Deborah M. Fine
How Judge Fine decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
Writes claimant-favorable Social Security R&Rs that survive de novo review, recommending reversal and remand where the ALJ erred.
“IT IS ORDERED that Magistrate Judge Deborah M. Fine’s Report and Recommendation (Doc. 23) is accepted and adopted by the Court. ... IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the final decision of the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration is reversed and remanded for further proceedings.”
Procedural preferences
Recommends dismissal of an unserved defendant under Rule 4(m) where a show-cause order goes unanswered and there is no good cause or excusable neglect.
“IT IS ORDERED that Magistrate Judge Deborah M. Fine’s Report and Recommendation (Doc. 42) is accepted and adopted by the Court. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Defendant Riviera is dismissed without prejudice.”
Cautions
Applies AEDPA's one-year habeas limitations period as a strict gatekeeper, recommending dismissal with prejudice and rejecting equitable-tolling arguments (e.g. attorney abandonment, law-library access) even on contested de novo review.
“IT IS ORDERED that Magistrate Judge Fine’s Report and Recommendation (Doc. 22) is accepted and adopted as the Order of this Court. Petitioner’s Objections (Doc. 23) are overruled. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Petitioner’s Amended Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254 (Doc. 11) is DENIED and DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“IT IS ORDERED that Magistrate Judge Deborah M. Fine’s Report and Recommendation (Doc. 23) is accepted and adopted by the Court. ... IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the final decision of the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration is reversed and remanded for further proceedings.”
“That Magistrate Judge Deborah M. Fine’s Report and Recommendation (Doc. 14) is accepted and adopted by the Court; ... That the Amended Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2241 (Docs. 3, 5) is denied”
“That Magistrate Judge Deborah M. Fine’s Report and Recommendation (Doc. 14) is accepted and adopted by the Court; ... That the Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254 (Doc. 1) is denied and dismissed with prejudice;”
“IT IS ORDERED that Magistrate Judge Deborah M. Fine’s Report and Recommendation (Doc. 42) is accepted and adopted by the Court. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Defendant Riviera is dismissed without prejudice.”
“IT IS ORDERED that Magistrate Judge Fine’s Report and Recommendation (Doc. 22) is accepted and adopted as the Order of this Court. Petitioner’s Objections (Doc. 23) are overruled. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Petitioner’s Amended Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254 (Doc. 11) is DENIED and DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
The reviewed recent assignments emphasize criminal-duty matters such as search warrants, initial appearances, and illegal-reentry cases, with a smaller number of consent civil matters and a Social Security appeal. Because those cases are from 2026, they do not yet support duration figures. Four older referrals involving habeas, Social Security, and prisoner civil rights provide motion-to-recommendation timing, and the assigned district judge adopted each recommendation in full.
Put Judge Fine's record to work
Ezel drafts and answers grounded in this exact profile: how Judge Fine actually rules, not a generic AI guess.
Opens in Ezel Pro. Every answer is grounded in Judge Fine's own signed orders and cites them.