David T. Bristow
How Judge Bristow decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
On his consent Social Security appeals docket, a distinct pattern separates stipulated from contested cases: roughly two-thirds of the sampled remands were stipulated -- the Commissioner agreed to a remand before any contested ruling, and he signed judgment within days of the stipulation. On the smaller set of appeals that reached a genuine contested decision after full merits briefing, the outcomes were close to evenly split between reversal/remand and affirmance, not lopsided toward either side.
“IT IS HEREBY ADJUDGED that the decision of the Commissioner of Social Security is reversed and this action is remanded for further proceedings.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“IT IS HEREBY ADJUDGED that the decision of the Commissioner of Social Security is reversed and this action is remanded for further proceedings.”
“IT IS HEREBY ADJUDGED that the decision of the Commissioner of Social Security is reversed and this action is remanded for further proceedings.”
“IT IS HEREBY ADJUDGED that the decision of the Commissioner of Social Security is reversed and this action is remanded for further proceedings.”
“IT IS HEREBY ADJUDGED that the decision of the Commissioner of Social Security is reversed and this action is remanded for further proceedings.”
“IT IS HEREBY ADJUDGED that the decision of the Commissioner of Social Security is reversed and this action is remanded for further proceedings.”
“IT IS HEREBY ADJUDGED that the decision of the Commissioner of Social Security is reversed and this action is remanded for further proceedings.”
“IT IS HEREBY ADJUDGED that the decision of the Commissioner of Social Security is affirmed and this action is dismissed with prejudice.”
“IT IS HEREBY ADJUDGED that the decision of the Commissioner of Social Security is affirmed and this action is dismissed with prejudice.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Median case duration in the sampled dockets: 167 days (N = 17).
Median motion-to-ruling time: 1.0 days (N = 2).
Judge Bristow's current docket is led by consent Social Security disability appeals filed from 2023 through 2025. About one-third of the reviewed outcomes were stipulated remands agreed to before a contested ruling; the remainder were decided after full merits briefing. He also handles consent contract, consumer, employment, and ADA cases in Riverside, many of which settle or end voluntarily, along with a growing 2025-2026 calendar of pending immigration-detention habeas petitions and periodic misdemeanor and probation matters.
Put Judge Bristow's record to work
Ezel drafts and answers grounded in this exact profile: how Judge Bristow actually rules, not a generic AI guess.
Opens in Ezel Pro. Every answer is grounded in Judge Bristow's own signed orders and cites them.