L. Scott Coogler
Judge Coogler no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.
How Judge Coogler decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
On FCRA furnisher/CRA summary-judgment motions he refuses to resolve reasonableness or willfulness as a matter of law where the record shows a genuine dispute over whether the furnisher actually followed its own dispute-investigation procedures -- he sends the willfulness question to the jury rather than granting the furnisher judgment.
“Based on these facts, where there is a genuine dispute over whether Regions's dispute specialists actually followed Region's procedures in investigating Barwick's disputes and there is a genuine dispute over whether Regions's system itself is fundamentally flawed, a reasonable jury could find that Regions willfully violated the FCRA.”
Cautions
He enforces claim preclusion strictly: a plaintiff who re-files the same claim against the same defendant in his court while (or after) losing a parallel suit elsewhere can expect dismissal with prejudice on res judicata grounds.
“Defendant Hannigan's Motion to Dismiss is due to be GRANTED on grounds of res judicata.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“Defendant Regions's Motion for Summary Judgment is due to be denied. (Doc. 31.)”
“Defendant Equifax's Motion for Summary Judgment is due to be granted in part and denied in part. (Doc. 33.)”
“Defendant Hannigan's Motion to Dismiss is due to be GRANTED on grounds of res judicata.”
“defendant Simpson's motion for summary judgment on the plaintiff's Eighth Amendment excessive force and Fourteenth Amendment equal protection claims is due to be granted and the claims are due to be dismissed with prejudice.”
“the defendants' motions for summary judgment are due to be GRANTED, and the claims in the amended complaint are due to be DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE.”
“the court finds that McCall's cross-motion for summary judgment (Docs. 63, 64) is due to be DENIED.”
“the Court dismisses this action. Alternatively, summary judgment is due to be granted.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Median case duration in the sampled dockets: 91 days (N = 11).
Median motion-to-ruling time: 71 days (N = 5).
The reviewed cases illustrate Judge Coogler's case mix but do not represent his full docket. Broader case-ending data are unavailable for the later part of the period.
A historical record
Judge Coogler no longer hears cases. This profile stays available as a record of how they ruled. If you're preparing for a matter, start from the court's current bench.