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THE ROBING ROOM
where judges are judged
Hon. Terry J. Hatter, Jr.
District judge
C.D.Cal.
9th Circuit
Average Rating:
3.9
-
12
rating(s)
rating submitted
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Ratings:
What others have rated
Hon. Terry J. Hatter, Jr.
evaluator
ID
date
Temp* Sch* Indu* Comp* Punct* Ev-Cv* Ev-Cr* Flex Bail Crim Settle Trial Sent Coop Average
Civil Litigation - Private
25941
1/1/18
5
2
2
1
7
1
0
4
0
0
1
0
0
2
3
Civil Litigation - Private
19995
1/2/13
2
2
3
2
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2.2
Criminal Defense Lawyer
12097
1/2/11
0
2
1
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
Civil Litigation - Private
5953
1/2/08
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
1.3
Civil Litigation - Private
5011
1/1/07
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Criminal Defense Lawyer
4646
1/2/07
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Criminal Defense Lawyer
4660
1/3/07
9
9
2
0
8
8
0
6
0
0
1
0
0
0
7.2
Civil Litigation - Private
4330
1/1/07
8
8
6
0
0
8
0
8
0
0
0
0
0
0
7.5
category average
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Items marked with (*) are averaged into the displayed overall rating
Fam
Par
Qu-Arg
At-Arg
Sch
Cri
Civ
Lab
Imm
How familiar are you with the work of this judge? (1=Not at all familiar,10=Extremely familiar)
Participates in Oral Argument (1=Rarely,10=Always)
Quality of Questions During Oral Argument (1=Poor,10=Extremely insightful)
Attitude during oral argument (1=Consistently inappropriate,10=Consistently respectful)
Scholarship as reflected in Opinions (1=Poor,10=Outstanding)
General Inclination in Criminal Appeals (1=Strongly ProGovernment,10=Strongly ProDefense)
General Inclination in Civil Rights Appeals (1=Strongly Pro-Defendant,10=Strongly ProPlaintiff)
General Inclination in Labor Law Appeals (1=Strongly ProEmployee,10=Strongly ProEmployer)
General Inclination in Immigration Appeals (1=Strongly ProImmigrant,10=Strongly ProGov.)
evaluator
ID
date
Fam Par Qu-Arg At-Arg Sch Cri Civ Lab Imm
Civil Litigation - Private
25941
1/1/18
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Civil Litigation - Private
19995
1/2/13
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Criminal Defense Lawyer
12097
1/2/11
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Civil Litigation - Private
5953
1/2/08
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Civil Litigation - Private
5011
1/1/07
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Criminal Defense Lawyer
4646
1/2/07
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Criminal Defense Lawyer
4660
1/3/07
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Civil Litigation - Private
4330
1/1/07
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
category average
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Non-lawyer Rating
(if applicable)
evaluator
ID
date
Rating
Litigant
24659
1/2/17
1
Other
12699
1/1/11
1
Other
10251
1/1/10
10
Litigant
2760
1/2/06
1
category average
-
Temp*
Sch*
Indu*
Comp*
Punct*
Ev-Cv*
Ev-Cr*
Flex
Bail
Crim
Settle
Trial
Sent
Coop
Temperament (1=Awful 10=Excellent)
Scholarship (1=Awful 10=Excellent)
Industriousness (1=Not at all industrious 10=Highly industrious)
Ability to Handle Complex Litigation (1=Awful 10=Excellent)
Punctuality (1=Chronically Late 10=Always on Time)
Evenhandedness in Civil Litigation (1=Demonstrates Bias 10=Entirely Evenhanded)
Evenhandedness in Criminal Litigation (1=Demonstrates Bias 10=Entirely Evenhanded)
Flexibility in Scheduling (1=Completely Inflexible 10=Very Flexible)
General Inclination Regarding Bail (1=Pro-Defense 10=Pro-Government)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Pre-Trial (1=Pro-Defense 10=Pro-Government)
Involvement in Civil Settlement Discussions (1=Least Involved 10=Most Involved)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Trial (1=Pro-Defense 10=Pro-Government)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Sentencing (1=Pro-Defense 10=Pro-Government)
Typical Discount Off Guidelines for Cooperators (1=10% 10=100%)
comments1
Comments:
What others have said about
Hon. Terry J. Hatter, Jr.
Civil Litigation - Private
comment #:
25941
rating:
3
This Judge used to be known for his fairness, though his opinions were erratic at best. Sadly, he is now tired and has become little more than an embarrassment to the Federal bench. He simply can no longer keep up with the complexities of motions and the basic rules of law. It is time for him to spend more time with his family.
