Alfred Paul Murrah
How Judge Murrah rules, drawn from 3 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Judge Murrah no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.
How Judge Murrah decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In Burton, Murrah read a divorce decree consistently with the statute's protection of property acquired by the wife in her own right.
“we must assume that, in rendering the judgment in question, the court intended to and did follow the positive provisions of the governing statute”
In Monahan, Murrah enforced an express exclusion from double-indemnity coverage without treating the policy itself as invalid or contestable.
“Here, again, the distinction must be made between limitation on the coverage and limitation on a defense of invalidity.”
Procedural preferences
In Houston, Murrah distinguished peaceable organizing activity from fraud or violence and tailored relief to the latter conduct.
“this Court does not have jurisdiction to grant the relief prayed for.”
Cautions
In Monahan, Murrah declined to expand double-indemnity coverage beyond the risk the insurers agreed to bear.
“we cannot read into a contract a liability or a risk which, by plain terms and conditions of the same the companies never intended to assume”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“The demurrer of the plaintiff, N. S. Burton, is overruled”
“The Court therefore concludes that the judgment of this Court in directing a verdict for the companies was correct”
“The petition of the plaintiff for an injunction insofar as it seeks to enjoin peaceful picketing and persuasion free from fraud or violence, is denied.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
No tenure-bounded docket record was available from which to describe caseload mix.
A historical record
Judge Murrah 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.