John Power Knowles
How Judge Knowles decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
Knowles treated controlling higher-court precedent as binding even when counsel offered substantial reasons to question it.
“Its conclusion is that the case above cited is, as claimed by the plaintiff, a case directly in point, to be construed and respected as a precedent decisive of the point presented, controlling the action of this court, and compelling a sustaining of the plaintiff’s demurrers.”
In reviewing challenged mortgages, Knowles declined to infer the mortgagees' knowledge of insolvency without evidence supporting that conclusion.
“An affirmative answer to this question cannot be given, in view of the evidence — rather the absence of evidence — even tending, in any appreciable degree, to justify such an answer.”
In the collision case, Knowles treated the lack of a dedicated lookout on the tow as a culpable omission where the vessel's operator could not continuously observe the approaching steamer.
“Th6 absence of a watchman on the tow was, however, in my judgment, a culpable omission, inasmuch as it appears that the captain of the tug, who was directing her course, was not in a position to see continuously the approaching steamer, as a watchman on board the tow could have been.”
Procedural preferences
Knowles described preliminary-injunction decisions as exercises of judicial discretion that can reasonably differ on the same facts.
“By one judge an injunction may be granted to-day under a given state of facts and by another he refused to-morrow, upon identically the same state of facts, and yet neither functionary be chargeable with even error in judgment.”
In patent-injunction practice, he required evidence of established exclusivity or judicial recognition and a threat of irreparable injury before granting preliminary relief.
“No exclusive possession of the invention for any considerable time, accompanied by acquiescence in their claim by the public, nor any verdict, judgment, decree, or judicial order, recognizing that claim, do the complainants show or attempt to show”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“and accordingly decline to giant the discharge prayed for.”
“The respondents are adjudged bankrupts.”
“The result of my inquiries is, that the petition of the claimant Gardner must be dismissed”
“The three motions are severally disallowed.”
“I must adjudge the demurrer sustained as to each and all of the allegations specified.”
“I adjudge the plea sustained, and order judgment accordingly.”
“The motion or petition of the creditors, Sheldon, Kelly & Hale, that the petition of Cooney, mortgagee, be dismissed for want of jurisdiction, is overruled or denied, and the petition last named must stand for hearing upon its merits.”
“The petition is dismissed, with costs.”
“The defendants’ “exceptive allegation or plea” to the jurisdiction of the court is overruled, and the case will stand for hearing upon its merits.”
“the petitioner not entitled to his' discharge.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
No case-level electronic docket record survives in the reviewed archive for Knowles's tenure, so no caseload mix, duration, or motion-timing summary is available.
Put Judge Knowles's record to work
Ezel drafts and answers grounded in this exact profile: how Judge Knowles actually rules, not a generic AI guess.
Opens in Ezel Pro. Every answer is grounded in Judge Knowles's own signed orders and cites them.