Michael B. Kaufman
How Judge Kaufman rules, drawn from 23 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Kaufman
Michael B. Kaufman became a United States Magistrate Judge for the Central District of California in February 2025. He serves in the Los Angeles Division and earned his law degree from Stanford Law School in 2007.
Judge Kaufman's practices and standing orders
Rules for cases before Judge Kaufman, 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 ↗
- Stipulated Protective Order (Word)_MBK_260610.docx ↗
- Stipulated Protective Order (Word)_MBK_260610.pdf ↗
Key rules
Motions
Civil motions are heard Mondays or Wednesdays at 10 a.m.; check the closed motion dates before filing.
“Civil motions are heard on Mondays or Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m. Please check the Closed Motion Dates before filing a motion.”
Discovery
No discovery motion may be filed until the Court has conducted a pre-motion conference via Zoom unless the movant has obtained leave of Court sought by an ex parte application.
“No discovery motion may be filed until the Court has conducted a pre-motion conference via Zoom unless the movant has obtained leave of Court sought by an ex parte application.”
Conferences
If any party requests a telephonic or Zoom appearance, such a request must be filed in writing no later than two weeks before the proceeding.
“If any party requests a telephonic or Zoom appearance, such a request must be filed in writing no later than two weeks before the proceeding.”
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 Kaufman decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In Gutierrez Baryolo v. Mullins, he found that re-detention violated due process and ordered release, barring renewed detention absent changed circumstances and advance notice and a hearing.
“the Court concludes that Petitioner Baryolo's re-detention violated due process ... a writ of habeas corpus be issued requiring Petitioner's immediate release and prohibiting his re-detention absent a material change in circumstances and pre-deprivation notice and a hearing.”
In Mahbubani v. Blanche, he treated the government’s failure to meaningfully contest the petition’s due process and statutory claims as a concession that relief was warranted.
“Respondents’ failure to meaningfully contest Petitioner’s due process and Administrative Procedure Act claims in their Answer is therefore a concession that the Petition should be granted.”
In Qian, Kaufman distinguished initial immigration detention from renewed detention after conditional release. Without a prior release decision, the petitioner had not shown the same protected interest in remaining at liberty; an available bond process also had not been exhausted for her separate continued-detention claim.
“Petitioner does not have a conditional liberty interest in remaining released under the terms of a prior release order.”
Procedural preferences
In Olea-Cruz v. Warden, Adelanto Detention Center, he ordered a status report within seven days confirming that the petitioner had received a bond hearing.
“the Respondents shall file a status report no later than seven (7) days from the date of this Order confirming that Petitioner has had a bond hearing, consistent with this order.”
In Bekhoev v. Santacruz, he applied preclusion to a legal issue decided in an earlier habeas proceeding.
“preclusion principles prevent parties from re-litigating issues that were decided in a prior proceeding.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“ORDER GRANTING PETITION FOR WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS by Magistrate Judge Michael B. Kaufman. For the foregoing reasons, the Court concludes that Petitioner Baryolo's re-detention violated due process. Accordingly, the Court ORDERS the following: (1) Judgment be entered granting the Petition as to Petitioner; (2) a writ of habeas corpus be issued requiring Petitioner's immediate release and prohibiting his re-detention absent a material change in circumstances and pre-deprivation notice and a hearing.”
“ORDER GRANTING PETITION AND ISSUING A WRIT FOR HABEAS CORPUS by Magistrate Judge Michael B. Kaufman, re Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus, 1. IT IS ORDERED that: the Respondents shall file a status report no later than seven (7) days from the date of this Order confirming that Petitioner has had a bond hearing, consistent with this order.”
“ORDER GRANTING PETITION FOR WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS by Magistrate Judge Michael B. Kaufman. For the foregoing reasons, the Court concludes that Petitioners re-detention violated due process.”
“IT IS ADJUDGED that the petition for writ of habeas corpus is DENIED and this action is dismissed.”
“IT IS ADJUDGED that the petition for writ of habeas corpus is GRANTED and this action is dismissed with prejudice.”
“IT IS ADJUDGED that the petition for writ of habeas corpus is GRANTED and this action is dismissed with prejudice.”
“RELEASE ORDER GRANTING PETITION AND ISSUING A WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS by Magistrate Judge Michael B. Kaufman, re Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus 1 . IT IS ORDERED that: (1) Judgment be entered granting the Petition; (2) a writ of habeas corpus be issued requiring Petitioner”
“Pursuant to the Courts Order Granting Petition, IT IS ADJUDGED that the petition for writ of habeas corpus is GRANTED.”
“the Court grants the Petition and issues a writ of habeas corpus requiring Petitioner”
“For the foregoing reasons, the Court concludes that Petitioner is entitled to habeas relief on her Administrative Procedure Act and due process claims. Accordingly, the Court ORDERS the following: (1) Judgment be entered granting the Petition; (2) a writ of habeas corpus be issued requiring Petitioner Veda Dinesh Mahbubani’s (A# 141-405-315) immediate release without any restrictions on her liberty or conditions of supervision and prohibiting her re-detention while she has valid DED status;”
“IT IS ORDERED that: (1) Judgment be entered granting the Petition; (2) a writ of habeas corpus be issued requiring Petitioner Nallely Kassandra Robledo Jaime's (A# 221-073- 641) immediate release and enjoining Respondents from re-detaining her without first providing her notice and an opportunity to be heard;”
“The Court ORDERS the following: (1) Judgment be entered granting the Petition; (2) a writ of habeas corpus be issued requiring Petitioner Kilmer Jonathan Magana-Calderons (A# 214-530-559) immediate release subject to his prior conditions of supervision and prohibiting his re-detention absent pre-deprivation notice and a hearing where the Government must show changed circumstances warranting his detention.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Median case duration in the sampled dockets: 12 days (N = 9).
Median motion-to-ruling time: 12 days (N = 9).
His recent caseload is dominated by immigration-detention habeas petitions, many decided by consent on an expedited schedule. He also receives direct civil assignments and handles preliminary matters referred by district judges.
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 | 0 |
| Mar 2025 | 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 Kaufman: 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).
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Ezel grounds your drafting and research in this profile: what has persuaded Judge Kaufman, and what has not, cited to the signed orders.
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