Alfred Adams Wheat
Judge Wheat no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.
How Judge Wheat decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
He read ordinary statutory and contractual terms by their common meaning rather than parsing them narrowly.
“There is no use in quibbling over the meaning of the words ‘abandon’ and ‘abandonment.’ They are words in common use and their meaning is well understood.”
Cautions
He drew a firm line between the wisdom of legislation, which he left to Congress, and its constitutionality, which he was willing to enforce even against an Act of Congress.
“These matters, however, seem to me to involve questions of wisdom and propriety rather than of power and to be for the consideration of the Congress rather than of the courts.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“A decree will be made in favor of the plaintiffs, granting the relief prayed for in the bill.”
“I think that the Public Utilities Commission had jurisdiction and that the Order attacked in the bill was a valid exercise of that jurisdiction. The bill must, therefore, be dismissed.”
“That the provision in the bond quoted in the findings of fact No. 2 was a condition precedent to liability and failure to give the notice bars recovery on the bonds.”
“they are in no position now in equity to assert superior title to the people who bought these notes in good faith, and in the belief they were properly issued.”
A historical record
Judge Wheat 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.