Autumn D. Spaeth
How Judge Spaeth rules, drawn from 13 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Spaeth
Autumn D. Spaeth has served as a United States magistrate judge for the Central District of California since June 2018. She earned a bachelor’s degree from UCLA, a law degree from USC Gould School of Law, and a master’s degree from USC Annenberg School.
Judge Spaeth's practices and standing orders
Rules for cases before Judge Spaeth, as published on the court's website (checked October 8, 2026). Judges revise these often, so confirm the current version on the court's site before you file.
- Judge's Procedures and Schedules ↗
- ADS - Chambers ESI Conference Checklist ↗
- ADS - Chambers Standing Discovery Order ↗
- ADS - Civil Under Seal Procedures ↗
- ADS - Criminal Under Seal Procedures ↗
- ADS - Model Stipulated E-Discovery Order in PDF ↗
- ADS - Model Stipulated E-Discovery Order in Word ↗
- ADS - Request for Informal Discovery Conference ↗
- ADS - Stipulated Protective Order in PDF ↗
- ADS - Stipulated Protective Order in Word ↗
- ADS Template - (Dec 2025) Exhibit A.docx ↗
- ADS Template - (Dec 2025) Exhibit A.pdf ↗
Key rules
Contacting chambers
Parties and counsel are not allowed to contact the Court’s law clerks or to communicate with Chambers by any means, except as expressly provided herein or otherwise ordered by the Court.
“Parties and counsel are not allowed to contact the Court’s law clerks or to communicate with Chambers by any means, except as expressly provided herein or otherwise ordered by the Court.”
Filing
Mandatory chambers copies of all e-filed documents must be delivered to the chambers drop box located on the 7th floor (by hand or overnight courier) by noon on the following day, unless ordered otherwise.
“Mandatory chambers copies of all e-filed documents must be delivered to the chambers drop box located on the 7th floor (by hand or overnight courier) by noon on the following day, unless ordered otherwise.”
Motions
Civil motions shall be heard on Wednesdays at 10:00 AM, unless otherwise directed by the Court.
“Civil motions shall be heard on Wednesdays at 10:00 AM, unless otherwise directed by the Court.”
Discovery
Before filing a discovery motion, counsel must read and be familiar with Judge Spaeth's Standing Order on Discovery Disputes, which is available for download below.
“Before filing a discovery motion, counsel must read and be familiar with Judge Spaeth's Standing Order on Discovery Disputes, which is available for download below.”
Discovery
Before a discovery motion, counsel must confer by phone or in person; email exchanges alone do not satisfy the order.
“Emails and written correspondence may supplement, but shall not replace, required telephonic and in-person conferences of counsel to resolve discovery disputes.”
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 8, 2026).
- General Order 11-10: Alternative Dispute Resolution Program ↗
- General Order 19-01: Criminal Duty Matters Electronic Filing Pilot Project ↗
- General Order 20-13: Criminal Duty Matters Electronic Filing Pilot Project ↗
- General Order 18-02: Submission of Certain Prisoner Filings Through Electronic Mail ↗
- General Order 24-07: Criminal Justice Act Plan ↗
How Judge Spaeth decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In the Segura Castillo extradition matter, she found probable cause to support certification of the requested extradition.
“The Court finds probable cause exists to support certifying the extradition of Relator.”
For previously released immigration detainees, a procedural due-process violation supported a prompt individualized bond hearing rather than automatic release.
“The Court finds that Petitioner was entitled to notice and a hearing before the revocation of his release.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“IT IS ORDERED AND ADJUDGED that the decision of the Commissioner of Social Security is reversed and the matter is remanded to the Commissioner for further proceedings consistent with the Memorandum Opinion and Order of Remand.”
“The Court finds probable cause exists to support certifying the extradition of Relator. The Court will issue a separate order certifying Prudencio Segura Castillo for extradition to Mexico on the charges of sexual abuse against V.R.S.”
“The decision of the Social Security Commissioner is AFFIRMED”
“Social Security is affirmed, and this action is dismissed with prejudice.”
“decision of the Commissioner of Social Security is affirmed, and this action is dismissed with prejudice.”
“Social Security is reversed, and the matter is remanded”
“ORDER GRANTING PETITION IN PART”
“The Petition is granted in part;”
“The Application for Temporary Restraining Order (Dkt. No. 15) is denied as moot;”
“The Petition is granted in part;”
“The Petition is granted in part;”
“For the foregoing reasons, the Motion is granted without leave to amend. The action is dismissed in its entirety.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Median case duration in the sampled dockets: 16 days (N = 2).
Median motion-to-ruling time: 81.0 days (N = 4).
The sampled consent matters include Social Security appeals, an extradition proceeding, and recently decided immigration-detention petitions. Newer detention filings include pending matters that are not part of the disposition count.
Pending matters in the official report
Reported by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts under the Civil Justice Reform Act, as of March 31, 2026.
| Motions pending more than six months | 0 |
| Bench trials submitted more than six months | 0 |
| Bankruptcy appeals pending more than six months | 0 |
| Social Security appeals pending more than six months | 0 |
| Civil cases pending more than three years | 0 |
| Report | Motions over six months | Cases over three years |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2025 | 0 | 1 |
| Mar 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2022 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 2022 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2021 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 2021 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2020 | 0 | 0 |
A snapshot on that date: matters listed may since have been decided or reassigned. A motion referred to a magistrate judge is counted for both judges. Motions in multidistrict litigation, section 2255 cases and Social Security appeals are not counted, and a very large three-year count is generally a multidistrict docket. Source: Appendix A of the report (PDF); about the report.
How long civil cases take in this court
For the whole of United States District Court for the Central District of California, not for Judge Spaeth: median time from filing to disposition of the civil cases the court closed in the 12 months ending September 30, 2025, as reported by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
| Cases | Median time | |
|---|---|---|
| All civil cases closed | 15,190 | 3.9 months |
| Closed with no court action | 4,414 | 3.1 months |
| Closed before pretrial | 10,538 | 4.3 months |
| Closed during or after pretrial | 103 | 17.9 months |
| Closed during trial | 135 | 25.7 months |
| 12 months ending | Cases closed | Median time |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 15,190 | 3.9 months |
| Sep 2024 | 15,348 | 3.9 months |
| Sep 2023 | 13,583 | 4.4 months |
| Sep 2022 | 12,887 | 4.7 months |
| Sep 2021 | 14,213 | 4.7 months |
| Sep 2020 | 14,205 | 5 months |
| Sep 2019 | 13,478 | 4.9 months |
The table leaves out prisoner petitions, land condemnations, deportation reviews, recovery of overpayments and enforcement of judgments, and reports no median for fewer than 10 cases. A district that closed a large multidistrict litigation in the period shows very large counts and long medians for that year. Source: Table C-5, U.S. District Courts (spreadsheet).
Draft for Judge Spaeth with the record in hand
Ezel grounds your drafting and research in this profile: what has persuaded Judge Spaeth, and what has not, cited to the signed orders.
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