No. 19] is DENIED.”
“Defendants' Motion for Reconsideration [ECF No. 152] is DENIED. ... Defendants have not met their burden of establishing that the Court made a 'clear error of law' ... [n]or have they demonstrated that a 'manifest injustice' will result.”