Betty Owen Stinson

I have not had a case before Judge Betty Owen Stinson in several years (I believe she might no longer be on the bench, thankfully), but memories of her bias compel me to visit this page and share my experience. I had a trial involving a motor vehicle pedestrian fatality involving a commercial auto policy. Defense counsel moved for summary judgment after jury selection but before trial, and Judge Stinson asked defense and I to prepare memoranda of law on the issue in the morning, and promised that whoever's memorandum shows "the grass is green" will prevail. I prepared a trial memorandum of law with appellate cases completely on point, while defense counsel came with no memorandum or cases to cite. Yet Judge Stinson STILL granted defense's application to dismiss. Furthermore, she not-so-coincidentally had an ex parte conversation with defense counsel after I left the day prior. Completely defense biased, does not want to be bothered trying cases, and arguably (or not-so arguably) unethical. Woe to the plaintiff attorney who has to try a case before her; he or she is all but guaranteed to have to win before a new judge after appeal.