Quick facts
Court U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Position circuit
Status Deceased
Served 1979–2020
Appointed by Jimmy Carter (Democratic)
Commissioned 1979-07-13
Education University of Texas, B.A., 1942; Harvard Law School, J.D., 1948; University of Virginia School of Law, LL.M., 1983
Signed orders read 28
Last updated 2026-07-13
Motion outcomes
AppealN = 27
counts only
9 5 12 1
Petition for reviewN = 1
counts only
1
Counted from classified signed orders. A “1 of 1” is one ruling, not a tendency.
About this data
A free Ezel research resource. This profile is built from public records: the judge's own signed orders, public docket records, and published biographies. It is not legal advice and is not affiliated with the court.
How Judge Reavley decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Treats a specific mandatory policy as capable of removing governmental conduct from the discretionary-function exception.
“constrained the decision-making ability”
Requires substantial evidence to support an agency’s admissibility determination.
“supported by substantial evidence”
Enforces appellate-waiver bargains when the defendant received their benefit.
“benefit of his bargain”
Condemns unsupported attacks on opposing counsel’s integrity.
“could not have been made in good faith”
Does not read federal preemption rules to protect an insurer from its own failure to follow reporting deadlines.
“acts of unjustifiable incompetence”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
United States v. Velasquez
· 2016-06-08
Appeal (criminal defendant appellant)
Denied
“AFFIRMED.”
United States v. Rodriguez-Salazar
· 2014-09-30
Appeal (criminal defendant appellant)
Denied
“AFFIRMED.”
Duron v. Johnson
· 2018-08-06
Appeal (plaintiffs appellants)
Denied
“AFFIRMED.”
United States v. 2005 Pilatus Aircraft
· 2016-10-03
Appeal (claimants appellants)
Denied
“AFFIRMED.”
Equity Trust Co. v. Curtis
· 2015-11-23
Appeal (borrowers appellants)
Denied
“AFFIRMED.”
Kagan v. City of New Orleans
· 2014-06-02
Appeal (tour guides appellants)
Denied
“AFFIRMED.”
Nagravision SA v. Gotech International Technology Ltd.
· 2018-02-07
Appeal (defendants appellants)
Denied
“AFFIRMED.”
United States v. Walters
· 2013-10-10
Appeal (criminal defendant appellant)
Moot / procedural
“APPEAL DISMISSED.”
United States v. Douglas
· 2018-12-12
Appeal (criminal defendant appellant)
Granted
“VACATE and REMAND”
United States v. Lozano
· 2015-06-23
Appeal (criminal defendant appellant)
Granted in part
“The conviction and sentence are otherwise AFFIRMED.”
Thomas v. Johnson
· 2015-06-02
Appeal (employee appellant)
Denied
“AFFIRMED.”
Al Rushaid v. National Oilwell Varco, Inc.
· 2016-02-17
Appeal (plaintiffs appellants)
Granted
“REMANDED”
A historical record
Judge Reavley 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.