William Henry Hastie Jr.
How Judge Hastie rules, drawn from 6 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Judge Hastie left this court for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled here.
About Judge Hastie
William Henry Hastie Jr. served on the District Court of the Virgin Islands from March 1937 to July 1939. A graduate of Amherst College and Harvard Law School, he later became dean of Howard University School of Law, Governor of the Virgin Islands, and a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
How Judge Hastie decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
A criminal charge could not be extended beyond the text of a strictly construed local statute.
“criminal statutes generally are to be construed strictly.”
A voluntary merits appearance waived a defect in the time allowed by process.
“His appearance was a voluntary appearance, and serves as a waiver of any such defect in process as appears in this case.”
Procedural preferences
A court reviewing a local criminal judgment required an actual lawful trial and judgment before appellate jurisdiction could attach.
“there has been no legal trial and no effective judgment of the Police Court upon which an appeal can be based.”
In re Estate of LaBeet, Hastie held that the executors could sell real property only through the unanimous judgment required by the testatrix’s will.
“the testatrix reliéd upon the combined and unanimous judgment of all three executors”
Cautions
A new trial was unavailable absent prejudicial error after the court corrected a potentially misleading summation before the jury.
“The record reveals no prejudicial error”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“the executors will be and are instructed to prepare and present a formal adjudication *397consistent with their petition for final distribution”
“The motion will be granted and the information dismissed accordingly.”
“An order will be entered declaring the judgment of the Police Court void, ordering the discharge of the defendant and exonerating his sureties.”
“the motion for a new trial must, therefore, be denied.”
“the order setting aside the judgment must be reversed.”
The court resolved a trial, submitted merits, affirmative-defense, foreclosure, or interlocutory issue without a separable party-motion outcome.
The court resolved a trial, submitted merits, affirmative-defense, foreclosure, or interlocutory issue without a separable party-motion outcome.
The court resolved a trial, submitted merits, affirmative-defense, foreclosure, or interlocutory issue without a separable party-motion outcome.
The court resolved a trial, submitted merits, affirmative-defense, foreclosure, or interlocutory issue without a separable party-motion outcome.
The court resolved a trial, submitted merits, affirmative-defense, foreclosure, or interlocutory issue without a separable party-motion outcome.
The court resolved a trial, submitted merits, affirmative-defense, foreclosure, or interlocutory issue without a separable party-motion outcome.
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
The reviewed decisions include local criminal appeals, estates, divorce, property, foreclosure, and civil procedure. No electronic records are available to quantify the tenure.
A historical record
Judge Hastie left this court for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. This profile stays available as a record of how they ruled here. If you're preparing for a matter, start from the court's current bench.