Hogan Says Judge Torres Might Wait for Hinman’s Docs Before Final Judgment

Attorney Hogan reveals his expectations for SEC vs. Ripple summary judgment verdict.

The recent ruling by Judge Analisa Torres regarding SEC and Ripple’s request to seal summary judgment materials and accompanying exhibits, including William Hinman’s docs, has stirred a new debate in the XRP community.

Many XRP enthusiasts believe Judge Torres might make a summary judgment decision for the SEC vs. Ripple case before the parties file public, redacted versions of the documents.

However, others speculate that the final verdict might come anytime, including before the redacted summary judgment documents are released.

As the debate lingers, an XRP enthusiast took to Twitter to seek the opinions of prominent lawyers following the case, including Jeremy Hogan, John Deaton, and Fred Rispoli.

In a tweet yesterday, Tim Frantz called on the attention of these pro-XRP lawyers to comment on whether Judge Torres’ sealing order will determine when she will make a summary judgment decision.

Just curious..@JohnEDeaton1 @attorneyjeremy1 @freddyriz
Is it possible Judge Torres could make her summary judgment decision prior to the redacted documents being released? Or must she wait til they’ve been made public? #xrp #ripple

— Tim Frantz (@Tim_Frantz) May 23, 2023

Attorney Hogan Says She’ll Likely Wait

In response to the question, attorney Hogan said Judge Torres does not have to wait for the parties to file public, redacted versions of summary judgment materials and accompanying exhibits before issuing a final decision in the Ripple lawsuit.

Hogan, a partner at Hogan & Hogan, stressed that there is a tendency for the judge to wait for the parties to file the documents before she issues her final verdict.

The prominent lawyer, who has closely followed the lawsuit, asserted that he will not hold his breath until after June 13, 2023, when SEC and Ripple are expected to file public, redacted versions of the materials.

She doesn’t HAVE to wait. But very very likely she will.

I’m not holding my breath until after June 13.

— Jeremy Hogan (@attorneyjeremy1) May 23, 2023

SEC’s and Ripple’s Joint Request Spark Reactions

As reported last week, Judge Torres ruled on the parties’ requests to seal documents related to summary judgment motions and accompanying exhibits.

The most important aspect of the ruling was the denial of the SEC’s motion to seal internal deliberations related to Hinman’s 2018 controversial speech, popularly referred to as Hinman’s docs.

Following Judge Torres’ decision, the parties were required to release the documents on June 6, 2023. However, both the SEC and Ripple requested a one-week extension to the deadline. Although Judge Torres granted the request almost immediately, XRP community members engaged in a heated debate over the weekend about why the parties requested a one-week extension to release the docs.

Some argued that the delay would give the parties more time to discuss the terms of a possible settlement. However, other enthusiasts, like Deaton, think the delay was necessary due to the voluminous nature of the documents the parties need to file in accordance with the sealing order.

No Official End Date for SEC vs. Ripple Lawsuit

Aside from speculations, there is no official date Judge Torres is expected to make a summary judgment decision. While Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse speculated that the case would be resolved before the end of September 2023, the blockchain company asserts the summary judgment will come before the end of the year.

It bears mentioning that the exact date on when the summary judgment will come is entirely up to Judge Torres.