Thomas O. Rice
How Judge Rice decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In a civil-RICO claim built on a private union carrying out an otherwise-legitimate dues-withholding scheme by allegedly fraudulent means, the plaintiff must still plead concrete facts showing the union directed or knew of the underlying fraud -- a handful of isolated incidents will not establish a RICO 'enterprise.'
“Plaintiff here has described only four incidents of alleged fraudulent activity. Plaintiff does not assert what knowledge Union Defendants possessed of the forged signatures or that they directed employees to forge signatures to achieve a certain purpose.”
Procedural preferences
Once all federal claims in a case are dismissed pretrial, declines supplemental jurisdiction over the remaining state-law claims rather than retaining them.
“Having dismissed all federal law claims in this matter, the Court declines to exercise jurisdiction over the remaining state law claims.”
Cautions
A plaintiff cannot base standing for prospective injunctive or declaratory relief on the mere theoretical possibility that discontinued conduct could resume -- the alleged threat must be more than speculative.
“Plaintiff does not present any facts from which the Court could infer State Defendants are likely to resume deducting dues from Plaintiff's wages. Plaintiff's claim is purely speculative and unsupported, and it is insufficient to establish a harm that is actual or imminent.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“A Motion for Summary Judgment is not appropriate in this closed case. Therefore, IT IS ORDERED Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment is DENIED as moot.”
“State Defendants' Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 20) is GRANTED. The claims asserted against Defendants Don Clintsman and Governor Jay Inslee in Plaintiff's Complaint (ECF No. 1) are DISMISSED with prejudice.”
“Union Defendants' Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings (ECF No. 22) is GRANTED. The claims asserted against Service Employees International Union Local 775 and Service Employees International Union are DISMISSED with prejudice.”
“Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment (ECF No. 13) is DENIED. Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment (ECF No. 14) is GRANTED. Judgment is entered for Defendant.”
“Plaintiffs' Motion for Preliminary Injunction (ECF No. 3) is GRANTED in part. Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65(a), Defendants ... are PRELIMINARILY ENJOINED from: "altering the status quo and rights as it relates to the availability of Mifepristone under the current operative January 2023 Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy under 21 U.S.C. § 355-1 in Plaintiff States."”
“Third Parties' Unopposed Motion for Leave to File Amicus Curiae Brief (ECF No. 52) is DENIED.”
“Third Parties' Unopposed Motion for Leave to File Amicus Brief (ECF No. 69) is DENIED.”
“Defendant's Renewed Motion for Judgment as a Matter of Law (ECF No. 243) is GRANTED.”
“Defendant's Motion for Directed Verdict (ECF No. 230) is DENIED as moot.”
“Plaintiff's Brief in Support of Proposed Judgment (ECF No. 247) is GRANTED in part. Defendant is ordered to pay post-judgment interest from the day the judgment is entered according to 28 U.S.C. § 1961, at 4.29% per annum.”
“Plaintiffs' Motion for Preliminary Injunction, ECF No. 15, is DENIED.”
“Defendants' Motion to Dismiss, ECF No. 17, is GRANTED. Plaintiffs' First Amended Complaint is dismissed with prejudice.”
“Plaintiffs' Motion for Reconsideration and Alternatively, Certification of an Interlocutory Appeal (ECF No. 86) is DENIED.”
“Plaintiffs' Motion to Continue Deadline for Filing Motion for Summary Judgment (ECF No. 87) is GRANTED. The parties are allowed until November 1, 2017 to file any remaining dispositive motions.”
“Plaintiffs' Motion to Expedite (ECF No. 88) is GRANTED.”
“Plaintiff's Motions for Temporary Restraining Order and a Preliminary Injunction (ECF Nos. 3; 19) are denied.”
“Plaintiff's Motion for Default Judgment Re Spoliation (ECF No. 23) is DENIED”
“Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment Re: Plaintiff's Claim for Lost Wages (ECF No. 30) is DENIED as moot”
“Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment (ECF No. 33) is GRANTED”
“Plaintiff's Daubert Motion to Exclude Expert Opinion of Dr. Janet Barry (ECF No. 35) is DENIED as moot”
“Defendant's Daubert Motion to Exclude Testimony of Dr. Scott Menard (ECF No. 38) is DENIED as moot.”
“Plaintiff's Motion for Preliminary Injunction (ECF No. 10), converted to a request for a Permanent Injunction, is DENIED. Plaintiff's Complaint is dismissed with prejudice.”
“Petitioner Cody Kloepper's Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus (ECF Nos. 1; 5) is DENIED. Judgment is entered for Respondent.”
“Plaintiff's Motion for Class Certification, ECF No. 9, is DENIED.”
Put Judge Rice's record to work
Ezel drafts and answers grounded in this exact profile: how Judge Rice actually rules, not a generic AI guess.
Opens in Ezel Pro. Every answer is grounded in Judge Rice's own signed orders and cites them.