Hoyt Henry Wheeler

United States District Court for the District of Vermont district Retired 1906 · served 1877–1906 Appointed by Rutherford B. Hayes (Republican) 31 signed orders read

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

How Judge Wheeler decides

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

What persuades

He accepted direct, detailed, and uncontradicted testimony when it overcame the presumption arising from an appellant's recent presence abroad.

“It is not contradicted or discredited, and cannot justly be disregarded.”

He treated federal habeas jurisdiction as an inquiry into lawful custody, distinct from appellate review of the state proceeding.

“The inquiry into the cause of his confinement is not a review of the proceedings of the state court.”

Procedural preferences

He limited bankruptcy stays to the period in which discharge remained unresolved, leaving later protection to ordinary legal remedies.

“By the terms of the bankrupt act, such a stay is to be granted only for the time during which the question of discharge may be open and pending.”

He required evidence of an actual transfer or concealment before reopening a discharge record on allegations of fraud.

“There does not appear to have been any actual transfer, removal, destruction, or concealment of this property, nor. any permission of such, for there was none.”

Cautions

He would not deny a bankruptcy discharge on policy grounds when no statutory bar had been proved.

“Without such, by the terms of the act, a discharge is required.”

In patent remedies, he treated satisfaction as ending further recovery for the same converted rights.

“The recovery of satisfaction in either form would pass the right to that for which satisfaction was had, and there could be no damages beyond.”

Signed rulings

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

Amsden v. United States
· 1901-10-07
Official fee claim (plaintiff) Denied

“Dismissed for want of jurisdiction.”

United States v. Jue Yet
· 1900-04-19
Immigration appeal (appellant) Granted

“Appellant discharged.”

United States v. Wong Soo Bow
· 1901-12-07
Immigration appeal (appellant) Denied

“Order of deportation affirmed.”

United States v. Bow
· 1905-06-09
Immigration appeal (appellant) Granted

“Appellant discharged.”

In re Knott
· 1901-06-07
Bankruptcy proof of claim (claimant) Denied

“Claim disallowed.”

United States v. Leung Quong
· 1901-12-07
Immigration appeal (appellants) Denied

“Deportation affirmed.”

United States v. Jue Wy
· 1900-04-19
Immigration appeal (appellant) Granted

“Appellant discharged.”

In re Todd
· 1901-12-12
Bankruptcy discharge petition (bankrupt) Granted

“Objections overruled, with $io costs, and discharge granted, to be entered on payment of $20 referee’s fees on special reference.”

In re Gibbs
· 1901-06-12
Trustee petition to adjust liens (trustee) Denied

“Petition of trustee dismissed.”

In re Spear
· 1900-07-16
Bankruptcy discharge petition (bankrupts) Granted

“Discharges granted.”

St. Cyr v. Daignault
· 1900-09-05
Motion for permanent stay (bankrupt) Granted

“Stay made permanent.”

In re Grady
· 1905-06-24
Bankruptcy exemption claim (bankrupt) Granted in part

“Let exemptions in this behalf be set out accordingly.”

Caseload & timing

From public federal docket records for this judge.

No case-level docket record was returned for this 1877-1906 tenure. The profile therefore makes no claim about caseload mix, case duration, administrative dispositions, or motion timing.

A historical record

Judge Wheeler 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.