Hon. Kenneth M. Karas See Rating Details
District Judge See Comments
S.D.N.Y.  
Average Rating:7.1 - 24 rating(s)
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Ratings
*Temperament:   (1=Awful,10=Excellent)
*Scholarship:   (1=Awful,10=Excellent)
*Industriousness:   (1=Not at all industrious,10=Highly industrious)
*Ability to Handle Complex Litigation:    (1=Awful,10=Excellent)
*Punctuality:    (1=Chronic`y Late,10=Always on Time)
*Evenhandedness in Civil Litigation:    (1=Demonstrates Bias,10=Entirely Evenhanded)
*Evenhandedness in Criminal Litigation:   (1=Demonstrates Bias,10=Entirely Evenhanded)
Flexibility In Scheduling   (1=Completely Inflexible,10=Very Flexible)
General Inclination Regarding Bail (1=Pro-Defense,10=Pro-Government)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases, Pre-Trial:   (1=Pro-Defense,10=Pro-Government)
Involvement in Civil Settlement Discussions:   (1=Least Involved,10=Most Involved)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases, Trial:    (1=Pro-Defense,10=Pro-Government)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases, Sentencing:    (1=Most Lenient,10=Most Harsh)
Typical Discount Off Guidelines for Cooperators:    (1=10%,10=100%)
  Items marked with (*) are averaged into the displayed overall rating
Comments


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What others have said about Hon. Kenneth M. Karas


Comments


Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 35411
Rating:1.0
Comments:
I’ve litigated several cases with him. To be fair , yes he does have a good judicial temperament and it’s refreshing if you need to have a trial but worthless for motion practice. So does it really matter how nice someone pretends to be. Regarding motions, his decisions are usually less than a page at times and it seems he writes them when he’s on the toilet during his morning call, and coincidentally that’s all they are worth. While he is smarter than the average Federal judge, he’s no Rhodes Scholar. There’s nothing brilliant or gifted about him, except for his sociopathy and sadism. The two words that sum him up are Machiavellian ( sneaky, cunning, and lacking a moral code.)and Kafkaesque( having a nightmarishly complex, bizarre, or illogical quality). Like others on here have said , his mind is made up from day one and he just pretends to take you through due process to give you an illusion that you are being treated fairly while subjecting you through a slow , bureaucratic nightmare. Don’t let his friendly nature fool you - he isn’t fair and you never had a fair chance. He’s very political and has a very conservative agenda, remember he’s a Bush judge.

Send e-mail to this poster 12/11/2023 11:59:15 PM

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 34642
Rating:1.0
Comments:
Judge Karas is extremely [Redacted by Ed.] unfair, who advocates for the party he likes and makes sua sponte rulings based on his own sua sponte arguments that he raises, that have no basis in law or fact. He has no moral compass and no sense of fairness or decency. I had a solid meritorious case, and he sua sponte raised an issue that Defendants never raised and dismissed my case on a non merits issue, in the middle of the case , when Defendants never made those arguments and there were no facts or evidence in the record to support Judge Karas’ own sua sponte arguments on behalf of Defendants. A Plaintiff in a civil case will never be given a fair chance With Judge Karas on the bench. He is a horrible judge, nasty temperament. The Defendants in a civil rights case never need to spend money on attorneys, Judge Karas is your judge and your advocate. Judge Karas is exactly why we need Judicial reform , absolute power corrupts absolutely. He admitted in my case that he just felt like dismissing my case even though no facts or evidence supported his decision. The majority comments on this thread are the total opposite of what you will experience when he is ready your judge.

Send e-mail to this poster 6/8/2022 7:54:01 PM

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 33857
Rating:1.0
Comments:
Judge Karas is mercurial , lazy, slow temperamental , hostile to civil Plaintiffs, whom he treats as violent criminals and animals. Like others said on here ; Judge Karas takes FOREVER to make a ruling on any letter motion- the Motion to Dismiss I had with him took over 1 year and his ruling was one page : DENIED! I won the motion but He didn’t applied legal authority to his ruling which was strange so I never witnessed the judicial scholarships others claim he possesses. I’ve never seen this Rhodes Scholar he allegedly has inside him. Although I was the winner as a Plaintiff, he was very hostile towards me the entire time, which his clerk said was unusual. In my experience, just because I won I don’t believe he is fair, it’s just that my case was a slam dunk but I can surmise that if I actually needed discovery or there were disputed issues of material fact, he would’ve ruled against me. In sum, He is slow on EVERYTHING and doesn’t seem to put much time or effort into his rulings. If your civil case is weak but meritorious, prepare to appeal , he hates civil plaintiffs. It was only because my case was so strong that he had to be fair, but he was always trying to find ways to Dismiss my case . I was Pro Se and I must say , I was shocked by his judicial temperament-extremely abusive, I wouldn’t want to get on his bad side, as I received my fair share on his good side. Preserve every argument for appeal because you’ll need to as a Plaintiff. Lastly, prepare for a long winded case even with 1 claim- he’s never in a rush, he’s every dilatory guilty Defendants dream judge. Witness will die and evidence will be magically lost.

Send e-mail to this poster 6/8/2021 8:39:50 AM

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 26845
Rating:10.0
Comments:
In my more than twenty years as an attorney, Judge Karas is probably the best judge before whom I have appeared.

He is extremely fair and even-handed, and quite brilliant in his analysis of the law and the facts of a particular case as applied to the law. On several occasions, he issued oral decisions from the bench on complex motions, without notes but with keen precision and insight.

When I file a case in White Plains Federal Court, I hope and pray that I draw Judge Karas.

