Junius Foy Guin Jr.
Judge Guin no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.
How Judge Guin decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
He expected briefs to state the record accurately and avoid even potentially misleading characterizations.
“All counsel practicing before this court should take care to ensure that statements in their briefs accurately reflect the record and do not have the potential to mislead the court.”
He emphasized the adjudicator’s independent duty to develop a complete record in non-adversarial benefits proceedings.
“Because a hearing before an ALJ is not an adversary proceeding, the ALJ has a basic obligation to develop a full and fair record.”
He warned that failing to answer a developed argument could be treated as a concession.
“Government counsel are warned that to ignore issues raised by appellant can be taken by the court as concession.”
He expected litigants to follow controlling circuit precedent unless they were prepared to pursue appellate reconsideration.
“This court’s decision should be the end of this matter unless it is appealed.”
Procedural preferences
After repeated errors, he required any further administrative hearing to proceed before a different adjudicator.
“However, should additional proceedings before an ALJ be required, they must be before a different ALJ.”
He addressed questioned subject-matter jurisdiction before allowing the case to move elsewhere.
“It is incumbent upon a court whose subject matter jurisdiction is questioned to make a determination as to whether it has, or does not have, jurisdiction over the action.”
He permitted focused discovery into an arbitrator’s oral report when its content was necessary to decide the pending issues.
“the parties are entitled to take the deposition of the arbitrator, within the limits set forth in the October 24,1994, order.”
He applied federal procedural and evidentiary standards, rather than state sufficiency rules, on summary judgment.
“The standards for deciding a motion for summary judgment are set for this court by the Federal Rules of Procedure, the Federal Rules of Evidence”
Cautions
He treated repeated misapplication of the same legal rules as a serious concern that could no longer be excused as incomplete understanding.
“if the same ALJ repeatedly renders erroneous decisions based upon a misapplication of the appropriate legal standards, it becomes increasingly difficult to ascribe the error to his ‘incomplete understanding.’”
He invalidated a state evidentiary rule when its operation deprived the litigant of due process.
“This deprivation of due process requires that the statute be stricken for violation of the due process provision of the fourteenth amendment.”
He required a protected liberty or property interest before allowing a due-process challenge to school membership decisions.
“Since she had no entitlement to membership in the TCHS Beta Club the court holds that no cause of action lies against any of the defendants.”
He treated credit-card debt incurred with knowledge of inability to repay as nondischargeable fraud.
“Debts incurred by fraud are not dischargeable.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“the decision of the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration be and it hereby is AFFIRMED.”
“plaintiffs attorney is hereby awarded an attorney’s fee in the amount of $2,672.10”
“the decision of the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration be and it hereby is AFFIRMED.”
“the decision of the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration be and it hereby is AFFIRMED.”
“The motion to allow the filing of that memorandum is thus rendered moot.”
“the case is REMANDED to the Commissioner with instructions that the plaintiff be awarded the benefits claimed.”
“the decision of the Bankruptcy Court is due to be REVERSED and the case REMANDED”
“the case is REMANDED to the Commissioner with instructions that the plaintiff be awarded the benefits claimed.”
“this appeal is hereby STAYED to allow Markel Insurance Company to file an appropriate Rule 60(b) motion”
“the case is REMANDED to the Commissioner with instructions that the plaintiff be awarded the benefits claimed.”
“the case is REMANDED to the Commissioner with instructions that the plaintiff be awarded the benefits claimed.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Median case duration in the sampled dockets: 1895 days (N = 20).
Median motion-to-ruling time: 36 days (N = 2).
The twenty located assigned cases were all terminated and included benefits, civil-rights, employment, insurance, and contract matters. This limited case-level sample does not establish docket-wide outcome rates.
A historical record
Judge Guin 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.