Ralph E. Tyson
Judge Tyson no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.
How Judge Tyson decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In employment cases the court grants summary judgment where the record does not support a required element — treating the plaintiff's own physicians' testimony and admissions as controlling over the pleaded allegations.
“granting the Motion for Partial Summary Judgment as to plaintiffs claims under the Family Medical Leave Act, the Americans With Disabilities Act, and the Louisiana Employment Discrimination Law, and dismissing those claims at plaintiffs costs.”
The court enforces discovery deadlines and rules strictly: late-disclosed expert affidavits are excluded under Rule 37(c)(1), and the remaining record then controls the summary-judgment outcome.
“the motion for summary judgment filed on behalf of Aventis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is GRANTED, dismissing the claims of plaintiffs Carol and George Guidry under the Louisiana Products Liability Act and La. Civil Code art. 2315.”
Procedural preferences
The court works closely through its magistrate judges: most of these dispositive rulings are short orders adopting a magistrate's report and recommendation as the court's own opinion, after considering any objection.
“the Motion for Summary Judgment filed by defendant, the Greater Baton Rouge Port Commission, is denied.”
On removal the court polices its own jurisdiction and returns cases to state court where the federal hook is absent, here remanding securities and fiduciary-duty claims that arose only under state law.
“the motion to remand or to abstain filed by plaintiff, Firefighters’ Retirement Systems, is granted and this matter will be remanded to the 19th Judicial District Court”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“IT IS ORDERED that the Supplemental Motion for Summary Judgment filed by defendants (Doc. No. 120) is DENIED.”
“IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Motion for Summary Judgment filed by plaintiff (Doc. No. 130) is DENIED.”
“the Motion for Summary Judgment filed by defendant, the Greater Baton Rouge Port Commission, is denied.”
“the Motion to Remand filed by Hamilton, Brown, & Babst, L.L.C., Lowe, Stein, Hoffman, Allweiss, & Hauver, Lamothe & Hamilton, P.L.C., and Roedel, Parson, Koch, Blache, Balhoff & McCollister, is denied.”
“IT IS ORDERED that the Motion for Temporary Restraining Order filed by Ronnie L. Scott and Claudette Scott as administrators of the Estate of Najee Mandela Scott, is hereby DENIED.”
“the motion to remand or to abstain filed by plaintiff, Firefighters’ Retirement Systems, is granted and this matter will be remanded to the 19th Judicial District Court”
“the Motion for Summary Judgment filed by defendant Evelyn Jackson Wilkes will be granted.”
“Plaintiffs’ requests for injunctive relief and declaratory judgment should be GRANTED.”
“The Court denied Jerry Luke LeBlanc’s motion to dismiss on October 18, 2007.”
“the Court granted Governor Blanco’s motion to dismiss on the grounds that she did not have a ‘substantial connection’ to the enforcement of Act 479”
“granting the Motion for Partial Summary Judgment as to plaintiffs claims under the Family Medical Leave Act, the Americans With Disabilities Act, and the Louisiana Employment Discrimination Law, and dismissing those claims at plaintiffs costs.”
“Ogden’s Motion to Dismiss should be denied”
“Ogden’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment should be denied”
“Cooperative Benefit Administrators’ Motion for Summary Judgment should be granted.”
“filed by defendant, Wackenhut Corporation, is granted in part, in that defendant is awarded five hundred dollars ($500.00) in attorney’s fees and costs for the failure of plaintiff, Sandra Singh, to attend her deposition in this matter, and denied in part, relative to defendant’s request to have this case dismissed.”
“the defendant’s Re-Urged Motion for Partial Summary Judgment Dismissing All Eight Amendment Claims will be denied in part and granted in part dismissing the claims against defendant, Richard Stalder, and denying the remaining requests for relief.”
“the motion for summary judgment and motion for partial summary judgment of Iowa Fleeting Service, Inc., Bluegrass Marine, Inc. and Marquette Transportation Co., Inc. are DENIED.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Median case duration in the sampled dockets: 295 days (N = 17).
Sampled from the judge's 2006 filing-year cohort. The mix spans prisoner and habeas petitions, personal-injury and products-liability suits, civil-rights and employment matters, Social Security and bankruptcy appeals, and general diversity litigation — consistent with the employment, insurance-coverage, and removal/remand disputes seen in his published opinions.
A historical record
Judge Tyson 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.