Send e-mail to this poster 8/28/2018 2:48:57 PM

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: 25121
Rating:8.7
Comments:
Absolutely brilliant judge. His decisions are works of art - no contention is overlooked, no case law stone unturned. I frequently look for his decisions on a topic even if I'm not in front of him just because I can be assured that he's weighed every possible factor. But, that kind of quality takes time. Be prepared to wait weeks for a pre-motion conference to be scheduled, weeks more for it to proceed, and months for a decision on a motion.

He can be a bit biting with his remarks to counsel, but more out of a sense of humor than intention to demean.

Send e-mail to this poster 1/7/2018 8:30:44 PM

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 24562
Rating:8.6
Comments:
Thoughtful, fair and very smart. Can be testy if he thinks someone is stepping over the line. A bit sarcastic, too, but not far from the SDNY average.

Send e-mail to this poster 7/10/2017 2:32:38 PM

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: 24109
Rating:9.7
Comments:
I tried a tax fraud case before Judge Karas a few years ago. He was extremely fair and very bright. It was a pleasure to try a case before him. Even my client, who was convicted on some counts, thought he was fair. I look forward to appearing before him again.

Send e-mail to this poster 1/15/2017 1:55:42 PM

Litigant

Comment #: 23705
Rating:10.0
Comments:
Judge Karas is fair and throrough.
Judge Karas has given the benefit of the doubt to both myself as Pro-Se and the State's Attorney.

Send e-mail to this poster 8/25/2016 11:45:07 AM

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 23274
Rating:10.0
Comments:
A top tier federal jurist. He is respectful of the bar and a pleasure to be in front of. Open-minded, scholarly, diligent. A always prepared for oral argument.

Send e-mail to this poster 2/11/2016 1:39:10 AM

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 21721
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
I found him to be condescending, patronizing and engaged in improper colloquy with apposing counsel. Indeed, his mind was made up. As Jefferson said, these are miniature monarchists with their own little fiefdoms. Which is why when President, Jefferson through out the original Judiciary Act written in the 1790's. The poison of appointed judges.

Send e-mail to this poster 4/28/2014 4:57:10 PM

Litigant

Comment #: 21320
Rating:1.0
Comments:
This Judge Karas is the worst. He has a total lack of candor. He is either deliberately misstating facts or grossly incompetent. I have documentary evidence proving that he misstated the material facts of a case. I'm going to release it to all the media, especially alternative media.

Send e-mail to this poster 12/14/2013 2:45:10 AM

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: 13117
Rating:10.0
Comments:
Just a fantastic judge and a fantastic guy. Fair, funny, kind, patient. Smart. Spends all the time in the world on your issues and treats lawyers humanely. Never gets angry. If all judges were like this the profession of lawyering would be a pleasure.

Send e-mail to this poster 11/4/2011 10:59:45 PM

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: 10469
Rating:5.9
Comments:
extremely gifted; attempts to hide very conservative ideology; loves to engage lawyers in high level discourse, but normally had already made up his mind and is playing game of "gotcha"; will rise in judiciary depending on ideology of executive branch.

Send e-mail to this poster 6/25/2010 8:01:14 PM

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 10030
Rating:9.7
Comments:
Smart well-prepared judge. Reads everything before he takes the bench and can see issues immediately. I disagree with comment about his treatment of female attorneys. He treats everyone equal - so long as attorney is knowledgeable about case and prepared to discuss issues intelligently.

Send e-mail to this poster 4/13/2010 2:23:48 PM

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 8626
Rating:10.0
Comments:
Do not even think of going before his court unprepared. He is very fair

Send e-mail to this poster 5/8/2009 1:49:28 PM

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: 8499
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Recently tried a month-long criminal case before Judge Karas. First rate judge. Down the middle on rulings, kept a comfortable atmosphere, works hard, treated everyone -- including defendants -- fairly. Some unconventional procedures, e.g., five day week working 9:30 to 2:00 with one 20 minute break. Ordered the government to produce Exhibit list in advance of trial but also expects pretrial objections to exhibits-- difficult with more than 1,000 documents. Occasional flashes of temper but not long-lasting and usually justified. Overall: a pleasure. Staff was helpful and professional.

Send e-mail to this poster 4/2/2009 11:41:39 AM

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 6894
Rating:2.0
Comments:
Nasty, anti-plaintiff, and does not like female attorneys who express themselves forcefully.

Send e-mail to this poster 10/7/2008 4:15:27 PM

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: 6828
Rating:9.5
Comments:
I just finished trial with Judge Karas and it was an absolute pleasure to appear in front of him. Both sides were treated equally and fairly. I give him the highest rating.

Send e-mail to this poster 9/26/2008 1:00:29 PM

Civil Litigation - Govt.

Comment #: 5863
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
This judge should be ashamed of himself. His ruling to send Marion Jones to jail for 6 months is nothing more than an attempt to get his name in the paper. I am not a Marion Jones fan, but thanks to this judge's ruling I am even less of a fan of a legal system run by an overzealous and selfish judiciary.

Send e-mail to this poster 3/8/2008 10:15:38 AM

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 5037
Rating:2.0
Comments:
This judge makes up his mind from the scheduling conference, lets everyone know it, and never gives the other side a fair chance to persuade him. He took a year and a half to decide an SJ motion for a predetermined result. He's very smart, but unfair.

Send e-mail to this poster 10/11/2007 11:31:47 AM

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 3204
Rating:10.0
Comments:
First rate, well-prepared, insightful judge. Apparently has a heavy docket as things take a while to be heard but if Judge Karas reflects the quality of people being put on the bench then we are in good shape.

Send e-mail to this poster 12/12/2006 8:09:03 AM

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: 2661
Rating:9.6
Comments:
It is remarkable how quickly this young former prosecutor has developed into a first-rate judge. He has a great temperament and is clearly very smart. It is a pleasure to appear before him.

Send e-mail to this poster 10/9/2006 10:12:35 AM