William Jerrol Crain
How Judge Crain decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In a detention-medical-care case, contemporaneous records showing screening, monitoring, medication, and a good-faith effort to obtain prior records can defeat a pleaded deliberate-indifference theory when the dispute is instead over the timing or nature of treatment.
“Fontenelle’s allegations reflect, at best, disagreements over medical treatment. The complaints do not recite facts supporting proof of ‘deliberate indifference’ to his condition.”
A maritime fault-allocation doctrine does not foreclose an independently pleaded claim that a barge owner supplied an unseaworthy or defectively designed vessel.
“Because Gnots claims a design defect independent of Gnots’ navigational decisions, the dominant mind doctrine does not support summary judgment.”
Procedural preferences
In a judge-tried case, challenges to an experienced expert's factual foundation are ordinarily addressed through cross-examination and the weight assigned at trial rather than pretrial exclusion.
“The challenges to his opinions in this judge-tried case are better directed to the weight of the evidence, not to exclusion of it.”
Cautions
A delayed stop and furtive movement toward the passenger side can support a protective vehicle sweep when the officer connects those observations to a reasonable concern that the occupant may be concealing a weapon.
“Here, the warrantless search of Caston’s vehicle was justified under the protective-sweep exception.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“IT IS ORDERED that Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss (Rec. Doc. 33) is GRANTED. Plaintiff’s claims are dismissed with prejudice.”
“IT IS ORDERED that Atalco’s Motion in Limine to Strike and Exclude Expert Ronald Campana (R. Doc. 72) is DENIED.”
“IT IS ORDERED that Associated’s Motion for Summary Judgment (R. Doc. 73) is DENIED.”
“Before the court is a Motion to Suppress Evidence, Statements, and for an Evidentiary Hearing filed by defendant, Larry Caston Jr., on October 27, 2025 (Rec. Doc. 50). The motion is DENIED.”
Put Judge Crain's record to work
Ezel drafts and answers grounded in this exact profile: how Judge Crain actually rules, not a generic AI guess.
Opens in Ezel Pro. Every answer is grounded in Judge Crain's own signed orders and cites them.