Edward Terry Sanford

How Judge Sanford rules, drawn from 30 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.

Judge Sanford no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.

Court
United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
Position
district
Status
Deceased
Served
1908–1930
Appointed by
Theodore Roosevelt (Republican)
Commissioned
1908-05-18
Education
University of Tennessee, B.A. and Ph.B. (1883); Harvard University, B.A. (1885); Harvard University, M.A. (1889); Harvard Law School, LL.B. (1889)
Signed orders read
30

How Judge Sanford decides

Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.

What persuades

Sanford declined to resolve patent invalidity on demurrer when the asserted prior art required evidence rather than common judicial knowledge.

“in case of doubt the demurrer must be overruled.”

Procedural preferences

Sanford required bankruptcy expense requests to be verified, itemized, tied to demonstrated necessity, and supported by vouchers when available.

“allowance must hence be, and now is, denied; but without prejudice”

Cautions

Sanford treated the state-court pleading deadline as the federal removal deadline and remanded when the petition arrived after that period.

“the petition for removal came too late.”

Signed rulings

A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.

Reich v. Tennessee Copper Co.
· 1913-10-28
Demurrer to jurisdictional plea (plaintiff) Granted

“An order will accordingly be entered sustaining the plaintiff’s demurrer to the defendant’s plea to the jurisdiction.”

Mercantile Trust Co. v. Tennessee Cent. R.
· 1922-04-19
Exceptions to master report (mortgage trustee) Denied

“A decree will accordingly be entered overruling the exceptions of the Trust Co.”

Stevenson v. Tennessee Copper Co.
· 1911-06-02
Motion for new trial (defendant) Granted

“An order will accordingly be entered granting the defendant’s motion for new trial”

In re Tennessee River Coal Co.
· 1912-09-21
Petition for review of referee order (secured creditors) Granted

“A decree will accordingly be entered overruling the order of the Referee”

Muskegon Boiler Works v. Tennessee Valley Iron & R.
· 1921-05-16
Exception to fee amount (objecting creditor) Granted

“The first exception to the Special Commissioner’s report will accordingly be sustained.”

Exception to fee offset (objecting creditor) Denied

“The second exception, to the effect that this compensation should he diminished by the sums received or to be received by plaintiffs’ solicitors from their individual clients, must be overruled.”

Mercantile Trust Co. v. Tennessee Cent. R.
· 1921-01-03
Claim for relief against mortgage trustee (petitioning banks) Denied

“the Banksare not entitled under their petition to any relief”

Ladew v. Tennessee Copper Co.
· 1910-02-15
Motions to dismiss (Ducktown Sulphur, Copper & Iron Company) Denied

“overruling the motion of the Ducktown Sulphur, Copper & Iron Company.”

Ausbrooks v. Western Union Telegraph Co.
· 1921-07-19
Motion to vacate remand (defendant) Denied

“an order will be entered denying the defendant’s motion to vacate the same.”

United States v. Wilson
· 1920-06-03

Sanford arrested judgment on his own initiative because the indictment alleged only an intrastate trip that passed through another state, outside the statute's definition.

United States v. Taylor
· 1921-08-13
Demurrer to plea in abatement (United States) Granted

“the demurrer to this plea in abatement should be sustained.”

Allen v. Sewanee Fuel & Iron Co.
· 1917-09-13
Motions to remand (plaintiff) Granted

“An order will accordingly be entered granting the plaintiff’s motion to remand the suit to the State court.”

United States v. One Chevrolet Automobile
· 1920-04-10
Application for release on bond (claimant T. O. Tune) Granted

“an order will be entered directing the delivery of the automobile by the Marshal to the claimant T. O. Tune”

Caseload & timing

From public federal docket records for this judge.

The reviewed decisions predate representative electronic case-level dockets. The profile therefore makes no claim about complete caseload mix, case duration, administrative dispositions, or motion timing.

A historical record

Judge Sanford 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.