William W. Caldwell
Judge Caldwell no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.
How Judge Caldwell decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
Caldwell enforced a negotiated forum-selection clause when the employee had chosen to enter the relationship and offered no specific evidence that the selected forum would be unjust.
“her motion can be denied because she consented to jurisdiction by way of the forum selection clause in the employment agreement.”
Procedural preferences
He enforced the local summary-judgment rule when a response failed to cite record evidence supporting its denials.
“Defendant’s responses fail to refer to the record. Hence, we will accept as fact the statements to which such a response has been given.”
Cautions
He treated an amended answer adding counterclaims as requiring leave and weighed delay and prejudice before allowing the new claims.
“it is evident that the answer at issue represents an amended pleading that requires leave of court to file.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“the bankruptcy court order of March 28, 2005, is affirmed.”
“the decision of the bankruptcy court is affirmed.”
“Plaintiffs’ request in their complaint for permanent injunctive relief is denied.”
“we will grant Plaintiffs relief in the form of a declaratory judgment”
“Plaintiffs’ motion (doc. 20) for summary judgment is denied.”
“upon consideration of Plaintiffs motion for summary judgment, filed April 21, 2006, (Doc. 45), it is Ordered that the motion is granted.”
“the Plaintiffs motion in limine (Doc. 43) is dismissed as moot.”
“Plaintiffs motion to strike (doc. 270) is granted in part, and denied in part.”
“Plaintiffs motion to sever and transfer, or in the alternative sever and stay (doc. 272) is dismissed as moot.”
“Counts I and III of the complaint are dismissed.”
“her motion can be denied because she consented to jurisdiction by way of the forum selection clause in the employment agreement.”
“Respondents’ motion (doc. 27) to alter or amend the judgment is denied.”
“The petition for a writ of habeas corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 is denied.”
“Defendants’ motion for preliminary injunction (Doc. 17) is GRANTED.”
“the motion to dismiss will be granted in part and denied in part.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Median case duration in the sampled dockets: 154.5 days (N = 10).
The twenty enumerated early-2000 cases included four prisoner civil-rights matters, three student-loan recoveries, three habeas petitions, two contracts, two other civil-rights cases, two prison-condition cases, and one each involving employee benefits, disability benefits, a bankruptcy appeal, and a miscellaneous matter. All twenty were terminated. This narrow cohort does not establish Caldwell's tenure-wide caseload mix.
A historical record
Judge Caldwell 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.