Diane J. Humetewa

United States District Court for the District of Arizona district Appointed by Barack Obama (Democratic) 19 signed orders read

How Judge Humetewa decides

Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.

Procedural preferences

On APA review of an administrative record, gives strong deference to the agency hearing officer's factual and credibility findings, and holds that nonmutual collateral estoppel cannot be asserted against the government.

“the Court finds that the ONHIR did not abuse its discretion, or arbitrarily, or capriciously deny Plaintiff relocation benefits... the Court must give deference to the IHO's credibility determinations.”

Denies leave to amend when the proposed pleading cannot overcome jurisdictional, abstention, or immunity defects, even while applying Rule 15's liberal-amendment presumption.

“The futility of the proposed amendments precludes the Court from granting leave to amend.”

Treats the federal transfer statutes as distinct tools and expects the parties to brief the statute matching the identified venue or jurisdictional defect.

“Both parties are mistaken. The three transfer statutes are used for distinct purposes and operate to achieve different results.”

Signed rulings

A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.

Begay v. Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation
3:20-cv-08057-DJH
Summary judgment (plaintiff) Denied

“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment (Doc. 11) is denied and Defendant's Cross-Motion for Summary Judgment (Doc. 19) is granted.”

Summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment (Doc. 11) is denied and Defendant's Cross-Motion for Summary Judgment (Doc. 19) is granted. ... IT IS FINALLY ORDERED that judgment shall be entered for Defendant and this matter shall be closed.”

Motions to strike (plaintiff) Denied

“IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Plaintiff's Motion to Strike (Doc. 13) is denied.”

Zehnder v. Mayo Clinic
2:23-cv-00355-PHX-DJH
Summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“IT IS ORDERED that Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment (Doc. 104) is GRANTED and Plaintiff's Motion for Partial Summary Judgment (Doc. 105) is DENIED. All of Plaintiff's claims are dismissed. The Clerk of Court is kindly directed to enter judgment in Defendant's favor and dismiss this action.”

Summary judgment (plaintiff) Denied

“IT IS ORDERED that Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment (Doc. 104) is GRANTED and Plaintiff's Motion for Partial Summary Judgment (Doc. 105) is DENIED.”

Alpine 4 Technologies Limited v. Martin
2:20-cv-01679 · 2021-10-26
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Granted

“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Defendant Huffacker's Motion to Dismiss (Doc. 41) is granted. The Clerk of Court is directed to dismiss Huffacker from this action.”

Jimenez Hernandez v. Maricopa County Community College District
2:21-cv-00742 · 2022-01-10
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Granted in part

“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Defendants' Motion to Dismiss (Doc. 20) is granted in part as set forth in this Order. Plaintiff's state law claims and her HEA claim shall be dismissed with prejudice. ... The Court denies Defendants' request to dismiss Plaintiff's Title VII claim in its entirety. The Title VII hostile work environment claim may proceed”

Motion for more definite statement (defendant) Denied

“Defendants' Motion for a more definite statement is denied.”

Mahoney v. Valdez et al.
3:23-cv-08607 · 2024-05-21
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Granted

“IT IS ORDERED that Defendants' Motion to Dismiss (Doc. 42) is GRANTED and Plaintiff's Amended Complaint (Doc. 8) is DISMISSED with prejudice.”

Short v. Berger et al.
2:22-cv-00444 · 2022-10-14
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Granted

“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED Defendants' Motion to Dismiss or, in the Alternative, Stay Proceedings (Doc. 65) is granted. This matter is dismissed, without prejudice.”

Motions to dismiss (defendant) Moot / procedural

“IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Defendants' Motion to Dismiss (Doc. 42) and Defendants' Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff's First Amended Complaint (Doc. 59) are denied as moot.”

Motions to dismiss (defendant) Moot / procedural
Kucken v. Orsuga Consulting LLC et al.
2:22-cv-00573 · 2023-08-24
Summary judgment (defendant) Denied

“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Defendant Orsuga Consulting, LLC's Motion for Partial Summary Judgment (Doc. 60) is denied.”

Motion to seal (plaintiff) Granted

“IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Plaintiff's Motion to Seal Exhibit D to her Response (Doc. 99) is granted.”

Cebrynski et al. v. Wells Fargo Bank NA et al.
2:21-cv-01965 · 2024-03-05
Daubert motion (plaintiff) Denied

“IT IS ORDERED that Plaintiffs' Motion to Exclude Portions of Opinion Testimony by John Ulzheimer as Outside the Scope of Rule 702 and Daubert (Doc. 107) is DENIED.”

Dubey v. Concentric Healthcare Solutions LLC et al.
2:22-cv-02044 · 2025-06-12
Daubert motion (defendant) Denied

“IT IS ORDERED that Defendants' Daubert Motion (Doc. 99) is DENIED.”

McAuley v. Commissioner of Social Security Administration
2:20-cv-01335 · 2021-07-09
Motions to remand (defendant) Granted

“IT IS ORDERED that Defendant's Motion to Remand (Doc. 17) is GRANTED and the decision of the Commissioner is REVERSED and this case is REMANDED pursuant to sentence four of 42 U.S.C. § 405(g) for further administrative proceedings, including a new administrative hearing.”

Stephens v. State of Arizona et al.
2:22-cv-01605 · 2023-06-21
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Granted in part

“Defendants State of Arizona, Mike Faust, Clara Harwood, and Chantel Madson's Motion to Dismiss (Doc. 4) and Defendant Conchetta Oglesby's Motion to Dismiss (Doc. 22) are granted, in part, as to Count V, 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Count V is dismissed as to all Defendants.”

BHPH Capital LLC v. JV Wholesalers LLC et al.
2:22-cv-00143 · 2023-01-17
Motion to set aside default (defendant) Granted

“IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Defendant's Motion to Set Aside Default (Doc. 45) is granted. The Clerk of Court shall set aside the Clerk's Entry of Default (Doc. 35).”

Default judgment (plaintiff) Moot / procedural

“IT IS FINALLY ORDERED that Plaintiff's Motion for Default Judgment (Doc. 40) is denied as moot.”

Motions to strike (plaintiff) Moot / procedural

“IT IS ORDERED that Plaintiff's Motion to Strike Defendant Victor C. Breen's Answer and Counterclaims (Doc. 33) is denied as moot.”

Put Judge Humetewa's record to work

Ezel drafts and answers grounded in this exact profile: how Judge Humetewa actually rules, not a generic AI guess.

Opens in Ezel Pro. Every answer is grounded in Judge Humetewa's own signed orders and cites them.