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Arthur F. Lederle

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan district Retired 1972 · served 1936–1972 Appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt (Democratic) 20 signed orders read

Judge Lederle no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.

How Judge Lederle decides

Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.

What persuades

Lederle followed unreversed circuit precedent even when the government urged that the controlling case had been wrongly decided.

“This point was decided adversely to the Government’s contentions by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in United States v. Lederer Terminal Warehouse, 139 F.2d 679, which case has never been reversed or overruled.”

He treated affiliated companies as a single employer when internal reassignment of payroll functions would otherwise defeat a returning veteran’s statutory rights.

“the two companies must be treated as identical in so far as the statutory rights of the veteran are concerned.”

Procedural preferences

Lederle enforced a reasonable claims deadline after reorganization, emphasizing that an estate cannot remain perpetually unsettled.

“If some limit is not placed upon the time within which creditors’ rights are barred, a bankrupt estate could never be settled.”

He required a judicial-disqualification affidavit to be filed before hearing and rejected its use after a guilty plea merely to seek a different sentencing judge.

“This statute provides for the filing of an affidavit before hearing, and has no application after a plea of guilty has been entered.”

Cautions

Lederle scrutinized complete diversity at pretrial and dismissed nondiverse joint-tortfeasor claims while preserving a separable controversy against the remaining defendant.

“this court is without jurisdiction over this controversy against allegedly joint tort-feasors for lack of diversity of citizenship between the parties hereto”

He required an out-of-state guardian to establish local capacity to sue, noting that otherwise the resulting judgment would not bind the minor’s claim.

“this Ohio Guardian lacks capacity to maintain this action and a judgment herein would not be res judicata of the matters in suit”

Signed rulings

A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.

Noble v. Kavanagh
Summary judgment (taxpayer) Granted

“Where, as here, a case is at issue, there is no dispute as to any material fact, and the plaintiff is entitled to judgment as a matter of law, plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment should be granted.”

Schram v. Spivack
Petition to declare judgment satisfied (judgment debtor) Denied

“an order is being entered simultaneously herewith, overruling petition for order declaring the judgment satisfied.”

Ryerson & Haynes, Inc. v. American Forging & Socket Co.
Voluntary dismissal (plaintiff) Granted

“In accordance with Rule 41 (a) (2), it is hereby ordered that the above-entitled cause be, and the same is, hereby dismissed and discontinued without prejudice to plaintiff’s rights provided that prior to the institution of another suit upon the cause of action here involved plaintiff pays to defendant all of its taxable costs and all expenses incurred by said defendant in preparation for this case, said costs and expenses to be determined by the court prior to the time such second suit is commenced.”

Lynch v. National Bondholders Corp.
Motion to dismiss for failure to prosecute (defendant) Granted

“Now, therefore, it is hereby ordered that this cause be and the same is hereby dismissed and discontinued, with prejudice, and without costs to either party except that final dismissal fee be paid to the Clerk of this Court by plaintiff.”

Royster v. Ruggerio
Motions to stay (defendant) Granted

“Now, Therefore, It Is Ordered that the prosecution of this action be, and it is hereby, stayed and postponed as provided by the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Civil Relief Act of 1918, 50 U.S.C.A.Appendix § 101 et seq., as amended and supplemented by the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, 50 U.S.C.A.Appendix § 301 et seq., and the case will accordingly be continued on the Pre-Trial Docket of this court for such period of postponement.”

Kapp v. Frank W. Kerr & Co.
Dismissal for lack of jurisdiction (court) Granted

“It is therefore ordered and adjudged that the above entitled cause be, and the same is, hereby dismissed and discontinued, without prejudice, for want of jurisdiction, .as to all defendants with the exception of E. I. Dupont de Nemours”

Leave to amend (plaintiff) Granted

“as to which defendant plaintiff is granted leave to amend his complaint to allege a separable controversy”

Bradley v. Holcomb
Garnishment claim (judgment creditor) Granted

“It is therefore ordered and adjudged that the plaintiff, G. Floyd Bradley, recover from Hawkeye Casualty Company of Iowa, an Iowa Corporation, as garnishee of the principal defendants, Dr. Clayton E. Holcomb and Helen Holcomb, the sum of $5,-471.72, without further costs, except that said garnishee pay to the Clerk of this Court the statutory fee for entry of this judgment.”

Kamoses v. Martin
Motion to substitute party (estate administratrix) Denied

“That said motion for substitution be, and it is hereby overruled”

Motions to dismiss (defendant) Granted

“the defendant’s motion to dismiss be, and i't is hereby granted and the cause dismissed”

John Hancock Mut. Life Ins. v. Brown
Insurance proceeds claim (named beneficiary Katie Hunter) Granted

“It therefore follows that judgment should be entered in favor of defendant Katie Hunter, and such judgment is being entered simultaneously herewith.”

Adverse insurance proceeds claim (widow Elizabeth Brown) Denied

“The defendant Elizabeth Brown did not have any agreement with the insurer, the insured or the defendant Katie Hunger under which said Elizabeth Brown is entitled to any of the proceeds of said insurance policy.”

In re Detroit International Bridge Co.
Motion to submit reorganization plan (debtor) Granted

“The plan of reorganization being fair, equitable and feasible, and meeting the requirements of Section 216 of the Act, 11 U.S.C.A. § 616, it may be submitted to the creditors for acceptance in accordance with Section 174 of the revised Bankruptcy Law, 11 U.S.C.A. § 574, and an order to that effect may be entered.”

Schram v. Sage
Petition for rehearing (defendant) Denied

“It is therefore ordered that the petition for rehearing be, and it is hereby, overruled.”

Buchele v. Trucking, Inc.
Dismissal for lack of capacity (court) Granted

“Now, therefore, it is ordered that this case be, and the same is hereby dismissed without prejudice for the reason that the complaint fails to state a cause of action upon which relief could be granted because plaintiff is without capacity to maintain this action.”

Caseload & timing

From public federal docket records for this judge.

No case-level docket record assigned under Lederle’s name was returned for his tenure. The profile therefore makes no claim about his complete caseload mix, case duration, administrative dispositions, or motion timing.

A historical record

Judge Lederle 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.