William Shaw Stickman IV
How Judge Stickman decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
On premises-liability summary judgment he does not let 'known or obvious' end the inquiry: under Restatement (Second) of Torts 343A a landowner can still be liable if it should have anticipated the harm despite the danger's obviousness, leaving a jury question.
“Thus, there is a genuine dispute of material fact as to whether Sunbelt could have anticipated the harm to Neyman. The Court will deny Sunbelt's motion for summary judgment.”
He enforces contractual forum-selection clauses robustly, reading a broad clause to reach even claims against a non-signatory and dismissing on forum non conveniens.
“The claims of Plaintiff Angel Hernandez and opt-in plaintiffs Scott Bridgeman and Michael Hendrick are dismissed in their entirety for forum non conveniens.”
Procedural preferences
On a magistrate judge's Report & Recommendation he conducts a genuine de novo review and will adopt it over a party's objections when he independently reaches the same conclusions -- and will let claims proceed past summary judgment where the R&R's analysis holds up.
“The Court concurs with Magistrate Judge Dodge's thorough analysis and her legal conclusions. It has independently reached the same legal conclusions for the reasons expressed in her comprehensive Report and Recommendation.”
When he dismisses claims he distinguishes futile from curable defects: official-capacity claims are dismissed WITH prejudice as futile while other deficiencies are dismissed without prejudice with a dated leave-to-amend deadline.
“Plaintiff's official capacity claims against all Defendants are DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE as leave to amend would be futile”
Cautions
In post-Bruen Second Amendment challenges to felon-in-possession (922(g)(1)) prosecutions he sustains the statute as applied by focusing on the defendant's demonstrated dangerousness and the historical tradition of disarming dangerous persons -- a generalized Bruen/Range argument without engaging the defendant's specific record is unlikely to prevail.
“poses a danger of misusing firearms in a way that would endanger others”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that CEM-TIR's Motion to Dismiss the Claims of Plaintiffs Hernandez, Bridgeman, and Hendrick (ECF No. 123) is GRANTED. The claims of Plaintiff Angel Hernandez and opt-in plaintiffs Scott Bridgeman and Michael Hendrick are dismissed in their entirety for forum non conveniens.”
“For the foregoing reasons, Barnes's motion will be denied. An Order of Court will follow.”
“Defendants' Motion to Dismiss is GRANTED as follows: (1) Plaintiff's official capacity claims against all Defendants are DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE as leave to amend would be futile; (2) Plaintiff's claims against Zaken are DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE; ... Defendants' Motion to Dismiss is DENIED as to the personal involvement of Coulehan, Parker, and Buzas”
“Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment is GRANTED on exhaustion grounds as to Plaintiff's claims arising from incidents on February 21, 2023, and March 14, 2023, and summary judgment will be entered in favor of Ingram and Fielders. The motion is further GRANTED in that partial summary judgment will be entered in favor of Davis as to Plaintiff's claims arising from June 16, 2023, only.”
“IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Plaintiff's Motion for (TRO) Temporary Restraining Order (ECF No. 29) is DENIED”
“his Motion for Default of Judgment for (TRO) Temporary Restraining Order (ECF No. 34) is DENIED AS MOOT.”
“AND NOW, this 25th day of March 2026, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment (ECF No. 225) is DENIED.”
“Thus, there is a genuine dispute of material fact as to whether Sunbelt could have anticipated the harm to Neyman. The Court will deny Sunbelt's motion for summary judgment.”
“The Court holds that Oliver has failed to plead a concrete injury to confer Article III standing. The remaining claim, an alleged violation of WESCA, will be dismissed without prejudice.”
“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Defendants' motion to dismiss (ECF No. 40) is GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART. It is DENIED without prejudice as to Corrections Defendants' request to dismiss the complaint for failure to exhaust administrative remedies.”
“On March 30, 2026, Cole filed a Motion Under § 2255 to Vacate, Set Aside, or Correct Sentence. (ECF No. 82). The Government opposed. For the following reasons, the motion will be denied.”
“For the foregoing reasons, the Court will grant Plaintiff's Motion to Remand or, in the Alternative, Motion for a More Definite Statement (ECF No. 25).”
“The Court will deny Comcast's Motion to Transfer Venue (ECF No. 22). An Order of Court will follow.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
The reviewed one-month 2023 sample includes criminal, contract, claims against the United States, trademark, family-leave, wage-and-hour, disability, and prisoner civil-rights matters. Many sampled civil cases were referred to mediation and resolved by settlement rather than by a contested dispositive ruling.
Put Judge Stickman's record to work
Ezel drafts and answers grounded in this exact profile: how Judge Stickman actually rules, not a generic AI guess.
Opens in Ezel Pro. Every answer is grounded in Judge Stickman's own signed orders and cites them.