Virginia Emerson Hopkins
Judge Hopkins no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.
How Judge Hopkins decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Procedural preferences
At the pleadings stage she declines to convert a 12(b)(6) into summary judgment unless appropriate, and where she does consider matters outside the pleadings she will deny the converted motion without prejudice rather than resolve it prematurely (West v. Hooks; Fuller).
“the motion to dismiss, treated as a motion for summary judgment, is DENIED without prejudice.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“the defendants' motions to dismiss (Doc's. #23, #28 and #33) are due to be and hereby are GRANTED and this action is due to be dismissed pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(b)(1) for failing to state a claim”
“Based on the foregoing, the motion to dismiss, treated as a motion for summary judgment, is DENIED without prejudice.”
“At this stage of the litigation that is sufficient. The defendants' request is DENIED.”
“For the reasons stated above, the County Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment is DENIED.”
“summary judgment be granted in favor of the Commission as to all remaining claims other than Ms. Warren's [participation clause claim] ... the magistrate judge's report is due to be ADOPTED, and his recommendation is due to be ACCEPTED as it pertains to Ms. Warren”
“Pending before the court is Plaintiff Robert Chancey's ... Rule 59(e) Motion To Alter Or Amend the Final Judgment Order Entered on June 12, 2013 ... For the reasons explained below, the Motion is DENIED.”
“Petitioner's habeas corpus claim ... is moot because the court can no longer provide meaningful relief. ... Respondents' motion is due to be granted and this action is due to be dismissed.”
In a sua sponte in forma pauperis screening disposition, Hopkins adopted the R&R, denied the plaintiff's application because his claims were frivolous, vacated the earlier grant of pauper status, and dismissed the claims without prejudice under 28 U.S.C. 1915(e)(2)(B)(ii) for failure to state a claim. Quote: 'the magistrate judge's findings are due to be and are hereby ADOPTED ... his claims be dismissed without prejudice pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B)(ii) for failure to state a claim.'
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Median motion-to-ruling time: 221 days (N = 8).
The reviewed 2014 through 2018 docket from Judge Hopkins's later senior-service period is dominated by short administrative matters, including judgment-registration suits and federal subpoena or summons enforcement, many of which ended the same day or within days. The substantive cases in the sample include prisoner civil-rights and prison-condition suits and a diversity insurance dispute.
A historical record
Judge Hopkins 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.