Henry Augustus Middleton Smith
How Judge Smith rules, drawn from 9 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Judge Smith no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.
How Judge Smith decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In Willis, Smith protected a good-faith purchaser who paid value while the intermediate buyer remained solvent.
“although this seller’s lien exists between seller and purchaser, it does not exist, or rather it is not revived, to the detriment of innocent third purchasers for value”
Procedural preferences
In Acker, Smith followed an established local cost-taxation practice absent a reason to depart from it.
“That decision settled the practice in this court at the time, and I see no reason for not holding it to control the present case.”
Cautions
In The Ester, Smith treated treaty obligations and international comity as reasons not to assume inadequate foreign relief.
“under the rule of comity this court should not assume that the libelant will not receive entire justice from the Kingdom of Sweden”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“A decree will be entered dismissing the libel”
“the docket fee of $10 allowed by the clerk in his taxation be approved.”
“The decree of tlie court below, therefore, must be modified so as to accord with this conclusion.”
“the judgment below must be accordingly affirmed.”
“the judgment below must be reversed, and the cause remanded for a new trial in accordance with this decision.”
“his judgment must be reversed.”
“the First National Bank of Sharon is not entitled to have this additional 10 per cent, either paid out of the proceeds of the mortgaged property, or to prove for it against the general estate of the bankrupt”
“this adjudication is limited to one of dismissal on that ground”
“the plaintiffs, Grinnell Willis & Co., entitled to recover from the defendant Glen-wood Cotton Mills the 52 bales of cotton goods in dispute”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
No case-level docket records were located for this judge, so no caseload mix or duration estimate is reported.
A historical record
Judge Smith no longer hears cases. This profile stays available as a record of how they ruled. If you're preparing for a matter, start from the court's current bench.