Richard R. Clifton
How Judge Clifton rules, drawn from 39 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Clifton
Richard R. Clifton is a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Appointed by President George W. Bush, Judge Clifton received a commission on July 30, 2002. Judge Clifton assumed senior status on December 31, 2016.
Judge Clifton's practices and standing orders
The court's website lists no individual practices or standing orders of Judge Clifton's own (checked October 11, 2026), so the court's local rules and general orders are the place to look (court page ↗).
Standing orders for every case in this court
Orders the court applies to all of its cases, whichever judge has them, as published on the court's website (checked October 11, 2026).
How Judge Clifton decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In reviewing an agricultural regulation, Clifton deferred to the agency's choice among competing technical studies where the record supported its explanation. Minor discrepancies did not justify vacatur when they did not affect the agency's final decision.
“Because these discrepancies within the risk management analysis do not appear to have affected APHIS’s final decision, we decline to overturn the regulation on this basis.”
In a fair-housing case dismissed for lack of standing, Clifton identified the plaintiff's concrete injury in the extra costs allegedly caused by the city's interference with a subdivision application. That direct financial harm supported Article III standing regardless of whether the plaintiff belonged to the protected class.
“El Dorado has suffered a concrete and particularized, actual, injury, in the form of added expenses caused by the City’s interference with El Dorado’s subdivision application.”
In a mandamus proceeding, Clifton treated the nature of the claim and remedy as controlling for the jury-trial right. A request for equitable relief elsewhere in the case did not eliminate the Seventh Amendment right attached to a legal claim for statutory damages.
“So long as a case involves a legal claim, the right to a jury trial attaches, even if the case also seeks equitable relief.”
In Patacsil v. Google, Clifton affirmed approval of recipients for a class settlement’s cy pres funds after finding a substantial nexus between the recipients’ documented data-privacy work and the class members’ interests.
“The substantial nexus test contemplates whether the proposed award: (1) addresses the objectives of the underlying action; (2) targets the plaintiff class; and (3) provides ‘reasonable certainty that any member will be benefitted.’”
Procedural preferences
In a summary-judgment appeal, Clifton required the district court to decide whether the record entitled the movant to judgment even when the opposing party filed no response. A conflicting local default rule could not replace the inquiry required by the federal rule.
“Because this local rule conflicts with the Federal Rule, it cannot provide a valid basis for granting a motion for summary judgment.”
Cautions
In an immigration case, Clifton applied the statutory phrase “this chapter” to the entire immigration code chapter. An unchallenged frivolous-asylum finding therefore barred the petitioner from every benefit in that chapter, including a waiver of deportation.
“Therefore, as a result of the frivolous asylum application finding, Manhani is barred from receiving all benefits under the INA, including a waiver of deportation.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“For the foregoing reasons, the judgment of the district court is AFFIRMED.”
“Because we hold that the Guam Supreme Court committed manifest error in this case in reversing the Guam Superior Court's findings of fact without completing a review of the evidence upon which those finding were based, we reverse and remand for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.”
“By the demanding standards of the Acts, Wong is not substantially limited in a major life activity, so he does not qualify for the special protections the Acts provide for someone who is 'disabled.' AFFIRMED.”
“Because APHIS was not required to define a negligible risk standard under the Plant Protection Act, and because the agency has 'articulated a rational connection between the facts found and the choices made,' ... the Final Rule is neither arbitrary nor capricious. ... AFFIRMED.”
“The district court did not err when it remanded this case to the Commissioner of Social Security for further factual proceedings rather than for payment of benefits. ... AFFIRMED.”
“The money was distributed to D.N., not to his mother. He was liable as the distributee for the tax. AFFIRMED.”
“Because Castro did not meet his burden to show that the government was unable or unwilling to control his attackers, he failed to demonstrate that he had been the victim of past persecution. ... Accordingly, we deny the petition.”
“The district court did not abuse its discretion in ordering the sexual offender assessment condition. ... AFFIRMED.”
“Defendants' effort to disguise funds ... through use of a bank account with a deceptive name constituted a sufficiently complex method of concealment to warrant application of the sophisticated means enhancement. ... AFFIRMED.”
“In this case, in addition to citing such a local rule, the district court considered the motion on the merits and concluded that it should be granted. We agree and affirm the judgment.”
“we reverse the district court and remand for further proceedings.”
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