Valerie Baker Fairbank
How Judge Fairbank rules, drawn from 17 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Fairbank
Valerie Baker Fairbank is a judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California. Appointed by President George W. Bush, Judge Fairbank received a commission on February 16, 2007. Judge Fairbank assumed senior status on March 1, 2012.
Judge Fairbank's practices and standing orders
Rules for cases before Judge Fairbank, 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.
Key rules
Filing
In referred matters, send courtesy paper copies only to the magistrate judge’s chambers.
“In cases that are referred to a Magistrate Judge, parties should not provide courtesy paper copies of filings to District Judge Fairbank. Instead, please provide courtesy paper copies only to the Magistrate Judge's chambers.”
Filing
Submit a proposed order with every proposed signature item, including time-extension applications and stipulations.
“All proposed signature items, including applications and stipulations to extend time, shall be accompanied by a proposed order.”
Motions
Do not notice a hearing date for a civil motion; the court decides whether oral argument is needed after briefing.
“A party filing a motion in a civil case should not notice a hearing date. Once a motion has been fully briefed, the Court will determine whether oral argument is necessary.”
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 Fairbank decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Procedural preferences
In Savage v. United States, she denied the government's request to stay a Section 2255 habeas proceeding pending the Supreme Court's Beckles decision because the possible delay could prolong the petitioner's imprisonment.
“For these reasons, the Court will deny the government’s motion to stay this section 2255 proceeding.”
Cautions
After denying the creditors’ bankruptcy appeal in Ghadimi v. Ashai, she ordered them to show cause why the appeal should not be found frivolous and fees or damages awarded.
“Directing Creditors to Show Cause By Friday, October 28, 2016 Why the Court Should Not Find their Appeal to be Frivolous and Award Attorney Fees or Other Damages Under Fed. R. Bankr. P. 8020(a);”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“(1) Granting the Motion for Summary Judgment of Plaintiffs Norman, Danielle, & Carson Mull on the First Amended Complaint ('FAC');”
“(2) Denying the Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment or in the Alternative Summary Adjudication on the FAC;”
“the motion for summary judgment of defendant Thomas in his individual capacity on statute of limitation grounds IS DENIED.”
“ORDER GRANTING MOTION TO DISMISS ALL FEDERAL CLAIMS AGAINST COUNTY OF ORANGE AND ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY COSTELLO, AND DECLINING SUPPLEMENTAL JURISDICTION OVER ALL STATE-LAW CLAIMS ...”
“The government’s ‘Ex Parte Application to Stay Proceedings Related to Defendant-Petitioner’s motion to Vacate, Set Aside, or Correct Sentence Under 28 U.S.C. section 2255 Pending the Supreme Court’s Resolution of Beckles v. United States, No. 15-8544’ [Doc # 8] is DENIED.”
“The government’s motion to stay these habeas corpus proceedings is denied.”
“Order Denying Creditors' Appeal: Affirming Bankruptcy Court's June 9, 2014 Judgment that § 523(a)(2)(A) Does Not Render Tony Ashai's Debt Non-Dischargeable;”
“Petitioner's Application for Temporary Restraining Order 5 is GRANTED. Respondents are ordered to immediately release Petitioner from custody (or alternatively that he be provided a bond hearing before an immigration judge within seven days of this order).”
“Upon consideration of Petitioner’s Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) and all material submitted in support thereof and in opposition thereto (if applicable), and the applicable law, it is hereby ORDERED that the motion is GRANTED.”
“Petitioner’s application for a preliminary injunction is GRANTED.”
“IT IS ORDERED that the Petition and Motion to Enforce are GRANTED. Respondent shall immediately release Petitioner from custody on his prior Order of Supervision”
“IT IS ORDERED that the Petition and Motion to Enforce are GRANTED.”
“Petitioner's ‘Emergency Motion for temporary restraining order’ 2 is DENIED without prejudice. Plaintiff MAY FILE a TRO application that complies with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65 and Central District Local Civil Rule 65-1.”
“Petitioner's application for a temporary restraining order 13 is GRANTED. The Court orders Petitioner's immediate release.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
- The older contested sample spans trademark and copyright, civil rights, ERISA, employment and contract, insurance, and tax matters.
- The bounded 2026 review reached seven immigration-detention habeas cases: five supplied signed emergency or final relief, one supplied a procedural emergency ruling while the petition remained pending, and one had no retrievable disposition text.
- Judge Fairbank continues to receive current matters while serving in senior status.
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 | 4 |
| Bench trials submitted more than six months | 0 |
| Bankruptcy appeals pending more than six months | 0 |
| Social Security appeals pending more than six months | 1 |
| Civil cases pending more than three years | 2 |
| Report | Motions over six months | Cases over three years |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 2026 | 4 | 2 |
| Sep 2025 | 1 | 1 |
| Mar 2025 | 1 | 1 |
| Sep 2024 | 4 | 3 |
| Mar 2024 | 3 | 5 |
| Sep 2023 | 5 | 7 |
| Mar 2023 | 4 | 7 |
| Sep 2022 | 2 | 4 |
| Mar 2022 | 4 | 5 |
| Sep 2021 | 1 | 5 |
| Mar 2021 | 4 | 6 |
| Sep 2020 | 7 | 11 |
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 Fairbank: 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 Fairbank with the record in hand
Ezel grounds your drafting and research in this profile: what has persuaded Judge Fairbank, and what has not, cited to the signed orders.
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