Roberts v. Ross
United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
344 F.2d 747 (3d Cir. 1965)
Relevant factsFree
Herbert Roberts (plaintiff) sued Norman Ross (defendant) to recover money for real-estate work, and the District Court of the Virgin Islands ruled for Ross, but instead of writing its own opinion, the judge simply ordered Ross's counsel to draft proposed findings of fact, conclusions of law, and a judgment. The judge signed that document without altering it, adopting it wholesale as the court's opinion, and Roberts appealed.
IssueFree
Whether it is permissible for a trial judge to sign and adopt a party's proposed findings of fact, conclusions of law, and draft judgment in lieu of drafting his own opinion.