THE ROBING ROOM

Judge Jones seems very sharp; I have no doubt he has the ability to be an effective trial judge, but for some reason he just did not use that ability in the case I had before him. He is way too outcome-oriented and is not at all interested in legal arguments -- no matter how convicning or correct -- that do not lead him in the direction he wants to go. He also does not seem to understand how to manage effectively a large and complex civil case. Fifteen minutes of argument at a Monday morning hearing to dispose of motions may be fine for bankruptcy court; it does not transfer well to complex civil cases in district court. Although my case was pending for years, we never saw a written order from him.