John Joseph Sirica
Judge Sirica no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.
How Judge Sirica decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
He read related statutory amendments together and presumed that Congress acted coherently when expanding both forum access and agency coverage.
“This Court must presume, in deference to a coequal branch of government, that Congress’s left hand knew what the right was doing.”
He declined to enforce a filing deadline where the agency had already investigated the claims and the government could show no resulting prejudice.
“Under these circumstances there is a distinct lack of prejudice to the defendants, and the statute of limitations should not apply to bar these complaints.”
Cautions
He required a proposed class representative to show that her individual circumstances closely matched the interests of the class.
“the plaintiff has not shown a sufficient similarity of interest between her claims and those of the members of a class to warrant certification of this case as a class action.”
He treated litigation choices at the core of a federal official’s assigned role as protected discretionary conduct.
“The decision to oppose a motion filed in the Supreme Court is at the heart of the Solicitor General’s discretion.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“ORDERED that this action be, and the same hereby is, dismissed without prejudice at the plaintiffs’ costs;”
“the Trustees’ Motion for Default Judgment be and is granted according to the terms of the attached Judgment.”
“ORDERED that the motion of the defendants be, and the same hereby is, granted, and this action shall be transferred to the United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia”
“the defendants’ motions for dismissal and for summary judgment against the plaintiff Marimont be, and the same here are, denied;”
“the defendants’ motion for dismissal against the other plaintiffs be, and the same hereby is, granted;”
“the plaintiff Marimont’s motion for certification of this action as a class action be, and the same hereby is, denied.”
“ORDERED that motion of defendant to dismiss the action be, and the same hereby is, denied;”
“defendant-third-party-plaintiff Safeway’s- motion for summary judgment must be, and the same hereby is, denied;”
“third-party-defendant McClary’s cross-motion for summary judgment must be, and the same hereby is, granted.”
“the plaintiff’s motion for vacation of the order dismissing -the complaint in this case herein be, and the same hereby is, denied.”
“Ordered that plaintiffs’ petition for an injunction be, and the same hereby is, denied;”
“plaintiff’s complaint must be, and the same hereby is, dismissed with prejudice.”
“ORDERED that the motion to dismiss of the defendants Tennessee Valley Authority and R. Lynn Seeber be, and the same hereby is, denied.”
“the motion of defendants to dismiss the action as to all defendants must be granted.”
“their motion to amend to include the sexual discrimination charge and to expand the class they seek to represent is granted.”
A historical record
Judge Sirica 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.