Chi Soo Kim
How Judge Kim rules, drawn from 6 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
How Judge Kim decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
On a prisoner's excessive-force summary judgment she reads the full verified complaint and deposition rather than only the movant's excerpts, and holds that a prison disciplinary (RVR) guilty finding for assaulting staff does not by itself Heck-bar a parallel claim that the officers' responsive force was excessive.
“IT IS RECOMMENDED that defendants' motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 59) be denied, and this action be referred back to the undersigned for further proceedings. ... Thus, defendants' motion for summary judgment should be denied, because plaintiff's excessive force claims are not barred by Heck.”
Recognizes that release under an immigration order of supervision can create a protected liberty interest, then applies Mathews to decide whether the government's revocation process supplied due process.
“This Court therefore finds that Petitioner’s prior release under an Order of Supervision gave rise to a constitutionally protected liberty interest.”
Procedural preferences
Liberally construes pro se pleadings but still requires a cognizable legal theory and a short-and-plain jurisdictional statement; at the 28 U.S.C. 1915 screening stage she will not entertain discovery or hearing motions because no defendants have been served and discovery has not opened.
“This action is currently in the screening stage and therefore no defendants have been served and discovery has not yet commenced. ... Plaintiff's motions to compel (ECF No. 12, 18, 20) are DENIED”
Cautions
Grants Rule 12(f) motions to strike affidavits attached to a complaint unless they are true Rule 10(c) written instruments that form the basis of the claim.
“Defendant's motion to strike the affidavits of William McCaffrey and Joseph Esquivel Jr. attached to the Complaint is GRANTED (ECF No. 6)”
Treats counsel as responsible for verifying every cited authority and warns that generative AI should not be used to check citations, even when the court ultimately declines sanctions after remediation and candor.
“They should not be used to verify legal authority and citations, especially when generative AI tools were used to generate or identify the legal authority and citations being checked.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“It is FURTHER HEREBY RECOMMENDED that: 1. Defendant's motion to dismiss (ECF No. 6) be GRANTED; and 2. Plaintiff's complaint (ECF No. 1) be DISMISSED without prejudice; and 3. Plaintiffs be given thirty (30) days to file an amended complaint. [ADOPTED in full by District Judge Troy L. Nunley on 2024-09-16: 'ADOPTING 20 Findings and Recommendations in full, GRANTING 6 Motion to Dismiss with leave to amend']”
“Defendant's motion to strike the affidavits of William McCaffrey and Joseph Esquivel Jr. attached to the Complaint is GRANTED (ECF No. 6)”
“The Court denies this motion as premature given that the pleadings in this case are not yet settled. ... Plaintiff's motion to set a date (ECF No. 15) is DENIED”
“it is RECOMMENDED that: 1. Plaintiff's motions and request to proceed in forma pauperis (ECF Nos. 2, 14, 17) be DENIED; 2. Plaintiff's Complaint (ECF No. 1) be DISMISSED without leave to amend; and 3. The Clerk of the Court be directed to CLOSE this case.”
“Plaintiff's motions for a hearing (ECF Nos. 6, 13) and motions to compel (ECF Nos. 12, 18, 20) are therefore DENIED. ... IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that: 1. Plaintiff's motions for a hearing (ECF Nos. 6, 13) are DENIED”
“This action is currently in the screening stage and therefore no defendants have been served and discovery has not yet commenced. ... Plaintiff's motions to compel (ECF No. 12, 18, 20) are DENIED”
“IT IS RECOMMENDED that defendants' motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 59) be denied, and this action be referred back to the undersigned for further proceedings. ... Thus, defendants' motion for summary judgment should be denied, because plaintiff's excessive force claims are not barred by Heck.”
“Plaintiff's request that the Court view camera footage from the November 5, 2022 incident (ECF No. 67) is denied.”
“The government’s request to dismiss all improperly named respondents is GRANTED, and respondents Moises Becerra, Kristi Noem, and Pamela Bondi are dismissed.”
“Petitioner’s motion for preliminary injunction is DENIED.”
“The First Amended Petition (ECF No. 28) is denied.”
“Respondent’s motion to dismiss (ECF No. 32) is denied as moot.”
After counsel and a law student used ChatGPT in briefs containing hallucinated citations, Kim discharged her court-initiated show-cause order without sanctions. She credited their candor, remorse, new written AI-use policy, and completed training, while warning that generative AI should not be used to verify authorities and citations. Because the show-cause process was court-initiated rather than a party motion, this order is excluded from motion statistics.
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Kim joined the Sacramento bench in March 2024. In addition to referred pretrial work, she carries a substantial consent Social Security caseload in which she enters final judgments, including matters inherited from her predecessor. Her broader assignments include pro se prisoner civil-rights, habeas, employment, and consumer warranty cases.
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