Almeric Leander Christian

District Court of the Virgin Islands district Deceased · served 1969–1999 Appointed by Richard Nixon (Republican) 19 signed orders read

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

How Judge Christian decides

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

What persuades

Christian accepted a modestly late government claim where serious injury supplied a reasonable excuse and the government had prompt actual knowledge without prejudice.

“A plaintiff should not be penalized for being 24 days late in filing where, as here, he was recovering from serious injuries for an extended period of time.”

Christian treated certified mailing as completion of a statutory prefiling requirement even when the intended official did not receive the document.

“Under the statute, filing occurred when the complaint was posted even if the intended recipient never received the complaint.”

Procedural preferences

Christian applied a demanding excusable-neglect standard to missed appeal deadlines and rejected ordinary office calendaring mistakes.

“A mistake made by an attorney or his staff is not, except under unusual or extraordinary circumstances not present here, such excusable neglect as to invoke the rule.”

Christian protected an administrative body's deliberative process from inquiry into how its collective decision was reached.

“These rules ‘operate to preserve the integrity of the deliberative process itself.’”

Signed rulings

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

Hodge v. Rinzler
· 1984-04-26
Appeal (medical-malpractice plaintiff) Granted

“IT IS ORDERED, ADJUDGED, and DECREED that the order of the Territorial Court dismissing the complaint be, and the same is, hereby VACATED and the cause REMANDED to the Territorial Court for further proceedings not inconsistent with the Opinion of this Court entered herein on this day.”

Pedereaux v. Doe
· 1984-06-18
Motion for extension of time to appeal (defendant) Denied

“IT IS ORDERED that the motion of defendant V.I. Enterprises, Inc., for extension of time to file its notice of appeal be, and the same is, hereby DENIED.”

Green v. Moorehead
· 1984-02-22
Motions to dismiss (physician) Denied

“IT IS ORDERED that the motion of defendant John Moorehead for dismissal of this action be, and the same is, hereby DENIED.”

Upson v. Quetel
· 1984-05-21
Petition for judicial review (labor commissioner) Denied

“IT IS ORDERED that the petition of Richard Upson, Commissioner of Labor, for review of the aforedescribed decision of the Government Employees Service Commission be, and the same is, hereby DISMISSED.”

Jackson v. Iberia Airlines
· 1984-04-06
Motion for leave to amend answer (airline) Granted

“IT IS ORDERED that the motion of defendant for leave to amend its answer be, and the same is hereby, GRANTED;”

Motion for reconsideration (passengers) Denied

“IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the motion of plaintiffs for reconsideration be, and the same is hereby DENIED.”

Gihls Properties, Inc. v. Colorado
· 1983-12-22
Motions to stay (vessel owners) Moot / procedural

“IT IS ORDERED that the motion of defendants for stay of these proceedings be, and the same is, hereby DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE”

In re Subpoenas of Legislature of the Virgin Islands
· 1985-06-04
Motion to quash subpoenas (ethics commission) Granted

“That the motion of the Commission on Ethics and Conflict of Interest, its chairman, members and Investigator/Attorney to quash certain subpoenas dated April 9, 1985, issued to the movants by the Committee on Government Operations of the Sixteenth Legislature of the Virgin Islands be, and the same are hereby QUASHED.”

Government of the Virgin Islands v. Matthew
· 1984-04-09
Appeal (traffic defendant) Granted

“IT IS ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED that the Judgment of the Territorial Court be, and the same is hereby, REVERSED and the cause REMANDED to the Territorial Court for entry of judgment in accordance with our decision.”

Frett v. Government of the Virgin Islands
· 1984-02-06
Motion for permission to file late claim (injured prisoner) Granted

“IT IS ORDERED that the motion of plaintiff David be, and the same is hereby, GRANTED;”

Motions to dismiss (government) Denied

“IT IS ORDERED that the motion of defendant Government of the Virgin Islands be, and the same is hereby, DENIED;”

Plunkett v. V.I. Employment Security Agency
· 1984-08-03
Appeal from agency decision (unemployment claimant) Denied

“The decision of the Agency will, therefore, be affirmed.”

M.B.M., Inc. v. George
· 1983-11-17
Motion for extension of time to appeal (defendants) Denied

“IT IS ORDERED that the motion of defendants Rupert A. George, Elenora George, and Rupert George Construction for extension of time to file notice of appeal be, and the same is, hereby DENIED.”

Henley ex rel. Penny v. Pueblo International, Inc.
· 1983-05-11
Summary judgment (retailer) Granted in part

“The motion for summary judgment as it applies to the claims of Ethelyn Penny will be granted in part and denied in part.”

Caseload & timing

From public federal docket records for this judge.

No exact-name assigned electronic docket was located from Christian's historical tenure, so no caseload mix, duration, motion-outcome, or timing claim is available.

A historical record

Judge Christian 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.