Jacob Hagopian
How Judge Hagopian rules, drawn from 20 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Judge Hagopian no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled here.
About Judge Hagopian
Jacob Hagopian served as a United States Magistrate Judge for the District of Rhode Island from 1971 to 1992 and later returned in recalled service. His earlier military career included service as an appellate judge on the United States Court of Military Review. He retired from the Army with the rank of colonel.
How Judge Hagopian decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
Hagopian distinguished conclusory pleading from specific allegations identifying which correctional officers used force and how.
“In his Amended Complaint plaintiff avers that he was hit in the rib and groin area by the three correctional officers in question. The allegations averred in the complaint belie the defendants argument that the standard in Dewey has not been met by plaintiff.”
Hagopian declined sanctions after applying an objective standard from the standpoint of a reasonable self-represented litigant and noting the absence of a prior warning.
“Applying the standard of what a reasonable pro se litigant would do, I find that Rule 11 sanctions are not warranted.”
Procedural preferences
Hagopian treated a two-year unexplained delay in service as unreasonable under the governing state-law standard for a removed action.
“Given this, I find that a two year passage of time, without service, to be an unreasonable period.”
Hagopian denied amendment where the proposed pleading repeated jurisdictional and state-action defects that would make dismissal inevitable.
“I find that to allow an amendment which re-avers a fatally deficient complaint and one which fails to aver subject matter jurisdiction would be an act of futility.”
Hagopian recommended a stay and arbitration where the plaintiff sued to enforce the contract while attempting to avoid its federal arbitration provision.
“By reason of plaintiff’s affirmance of the contract, plaintiff affirms the Federal Arbitration Clause thereof and makes the same applicable to the instant action.”
Cautions
Hagopian disqualified counsel where a predecessor firm had represented the opposing party on substantially related business matters.
“It is presumed that even if the firm’s attorneys lacked actual knowledge, there is an inference of knowledge by reason of general access had by the now challenged attorneys to confidential information.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“Accordingly, I recommend to the Court that defendants’ motion to dismiss be granted.”
“Defendant’s, Boats Unlimited, Inc., motion to set aside entry of default should be granted.”
“Accordingly, I recommend that defendant GMC’s motion to dismiss be denied.”
“I recommend that the instant motion to stay be granted and the matter be referred to arbitration.”
“The instant motion for change of venue filed by claimant Czajkowski should be granted.”
“The defendant’s motion for attorney’s fees should be denied.”
“The motion to amend the complaint be, and the same is, hereby DENIED.”
“Defendant’s motions to vacate the default and the default judgment should be granted.”
“defendant, WCYC’s motion to dismiss this matter should be granted or in the alternative that the action be transferred to the United States District Court for District of New Hampshire.”
“Defendants’ motion to dismiss for lack of in personam jurisdiction should be denied.”
“The motion to alter or amend the November 1, 1990 Order of this Court should be granted.”
“Plaintiff’s petition to quash the IRS summons should be denied”
“the defendant’s motion to dismiss should be granted.”
“Accordingly, I recommend that defendant United States’ motion to dismiss pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(1) be denied.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
- Nine exact-name assigned matters were located, including six ordinary civil cases and three short or miscellaneous records.
- Five terminated civil matters were sampled across statutory, disability-benefits, forfeiture, civil-rights, and government-defendant cases.
- Their durations ranged from 266 to 829 days, with a median of 402 days; every sampled entry stream was empty, so no docket motion or timing claim is made.
A historical record
Judge Hagopian 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.