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Sven Erik Holmes

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma district Resigned · served 1994–2005 Appointed by Bill Clinton (Democratic) 20 signed orders read

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

How Judge Holmes decides

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

What persuades

He relied on the statutory text to recognize a same-sex sexual-harassment claim despite contrary authority from another circuit.

“The Court finds that the plain language of Title VII dictates the inclusion of all harassment in which the victim’s sex is a factor”

In an insurance dispute, he focused on the amount providers actually accepted rather than their listed charges.

“The benefit of the bargain provided by Mr. Woodrich’s insurance policy was for Farmers to pay what the medical providers actually agreed to charge, not the list price or ‘sticker price.’”

Cautions

He treated public findings as an appropriate sanction when lawyers advanced factual allegations without adequate evidentiary inquiry.

“The Court believes that, under the unique facts present here, publication provides the most effective sanction by which to vindicate the principle of truthfulness required by the Federal Rules.”

Signed rulings

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

Homolka v. Hartford Insurance Group
· 1995-11-16
Motions to remand (plaintiff) Granted

“Court hereby grants Plaintiff’s Motion to Remand (Docket # 8) and orders the Court Clerk to remand the case to District Court in and for Tulsa County.”

Ladd v. Sertoma Handicapped Opportunity Program, Inc.
· 1995-11-21
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Denied

“Defendants’ motion to dismiss (Docket #2) is hereby denied.”

Ledbetter v. Internal Revenue Service
· 2003-09-09
Summary judgment (plaintiff) Denied

“Plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment is hereby denied”

Summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“Defendant’s motion for summary judgment is *1234 hereby granted”

Motion for leave to amend (plaintiff) Denied

“Plaintiffs’ motion for leave to amend their complaint is hereby denied.”

Martin v. Missouri Pacific Railroad
· 1996-03-19
Motions to remand (plaintiff) Granted

“The Court hereby grants Plaintiffs Motion to Remand (Docket # 12) and orders the Court Clerk to remand the case to District Court in and for Mayes County.”

USAA Casualty Insurance v. Howard
· 1996-03-18
Summary judgment (plaintiff) Granted

“Accordingly, Plaintiffs Motion for Summary Judgment is hereby granted (Docket #7).”

Maxon v. Texaco Refining and Marketing Inc.
· 1995-11-15
Motions to remand (plaintiff) Granted

“The Court hereby grants Plaintiffs Motion to Remand (Docket # 12) and orders the Court Clerk to remand the case to District Court in and for Tulsa County.”

Hughes v. E-Z Serve Petroleum Marketing Co.
· 1996-04-12
Motions to remand (plaintiff) Granted

“The Court hereby grants Plaintiffs’ Motion to Remand (Docket #5) and orders the Court Clerk to remand the case to District Court in and for Creek County.”

Mineral Resource Technologies, L.L.C. v. Grand River Dam Authority
· 1999-11-18
Claim for declaratory judgment (plaintiff) Granted

“The Court therefore grants Plaintiff MRT’s request in its complaint for declaratory judgment on that issue.”

Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma v. Norton
· 2002-12-20
Administrative appeal (plaintiff) Denied

“the Court hereby sustains the decision of the Secretary in this case. Notice of this decision, published in the Federal Register on September 27, 1996, is hereby upheld in all respects.”

Malloy v. Arcadia Financial Ltd. (In re Suddarth)
· 1999-02-16
Bankruptcy appeal (appellant) Denied

“the Court finds that the Report and Recommendation affirming the Bankruptcy Court’s decision should be adopted. Accordingly, the Court hereby adopts the Report and Recommendation of the United States Magistrate Judge (Docket # 6).”

Dyco Petroleum Corp. v. Mesa Operating Co.
· 1996-06-21
Motion to transfer venue (defendant) Granted

“the Court grants the Motion to Transfer the case to the Western District of Oklahoma (Docket # 7) pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1406(a).”

Cassel v. WEBCO Industries, Inc.
· 1996-10-10
Motions to remand (plaintiff) Denied

“Plaintiff deemed motion to remand (Docket #4) is hereby denied.”

Motions to dismiss (defendant) Moot / procedural

“Defendant’s first motion to dismiss (Docket # 2) is moot.”

A historical record

Judge Holmes 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.