Carol Los Mansmann

How Judge Mansmann rules, drawn from 20 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.

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

Court
United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
Position
district
Status
Deceased
Served
1982–2002
Appointed by
Ronald Reagan (Republican)
Commissioned
1982-03-19
Education
Duquesne University, B.A. (1964); Duquesne University School of Law, J.D. (1967)
Signed orders read
20

How Judge Mansmann decides

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

What persuades

In American States Insurance, Mansmann required factual allegations that, if proved, would fully answer the claim before considering relief from a default judgment.

“the burden is on the moving party to allege facts which, if established, would constitute a complete defense to the action.”

In O'Mara Enterprises, Mansmann allowed joinder where a plausible construction of the pleaded facts could make the proposed parties liable to the party seeking to join them.

“Case law only requires that under ‘some construction of the facts, it would be a possibility.’”

Procedural preferences

In Quaker Valley, Mansmann emphasized that doubtful default questions should ordinarily be resolved in favor of reaching the merits.

“Defaults are not favored and any doubts should be resolved in favor of setting aside the default and obtaining a decision on the merits.”

In Tatterson, Mansmann did not treat the substitution period as an automatic bar where estate administration explained the delay and litigation continued without prejudice.

“the 90 day time period was not intended to act as a bar to otherwise meritorious actions, and extensions of the period may be liberally granted.”

Signed rulings

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

Quaker Valley School District v. Employers Mutual Liability Insurance Co. of Wisconsin
81-499 · 1983-01-04
Motion for entry of judgment (third-party plaintiff Employers) Denied

“we feel compelled to deny Employers’ Motion and to set aside the entry of default.”

Blair v. Beech Aircraft Corp.
80-1462 · 1984-09-11
Motion for substitution (Michael Blair) Granted

“For the foregoing reasons, the motion for substitution of Plaintiff is granted.”

Tatterson v. Koppers Co.
83-2028 · 1984-09-07
Motions to dismiss (defendants) Denied

“Defendants’ motion is denied and Plaintiff’s motions are granted.”

Motion for extension of time (plaintiff) Granted
Motion for substitution (plaintiff) Granted
American States Insurance v. Bennett
84-48 · 1984-04-30
Petition to set aside default judgment (defendants) Denied

“the Petition to Set Aside Default Judgment filed by Defendants is hereby DENIED.”

O'Mara Enterprises, Inc. v. Mellon Bank, N.A.
82-1735 · 1983-08-24
Motion to join party (third-party defendant Heritage Bank) Granted

“For all the reasons discussed above, Heritage’s Motion is granted.”

Slanina v. William Penn Parking Corp.
82-1941 · 1984-05-17
Motion to dismiss class action (defendants) Denied

“Defendants’ motion is denied, and Plaintiffs’ motion is granted to the extent indicated below.”

Class certification (plaintiffs) Granted

“this Court certifies this action as a class action, insofar as it includes present and former female ‘cashiers’ employed at Defendants’ parking lots”

Steiner v. Equimark Corp.
81-1988, 81-2065 and 81-2128 · 1983-01-27
Class certification (plaintiffs) Granted

“Accordingly, the Plaintiffs’ Motion for Class Certification is granted.”

Kaiser v. Dialist Company of Texas
83-393 · 1984-12-19
Summary judgment (defendant) Granted in part

“the Defendant’s Motion is denied with respect to the jurisdictional question and granted with respect to the failure to state a claim issue.”

Summary judgment (plaintiff Kaiser) Denied

“The Plaintiff’s Motion for Summary Judgment, which addresses the two issues outlined above, is denied”

Unsecured Creditors' Committee ex rel. International Titanium Corp. v. Equibank
Bankruptcy 83-160 · 1983-02-18
Preliminary injunction (unsecured creditors' committee) Denied

“the request for the preliminary injunction shall be denied and the supersedeas granted by the Bankruptcy Court shall be dissolved.”

Kimball v. Schwartz
83-1811 · 1984-02-13
Motions to dismiss (defendant Schwartz) Denied

“Accordingly, we must deny Defendant’s request that the case be dismissed or transferred.”

Motions to transfer (defendant Schwartz) Denied
Leech v. First Commodity Corp. of Boston
82-0401 · 1982-12-10
Motions to dismiss (defendants) Denied

“Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss is denied.”

Motions to transfer (defendants) Granted

“Defendants’ alternative Motion to Transfer is granted”

Price v. Blyth Eastman Paine Webber, Inc.
83-1813 · 1983-12-12
Motions to dismiss (defendant Blyth Eastman Paine Webber, Inc.) Granted in part

“we hereby deny Defendant’s Motion in part and grant it in part.”

Caseload & timing

From public federal docket records for this judge.

No exact-name federal docket records were returned for Mansmann's 1982–1985 district tenure, so no historical caseload mix is reported.

A historical record

Judge Mansmann 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.