A judge generally issues a tentative ruling on the submitted pleadings, and counsel will be offered an opportunity to respond in a later oral argument.

In a tentative ruling on May 29, the Commerce Department said the republics had failed to return some forms and had botched others.

Some courts issue tentative rulings (after which the loser may demand oral argument) while others do not.

He repeated that recently in a tentative ruling on the claims of Mr. Isaacson and Mr. Stephenson.

THE stock prices of cellular telephone companies operating in California plunged last week after a tentative ruling by California state regulators aimed at increasing competition.

Visa International and MasterCard International may have to pay back $500 million in fees they collected from people who used their cards abroad, according to a tentative ruling by a California judge.

Some in Congress are still angry about a tentative ruling in which the trade organization rejected the Eastman Kodak Company's complaints about restrictions in the Japanese market.

The tentative ruling, issued on January 24, 2011, argues that the California Air Resources Board violated state environmental law by failing to consider such alternatives.

The tentative ruling shocked the state superintendent of public instruction, Jack O'Connell, and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

At that hearing, which Mr. Simpson did not attend, Judge Ito made what he called a tentative ruling, saying he was inclined to proceed with an interview of the grand jurors.