1/1/18, 1:31 AM
Litigant
comment #:
24659
rating:
0
Judge Hatter could be one of the worse judges ever. I am not an attorney but he NEVER SAW the documents I filed. IT SEEMS HE HAS SOMEONE ELSE DO HIS WORK. HE GRANTED A FRAUDULENT DEFENDANT SUMMARY JUDGEMENT, WITHOUT SEEING THE EVIDENCE. THAT IS NOT ACTIONS OF FAIR HONEST ETHICAL JUDGE. HIS ACTIONS ARE OF AN UNETHICAL PERSON WHO LACKS STANDARDS. HE SHOULD BE FIRED! HE IS A INSULT TO SOCIETY, TO JUSTICE. CASE #5:16-CV-01200
1/2/17, 8:53 AM
Civil Litigation - Private
comment #:
19995
rating:
2.2
This Judge will sit on a Motion for five months, takes no oral argument, and then issue a two page opinion that would earn a failing grade for any First Year law student. Don't know if he is lazy or incompetent, but either way he should move on and make room for new blood.
1/2/13, 3:55 AM
Other
comment #:
12699
rating:
0
As a witness for a Securities and Exchange Commission based case, I was appauled by Hatter's one sided approach always siding against the accused no matter the evidence. Taking years and years to wrap up a case (11 years to be exact) in unacceptable. The Federal Procecutors seemed inexperienced and only wanted to win despite all the evidence pointing in the other direction. Other defendants who admitted wrong doing received nothing in comparison to those who were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
1/1/11, 8:53 PM
Criminal Defense Lawyer
comment #:
12097
rating:
2
He oversaw our case in a puzzlingly negligent fashion. He took months to rule on nearly every motion, no matter how simple or urgent. We repeatedly -- repeatedly -- had to petition the CD Chief Judge to get a ruling. He never took oral argument, ever, in a seven-year, complicated case with at least 20 critical motions. His typical one-line, unexplained rulings often led to requests for clarification or further motion practice.
1/2/11, 1:01 PM
Other
comment #:
10251
rating:
0
I was a juror not too long ago...made bananna bread for the Judge & crew, jury, etc. Will never forget the Judge...fair & as I remember, quite a respectful person. Wish all of you well. Yours Always, C. Marx (juror #8). PS. What happened after the case? If I, or anyone, I know, ever had to go in front of a Judge...GOD FORBID...I hope it's you presiding! YOU ARE FAIR & TO THE LAW! I trust you with my heart & my life.
1/1/10, 10:45 AM
Civil Litigation - Private
comment #:
5953
rating:
1.3
This seemingly low-key judge is passive-aggressive, lazy, inconsistent, and at bottom just arrogant. A judicial misfit.
1/2/08, 6:53 PM
Civil Litigation - Private
comment #:
5011
rating:
0
I've had scores of cases before this lazy, arrogant, though soft-spoken misfit. Another judge, now deceased, once said of him: 'Terry thinks that because the lights are on in his chambers, that means he's working.' That about sums up this unhappy fellow. He lacks intellect, holds himself out as a liberal (who got his job by being a flunky for former L.A. Mayor Tom Bradley), but in fact is a mean-spirited, bored, and boring fool whose worst trait is abusing folks with menial positions, like hapless messengers who walk into his courtroom and to whom he reads the riot act. He once prevented journalists from taking notes in his courtroom. This guy is a disgrace.
1/1/07, 9:56 PM
Criminal Defense Lawyer
comment #:
4646
rating:
0
If there is any excuse, however flimsy, for this judge to find a lack of federal jurisdiction to ease up his docket, he will find it. Unfortunately, he is also one of the absolute worst judges to draw for a copyright case, particularly if you are a defendant. I don't know if it's the lack of a work ethic, or the failure to understand copyright law, but summary judgment motions that would be granted by 99% of the judges downtown are denied by Judge Hatter. This happens even when the plaintiff's work is not even remotely similar (let alone, substantially similar, to the defendant's work.) The reason why it's impossible to tell what the problem is, is the fact that Judge Hatter issues a one page order which simply states 'Motion denied' without a written opinion or oral argument. It's too bad. I've met him in a social setting and he seemed like a nice person.
1/2/07, 8:45 PM
Criminal Defense Lawyer
comment #:
4660
rating:
7.2
1/3/07, 12:27 AM
Civil Litigation - Private
comment #:
4330
rating:
7.5
My experience with Judge Hatter was in a civil rights case many years ago. At that time I found him to be very involved in reading and understanding the issues involved in lengthy pleadings which he appeared to have read and understood. He caught civil defense counsel misrepresenting certain facts and showed a grasp of the facts and the law. Courteous to litigants and counsel in my experience. He was previously the presiding judge for the Central District. He is fair minded in my opinion.
1/1/07, 2:18 PM
Litigant
comment #:
2760
rating:
0
My brief replying to the defendant's motion to dismiss was so strong that the defendant did not even attempt to rebut it. Judge Hatter dismissed my case with no written opinion and no oral hearing. An attorney acquaintance of mine told me that Judge Hatter had a bad reputation for issuing decisions without written opinions. I propose a new Federal Rules of Civil Procedure rule allowing litigants a single peremptory challenge of a judge, a rule that is common in state and local courts. Federal judges who make a habit of not issuing written opinions might then soon find themseives with a shortage of cases to decide.
1/2/06, 1:33 AM
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