Alex T. Howard Jr.
Judge Howard no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.
How Judge Howard decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
He required evidence rather than speculation before altering a statutory maritime scheme.
“speculation without evidence is unpersuasive.”
He treated purposeful conduct expected to have effects in Alabama as supporting personal jurisdiction.
“Defendants cannot say that being haled into court in Alabama is a surprise.”
He enforced circuit precedent over a competing treatise interpretation.
“this Court is bound by the language of the decisions of the Eleventh Circuit, and not by Professor Moore's treatise.”
Procedural preferences
He required an administrative record to disclose reasons sufficient for judicial review.
“Respondent has not submitted any statement of reasons of the grounds of decision and the essential facts upon which its denial of Petitioner's restoration application was based.”
He treated service of process as the event starting the removal clock.
“the removal period set forth in 28 U.S.C. § 1446(b) cannot commence until a defendant is served with process.”
Cautions
A proposed accommodation still had to permit safe performance of essential job functions.
“Plaintiff has failed to present evidence from which a jury could find that Plaintiffs suggested accommodation of two naps a day is a reasonable accommodation that would allow Plaintiff to perform the essential functions of his job.”
He distinguished a challenge to tax-assessment authority from a challenge to reasonableness.
“Plaintiff attacks the authority of IRS to make the assessment in the first place.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“the Court adopts such reasoning and GRANTS Defendant’s Motion to Strike Plaintiffs Claims for Punitive Damages for Plaintiffs maintenance and cure claim.”
“For the above stated reasons, the Plaintiffs Motion to Amend [Doc. #8] is DENIED.”
“For the above stated reasons, Defendant’s Motion to Resentenee is DENIED.”
“Accordingly, Plaintiffs motion is DENIED.”
“The Court DENIES Givner’s 2255 Motion. [Doc. #48].”
“Based on the foregoing considerations, Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction is DENIED. [Doe. #2],”
“motion to strike plaintiff’s demand for attorney’s fees is GRANTED.”
“Petitioner's motion for summary judgment (Doc. 7) and Respondent's motion for summary judgment (Doc. 13) are each DENIED.”
“For the reasons stated above, the motion to transfer is DENIED.”
“Accordingly, Assured’s motion to strike/dismiss is DENIED.”
“In the alternative, Bender’s motion to add as counterclaim defendants Assured, Strickland General Agency, Inc., and Mobile Metal Wreckers, Inc. is GRANTED.”
“For the reasons that follow, Plaintiffs’ Motion to Remand is GRANTED.”
“Accordingly, the Court ORDERS that Scottsdale’s Amended Third-Party Complaint is DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Median case duration in the sampled dockets: 1207 days (N = 20).
The 20 located assigned cases were all later terminated and included prisoner civil-rights, habeas, contract, malpractice, and Social Security matters. This archival slice does not establish the distribution of Howard's full caseload.
A historical record
Judge Howard 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.