David Howell
How Judge Howell rules, drawn from 1 signed order. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Judge Howell no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled here.
About Judge Howell
David Howell was a judge of the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island. Appointed by President James Madison, Judge Howell received a commission on November 17, 1812. Judge Howell served until death on July 30, 1824.
How Judge Howell decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
Howell treated an enemy-issued license and evidence of an intended supply voyage as sufficient grounds to condemn the vessel and cargo as prize.
“The official papers explicitly stated the intention to be a supply of the British West India islands, although the ship’s papers purported a voyage to a neutral port.”
Procedural preferences
After hearing the claimants' counsel, Howell found the libellants' position sufficiently established to enter judgment without further argument.
“Mr. Robins, United States’ district attorney, was about to begin, when the court superseded an argument on his part, by pronouncing judgment, condemning the ship and cargo to the captors.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“the court superseded an argument on his part, by pronouncing judgment, condemning the ship and cargo to the captors.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
No case-level electronic docket record survives in the reviewed archive for Howell's tenure, so no caseload mix, duration, or motion-timing summary is available.
A historical record
Judge Howell 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.