Juan R. Torruella
How Judge Torruella rules, drawn from 14 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Judge Torruella no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled here.
About Judge Torruella
Juan R. Torruella was a judge of the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. Appointed by President Gerald Ford, Judge Torruella received a commission on December 20, 1974. Judge Torruella left the court on October 30, 1984 on appointment to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
How Judge Torruella decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
A trademark plaintiff could pursue federal infringement relief even while a separate local registration-cancellation proceeding remained pending.
“The action before this Court, and the proceeding before the Secretary of State are, therefore, two totally independent and non-related actions.”
In Pan American Computer, Torruella held that Puerto Rico’s dealer-protection statute prevented the parties’ choice-of-law clause from placing their contract outside the Act.
“The Legislative Assembly of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico unequivocally foreclosed any doubts concerning the validity of choice of law clauses intended to place dealers’ contracts outside of the ambit of the Act.”
Procedural preferences
The court applied the forum’s analogous limitations period to a federal civil-rights action and required the earlier administrative matter to involve the same cause of action to toll it.
“What may be called the cause of action pursued before the Personnel Board is an administrative proceeding seeking reinstatement and cannot be interpreted as being the same cause of action as the Civil Rights action herein presented”
When a reasonable doubt arose about the judge’s knowledge of disputed facts, the court resolved it in favor of disqualification.
“such doubt must be resolved in favor of disqualification, inasmuch as it is statutorily mandated and cannot be waived by any party.”
Cautions
Conclusory allegations against public officials were insufficient without facts identifying personal involvement or bad faith.
“there is simply no indicia as to what, specifically, any of them are supposed to have done in violation of the Constitution.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“In view of the foregoing, Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment is hereby GRANTED.”
“Defendant’s ‘Motion for Rehearing and for Dismissal of the Complaint’ shall be, and the same is hereby DENIED.”
“Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment, with respect to Plaintiff’s first, third, fourth, fifth and sixth prayers for relief are DENIED. With respect to Plaintiff’s second prayer for relief the Motion is GRANTED since administrative remedy is available.”
“For all the above cited reasons Plaintiff’s Motion to Remand is DENIED.”
“In view of the foregoing, the Motion to Dismiss of Codefendant Corporación Insular de Seguros is DENIED.”
“Therefore, petitioner’s request for a stay of the administrative decision is hereby denied and the complaint is dismissed.”
“Considering the above, we hereby disqualify ourselves and reassign this case for trial on February 12, 1979 at 9:00 A.M. before the Hon. Hernán G. Pesquera.”
“In view of the fact that more than one year elapsed between the date of Plaintiff's dismissal and the filing of this Complaint, this case is hereby dismissed.”
“This case is hereby dismissed on the aforementioned grounds.”
“Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment is granted and this case is hereby DISMISSED.”
“Defendants López-González and Fernández Del Valle having moved for severance, the Motions for Severance as to both Defendants are hereby denied”
“the Order of the Bankruptcy Court dated August 25, 1975 vacating its previous Temporary Stay Order should be and is hereby AFFIRMED, and this action is dismissed.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
The four matched electronic records are related civil-rights cases filed in 1982. The reported decisions span employment, bankruptcy, insurance, trademarks, dealer contracts, aviation, admiralty, public benefits, and constitutional disputes, but no complete docket sample is available to quantify the tenure.
A historical record
Judge Torruella no longer hears cases. This profile stays available as a record of how they ruled here. If you're preparing for a matter, start from the court's current bench.