Alka Sagar
How Judge Sagar decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In her Social Security appeals, a treating or examining physician's opinion carries little weight if it is not backed by the physician's own treatment notes or is contradicted by them -- she affirmed the Commissioner in Kingman where the treating doctor's disability opinion was undercut by his own later-submitted records, and in Hofstrom where a psychiatrist's isolated favorable line was inconsistent with his own clinical findings elsewhere in the same report.
“Because Dr. Jordan's opinion that Plaintiff's was unable to work was contradicted by the findings and conclusions of Dr. Campbell, the ALJ was required to provide 'specific and legitimate reasons' for rejecting Dr. Jordan's opinion... As set forth below, the ALJ met this requirement.”
In her 2026 immigration-detention habeas docket, once the government concedes a petitioner is a member of the Bautista v. Santacruz 'Bond Eligible Class' and has not been given a compliant bond hearing, she treats the class judgment as dispositive and grants relief without independently re-litigating the merits.
“As Respondents concede that Petitioner is a class member entitled to a bond hearing under the reasoning of [Bautista], the Court GRANTS the petition for the reasons stated in the orders in that case.”
Procedural preferences
On her consent Social Security docket she consistently takes the parties' Joint Stipulation under submission without oral argument, deciding the appeal on the papers.
“The Court has taken this matter under submission without oral argument. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 78; L.R. 7-15.”
On her 2241 immigration-detention docket, when the government's response does not oppose the requested relief, she treats that as effectively conceding the petition and grants it promptly rather than requiring further briefing.
“On April 16, Respondents filed an Answer which states that they 'are not presenting an opposition argument at this time.'... For the reasons set forth below, the Court GRANTS the Petition.”
Cautions
She will order a petitioner's immediate, unconditional release rather than simply order a further bond hearing where the record shows immigration judges in this district have been refusing to follow the governing class judgment; a lawyer relying on 'just order a hearing' as the remedy in this posture may be under-asking.
“The Court concludes that ordering Respondents to provide another bond hearing that complies with the December 18, 2025 declaratory judgment in Bautista would be futile... Thus, the Court concludes that immediate release from custody is the only means to provide complete relief to Petitioner.”
She dismisses habeas petitions with prejudice for failure to prosecute where a pro se or unresponsive petitioner does not comply with an order to show cause, so counsel and self-represented litigants alike must respond to her deadlines or risk a with-prejudice dismissal.
“IT IS ORDERED: 1. The Report and Recommendation is accepted. 2. Respondent's Motion to dismiss (ECF 8) is denied as moot. 3. The Petition is denied. 4. Judgment shall be entered dismissing this action without prejudice for failure to prosecute, to follow court orders, and to keep the Court informed of her current address.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“For all of the foregoing reasons, the decision of the Commission is affirmed.”
“Pursuant to Sentence four of 42 U.S.C. section 405(g), IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that this matter is remanded for further administrative action consistent with this Opinion.”
“For all of the foregoing reasons, the decision of the Administrative Law Judge is affirmed.”
“For all of the foregoing reasons, the decision of the Commission is affirmed.”
“For all of the foregoing reasons, the decision of the Administrative Law Judge is affirmed.”
“The above captioned matter is dismissed with prejudice, each party to bear its own fees, costs, and expenses.”
“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED that the above-captioned action is remanded to the Commissioner of Social Security for further proceedings consistent with the terms of the Stipulation to Remand.”
“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED that the above-captioned action is remanded to the Commissioner of Social Security for further proceedings consistent with the Stipulation to Remand.”
“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED that the above-captioned action is remanded to the Commissioner of Social Security for further proceedings consistent with the Stipulation to Remand.”
“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED that the above-captioned action is remanded to the Commissioner of Social Security for further proceedings consistent with the Stipulation to Remand.”
“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED that the above-captioned action is remanded to the Commissioner of Social Security for further proceedings consistent with the Stipulation to Remand.”
“Pursuant to the ‘Opinion and Order on a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus,’ IT IS ADJUDGED that the Petition is denied and dismissed with prejudice.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Judge Sagar's docket includes a longstanding consent calendar of Social Security disability appeals, many of which now end in stipulated remands rather than contested merits decisions. Since 2023 she has also handled a growing consent habeas calendar, particularly immigration-detention petitions under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 that are often filed with emergency applications and resolved within days or weeks. Her other work includes civil discovery referrals, ADA access suits, consumer-credit and employment cases, and criminal matters.
Put Judge Sagar's record to work
Ezel drafts and answers grounded in this exact profile: how Judge Sagar actually rules, not a generic AI guess.
Opens in Ezel Pro. Every answer is grounded in Judge Sagar's own signed orders and cites them.