Ana Isabel de Alba
How Judge Alba rules, drawn from 12 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Judge Alba no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.
How Judge Alba decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
Applies deferential review to a magistrate judge’s nondispositive ruling and requires a firm basis to find factual error.
“A district court will not set aside a magistrate judge’s order on a non-dispositive matter unless that order is clearly erroneous or contrary to law.”
Procedural preferences
Will not use reconsideration to entertain arguments or evidence that could reasonably have been presented earlier.
“A motion for reconsideration may not be used to raise arguments or present evidence for the first time when they could reasonably have been raised earlier in the litigation.”
Cautions
Late-produced material did not excuse a prisoner’s failure to exhaust when it had not been submitted with the opposition and was lost only after the deadline.
“Plaintiff does not explain why the missing documents were not submitted with his opposition, due June 2, 2022, when he had lost these documents after the deadline, on January 18, 2023.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“Defendant Lucas’s motion for summary judgment for failure to exhaust, filed on March 14, 2022, (ECF No. 61), is GRANTED;”
“Plaintiff’s Motion for Summary Judgment, (ECF No. 18), is GRANTED;”
“Defendant’s Cross-Motion for Summary Judgment, (ECF No. 19), is DENIED;”
“Defendants’ motion to dismiss (ECF No. 22) is denied;”
“Defendant County of Fresno’s motion to dismiss, (ECF No. 31), is denied;”
“Respondent’s motion to dismiss, (ECF No. 6), is granted;”
The court adopted the recommendation and dismissed the habeas petition with prejudice; no party motion was identified in the order.
“Plaintiff’s motion for a preliminary injunction, (ECF No. 12), is denied.”
“Plaintiff’s motion for preliminary injunction, (ECF No. 4), is denied;”
“Plaintiff’s motion for a preliminary injunction, (ECF No. 24), is denied.”
“Plaintiff’s motion for reconsideration, (ECF No. 142), is denied;”
“Plaintiff’s August 22, 2023 motion for reconsideration, (ECF No. 72), is denied;”
“Mr. Davis’s Motion to Withdraw his Motion to Suppress (ECF No. 39) and Motion to Dismiss the Indictment (ECF No. 41) is granted and both Motions are so withdrawn.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
The ten earliest sampled in-tenure dockets were all terminated and included personal-injury, disability-access, civil-rights, habeas, contract, employment, consumer, and debt-collection matters. The sample is a fixed early-tenure slice, not a caseload distribution.
A historical record
Judge Alba no longer hears cases. This profile stays available as a record of how they ruled. If you're preparing for a matter, start from the court's current bench.