Garnett Thomas Eisele
Judge Eisele no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.
How Judge Eisele decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
He enforced the text of criminal statutes even when a broader rule might better protect law-enforcement officers.
“it must nevertheless follow the rule that criminal statutes should be strictly construed”
He required parties to support factual positions with admissible evidence rather than counsel’s assertions.
“The Court can not consider defendant’s attorney’s unsupported assertion.”
He treated broad statutory language as controlling when Congress had not expressly excluded correctional facilities.
“Congress could easily have exempted correctional facilities expressly in statutory language but chose, rather, to employ broad, encompassing language”
Procedural preferences
On administrative review, he confined the decision to the record actually presented rather than a better case that might have been developed.
“The Court cannot consider what this case might have been, but only what it is, according to the record.”
He required good cause for protective orders and did not treat ordinary litigation embarrassment as enough.
“A mere showing of some embarrassment, annoyance or expense, however, does not require the issuance of a protective order.”
He used tailored deadlines and conditional relief rather than taking over an institution’s decision-making role.
“the Court does not feel that it should substitute its judgment for that of the defendant institution when, admittedly, reasonable persons could reach contrary decisions upon the basis of the evidence presented.”
Cautions
Where parties agreed to a plan’s decision process, disagreement with the result was not enough without proof of fraud, bad faith, dishonesty, or gross error.
“Whether the majority of the Board was right or wrong in its interpretation of that Plan provision in the plaintiff’s case is not subject to review by this Court.”
He warned that unsupported discrimination claims can weaken public confidence in legal remedies for genuine discrimination.
“But unsubstantiated or frivolous cases can harm the cause of equal opportunity and diminish public Support for the legal process that is so necessary to vindicate such rights.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“a temporary injunction has been issued in favor of plaintiff, dated November 18, 1970”
“The verdict of the jury will be set aside and judgment of acquittal entered in accordance with this opinion.”
“It is ordered that the motion of the defendant for summary judgment be, and the same hereby is granted and the final determination of the Secretary be, and it hereby is affirmed and that the Complaint be dismissed with prejudice.”
“Accordingly, plaintiff’s motions to set aside the verdict and for a new trial must be overruled.”
“an order will be entered this date overruling defendant’s objection to the admissibility of the in-court identifications.”
“An order granting the motion to suppress has been entered.”
“In accordance with this memorandum opinion, an order will be entered this date granting judgment in favor of the defendant and dismissing the complaint.”
“The claim of the Union National Bank of Little Rock for priority against the ‘excess’ proceeds from the sale of the real property in the amount of ‘approximately $16,500.00’ is hereby granted with respect to the November 1, 1968, and December 27, 1968, advances, the Referee’s order in all other respects being hereby affirmed.”
“It is ordered that defendants conform their parole revocation procedures to the standards required by due process as outlined by the United States Supreme Court in Morrissey v. Brewer and as interpreted in the above memorandum opinion.”
“It is ordered that petitioners’ petitions for writs of habeas corpus be, and they are hereby, denied.”
“It is therefore Ordered that the defendant’s motion for summary judgment be, and it is hereby, granted.”
“It is therefore Ordered that the plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment be, and it is hereby, denied.”
“It is further Ordered that defendant’s motion for summary judgment be, and it is hereby, granted, and the complaint filed herein is dismissed.”
“It is further Ordered that plaintiffs’ complaint be, and it is hereby, dismissed without prejudice.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Median case duration in the sampled dockets: 82.5 days (N = 20).
The twenty located historical dockets include government civil actions, a habeas case, and a Social Security appeal. Because most lack nature-of-suit labels and the search is an archival slice rather than a complete census, the profile makes no broader caseload-mix claim.
A historical record
Judge Eisele 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.