Folger Johnson Jr.

How Judge Johnson rules, drawn from 16 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.

Judge Johnson no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.

Court
U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Oregon
Position
bankruptcy
Status
Deceased
Served
1955–1998
Commissioned
1955
Education
Reed College (attended); Pomona College, B.A. (1937); Northwestern College of Law, J.D. (1941)
Signed orders read
16

How Judge Johnson decides

Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.

What persuades

The text granting reclamation rights controlled over an equitable effort to prefer sellers who could no longer recover the goods.

“Equity is out of place here in attempting to create a right not implied in the statute.”

Procedural preferences

The jury-trial analysis began by classifying the bankruptcy proceeding under the former summary-versus-plenary framework.

“The first step in deciding whether one has a right to a jury trial is to make a determination of whether the instant complaint would have been a summary or a plenary action.”

Cautions

Payment did not substitute for the notice needed to perfect a tax lien against a later bankruptcy trustee.

“Payment is not notice to a bona fide purchaser and cannot take the place of the notice required by the Code.”

Signed rulings

A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.

In re Maier
383-01638 · 1983-09-26
Objection to exemption (Trustee) Granted

“The trustee's objection to the exemption of the second vehicle under ORS 23.160(k) should therefore be sustained and the exemption denied.”

Masto v. Coast Trading Co. (In re Coast Trading Co.)
· 1982-11-26
Request for jury trial (Reclaiming seller) Denied

“The court concludes that the plaintiff is not entitled to a jury trial.”

Franzwa v. United States (In re K & L Interiors, Inc.)
· 1982-09-01

After trial, the trustee could recover an unperfected prepetition tax payment as a preference, subject to limits protecting the eventual estate distribution.

McNaught v. Internal Revenue Service (In re Rogers Refrigeration, Inc.)
· 1983-09-13
Motions to dismiss (Internal Revenue Service) Granted

“Judgment shall therefore be entered for defendant Internal Revenue Service.”

Summary judgment (Chapter 7 trustee) Denied
Kerr Pacific Milling Corp. v. Coast Trading Co. (In re Coast Trading Co.)
· 1982-07-16

After trial, completed delivery and payment to a good-faith purchaser defeated the original seller's reclamation claim.

Oregon Department of Human Resources v. Richards (In re Richards)
· 1983-09-13

On stipulated facts, a state support-reimbursement judgment arising outside a separation agreement, divorce decree, or property settlement was discharged.

Collingwood Grain, Inc. v. Coast Trading Co. (In re Coast Trading Co.)
· 1983-06-16

The court allocated interpleaded grain-sale proceeds after trial, recognizing reclamation only for the car delivered after the seller's demand.

Travelers Insurance Co. v. Angus (In re Angus)
· 1981-03-06

After trial, a rediscovered insured ring was held in constructive trust for the insurer that had paid the loss by mutual mistake.

Dopps v. Coast Trading Co. (In re Coast Trading Co.)
· 1982-12-23

After trial, growers unable to reclaim grain from good-faith purchasers had no claim to traceable proceeds, administrative priority, or a substitute lien.

Nelson v. Kramer (In re Nelson)
· 1981-05-05

After trial, the debtor could apply the full Oregon homestead exemption to his half interest, leaving no nonexempt equity for the judgment lien.

Clayton v. Coast Trading Co. (In re Coast Trading Co.)
· 1983-06-16

After trial, prepetition grain-sale obligations did not qualify for administrative priority merely because delivery occurred after the filing.

Williams v. Webb (In re Butson's, Inc.)
· 1980-01-08
Summary judgment (Trustee) Granted

“The Court therefore holds in favor of the trustee, and the motion for summary judgment is allowed.”

Caseload & timing

From public federal docket records for this judge.

Historical docket-level caseload and timing could not be measured from the available records.

A historical record

Judge Johnson 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.