Bruce Howe Hendricks
How Judge Hendricks decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
Enforces South Carolina's Door Closing Statute against non-resident plaintiffs who have an alternate forum, granting summary judgment where no countervailing federal interest exists.
“For the foregoing reasons, the court GRANTS Defendants' motion for summary judgment. (ECF No. 24). The case is hereby dismissed without prejudice.”
Procedural preferences
At the pleading stage, construes the facts for the plaintiff and denies a motion to dismiss where a limitations or standing defense does not clearly appear on the face of the complaint.
“the defendants' motions to dismiss (ECF Nos. 66, 67, 68, 69) and motion to stay the action pending a ruling on the motions to dismiss (ECF No. 73) are denied.”
Cautions
Reads state wage-protection statutes broadly in the worker's favor at the pleading stage, declining to follow out-of-state authority to the contrary.
“it is hereby ORDERED that Defendant's motion to dismiss (ECF No. 117) is DENIED.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“For the foregoing reasons, the court GRANTS Defendants' motion for summary judgment. (ECF No. 24). The case is hereby dismissed without prejudice.”
“the defendants' motions to dismiss (ECF Nos. 66, 67, 68, 69) and motion to stay the action pending a ruling on the motions to dismiss (ECF No. 73) are denied.”
“For the reasons set forth below, the Court grants the motions for summary judgment.”
“the Court adopts the Report and grants summary judgment in Defendant's favor.”
“it is hereby ORDERED that Defendant's motion to dismiss (ECF No. 117) is DENIED.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Median case duration in the sampled dockets: 379 days (N = 7).
The sampled caseload includes substantial federal civil-enforcement and False Claims Act work, criminal matters, federal habeas and post-conviction proceedings, contract and employment disputes, civil-rights cases, and miscellaneous subpoena or discovery matters. Magistrate Judge Thomas E. Rogers III handled the referral underlying the McLeod Health summary-judgment ruling.
Put Judge Hendricks's record to work
Ezel drafts and answers grounded in this exact profile: how Judge Hendricks actually rules, not a generic AI guess.
Opens in Ezel Pro. Every answer is grounded in Judge Hendricks's own signed orders and cites them.