InterDigital Inc (IDCC)

[osoesq]

Has anybody seen any news to the effect that Judge Sanders has retired or that he is off work due to illness? My sources have checked on this and have come up empty. If neither situation obtains, it is, therefore, reasonable to assume that his "decision" to step aside in the ERICY matter was predicated upon the fact that if he didn't do it "voluntarily", he was going to be removed. If that is the case, his earlier rulings are much more likely to be revisited and possibly reversed, than they would have been had he retired or became ill.

Judge Sanders enjoys a wonderful reputation. That reputation was hard earned and deserved. He, also, came from a generation of judges who were horse traders. It was not uncommon for rulings to be postured in such a way as to maximize the potential for settlement. If a judge saw the liklihood that he/she could squeeze out a ruling which would accomodate a settlement that left both sides a little bit unhappy, they considered it to be a good day's work. We know that Barefoot made some rulings which disagreed with the SM report. From a practical standpoint, that is a virtual impossibility. The SM is a highly qualified professional with no bias and no reason to concern himself with judicial economy. Judge Sanders has nothing in his background which would lend itself to reversing the SM's opinion. I'm sure that Sander's rulings have been reviewed and reversals could well have happened where called for.