AHHH the Beauty of DETAILS!

Remember when you were a kid and you read stories? The stories would start with a time frame. Then, they would describe a place. A character would be introduced. A plot would develop and so forth until the story came to an end.

Would you agree that the details that the author provided played a large role in your understanding what happened and how what happened led to the conclusion of the story? Would you agree that the conclusion of the story - based on the details - led to a certain lesson", "moral of the story”, or “consequence”? Perhaps, because of the details, you were able to derive a certain “rule” from the story.

I submit that court orders are similar to stories. The “details” in court orders are called "findings of fact" that lead to "conclusions of law” that some might consider additional “details”. Together, the findings of fact and conclusions of law form the basis for the court's Decree/Order/Judgment. That format allows you to know why or how, according to the presiding judge, your case "ended" the way that it did.

Orders should never based on a mere, "because I said so." In part, they are based on well-reasoned statements that allow an appellate court to review the order for errors. From the appellate court's perspective, should the order be affirmed, reversed, vacated, ... remanded back to the trial judge for certain action? Loosely speaking, an order that “passes” appellate muster tells the parties what they can expect and what is expected of them ie their rights and obligations.

As your District Court Judge, I would make findings of fact, based on the evidence that you or an attorney acting on your behalf provided the court. In turn, I would determine the appropriate conclusions of law. Finally, I would render a decision where - although both sides might not agree with it- they would not leave court wondering how I reached my decision, and they would know what rule to follow.

….BECAUSE IT’S ABOUT YOU!