Thomas Johnson Michie
How Judge Michie rules, drawn from 25 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Judge Michie no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.
How Judge Michie decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In disability review, Michie required evidence explaining what a claimant remained able to do rather than treating a medical diagnosis as self-explanatory.
“Nevertheless somebody has got to state for the benefit of the court what the claimant can still do and what he cannot do.”
Procedural preferences
Michie treated witness credibility and conflicts in the administrative record as matters for the agency factfinder rather than conducting a new trial.
“It is not within the province of this court to evaluate and to weigh the evidence.”
Michie enforced administrative finality when a claimant allowed an earlier benefit determination to become final without seeking further review.
“The failure to carry the matter further resulted in the decision denying disability as of November 25, 1958 becoming res adjudicata as to the fact of non-disability on the last date on which the applicant was covered by the Act.”
Cautions
For state-prisoner habeas petitions, Michie required both jurisdiction over the custodian and prior exhaustion of state remedies.
“A showing that these state remedies have been exhausted is a prerequisite to the granting of a petition directed to a federal judge.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“it follows that his current application must be denied on the ground that the question is res adjudicata and the very considerable evidence in the record to the effect that the plaintiff has become disabled in recent years cannot be considered.”
“In view of the foregoing, this court has no choice but to uphold the Secretary’s decision.”
“The Secretary’s finding will be reversed and an order will be entered accordingly.”
“But he certainly is not entitled to any relief on this application.”
“It follows therefore that the action of the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare in denying benefits to the claimant must be sustained.”
“these reports constitute substantial evidence in support of the Secretary’s finding and it therefore must be affirmed.”
“The action of the Secretary in denying disability benefits and the establishment of a period of disability to the plaintiff is supported by substantial evidence and must therefore be affirmed.”
“It seems to me that there is substantial evidence to support the Administration’s determination that the plaintiff is able to engage in substantial gainful activity and judgment must therefore go for the defendant.”
“Consequently the action of the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare in denying benefits to the claimant must be sustained.”
“Plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment is therefore granted. The defendant’s motion is denied.”
“I conclude that the presumption of validity accorded by law to the wage records of the Secretary, corroborated by independent evidence, constitutes substantial evidence in support of the Secretary’s decision.”
“I have concluded that the decision of the Secretary must be affirmed.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
The reviewed decisions predate representative electronic case-level records. This profile therefore makes no claim about complete caseload mix, case duration, administrative dispositions, or motion timing.
A historical record
Judge Michie 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.