Daniel J. Calabretta
How Judge Calabretta rules, drawn from 32 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Calabretta
Daniel Joe Powell Calabretta is a judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California. Appointed by President Joseph R. Biden, Judge Calabretta received a commission on February 21, 2023.
Judge Calabretta's practices and standing orders
Rules for cases before Judge Calabretta, as published on the court's website (checked October 9, 2026). Judges revise these often, so confirm the current version on the court's site before you file.
- Case Management Procedures and Motion Schedule ↗
- Trial Procedures ↗
- Case Management Order ↗
- Standing Order in Civil Cases ↗
- Standing Order in Criminal Cases ↗
Key rules
Motions
Contact Judge Calabretta’s courtroom deputy by email for available civil law-and-motion dates.
“*Contact courtroom deputy via e-mail for available civil law and motion dates.”
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 9, 2026).
How Judge Calabretta decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In repeated immigration-detention cases, grants habeas relief when the government identifies no material legal or factual distinction from prior due-process decisions, ordering immediate release or a prompt bond hearing.
“Respondents have not made any new legal arguments and have not identified any factual or legal issues in this case that would distinguish it from the Court’s prior decisions cited above”
Procedural preferences
Denies a petitioner's summary-judgment motion as moot once the petition itself is dismissed.
“4. Petitioner's motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 13) is denied as moot.”
Applies the scheduling-order diligence requirement to deny a late request to add crossclaims after summary-judgment briefing was complete.
“Where a party has not acted diligently, the good cause inquiry comes to an end.”
Cautions
Grants a motion to dismiss and dismisses a habeas petition without prejudice as an unauthorized second or successive petition.
“2. Respondent's motion to dismiss (ECF No. 10) is granted. 3. Petitioner's application for writ of habeas corpus (ECF No. 1) is dismissed without prejudice as an unauthorized second or successive petition.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“2. Respondent's motion to dismiss (ECF No. 10) is granted. 3. Petitioner's application for writ of habeas corpus (ECF No. 1) is dismissed without prejudice as an unauthorized second or successive petition.”
“4. Petitioner's motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 13) is denied as moot.”
In a pro se Section 2254 habeas matter, Calabretta adopted an unobjected magistrate judge's findings and recommendation, dismissed the action sua sponte and without prejudice for lack of prosecution and failure to comply with court rules, and declined a certificate of appealability. Grounding quote: '2. This action is dismissed without prejudice for lack of prosecution and failure to comply with court rules and orders.'
“the Regents Defendants' Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 127) is GRANTED”
“the County Defendants' Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 130) is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part”
“the Court GRANTS Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment (ECF No. 36).”
“the Court DENIES Defendant's Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 8).”
“the Court GRANTS Plaintiff's Motion to Remand. (ECF No. 7.) This case is hereby REMANDED to the Superior Court of Sacramento County.”
“Plaintiffs' Motion to Remand (ECF No. 8) is GRANTED”
“the U.S. Attorney's Motion for Reconsideration (ECF No. 30) is DENIED as moot”
“Plaintiffs' motion to remand (ECF No.17) is DENIED”
“the Petitioner's Motion to Amend Preliminary Injunction (ECF No. 42) is DENIED.”
“A Preliminary Injunction shall issue on the same terms set forth in the Temporary Restraining Order (ECF No. 9).”
“Respondents' Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 15) is DENIED without prejudice to filing a properly noticed motion in accordance with the Local Rules.”
“Plaintiff's Motion for Temporary Restraining Order and Preliminary Injunction (ECF No. 7) is DENIED.”
“Defendants' motion to deem plaintiff vexatious, ECF No. 16, is GRANTED”
“Defendants' motion to dismiss, ECF No. 15, is GRANTED”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Calabretta's Sacramento caseload includes a June 2026 surge of immigration-detention habeas petitions, a substantial criminal calendar, post-conviction motions arising from those criminal cases, prisoner civil-rights matters, and general consumer and product disputes. The durations below come from terminated cases.
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 | 28 |
| Bench trials submitted more than six months | 0 |
| Bankruptcy appeals pending more than six months | 0 |
| Social Security appeals pending more than six months | 3 |
| Civil cases pending more than three years | 62 |
| Report | Motions over six months | Cases over three years |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 2026 | 28 | 62 |
| Sep 2025 | 28 | 68 |
| Mar 2025 | 59 | 66 |
| Sep 2024 | 85 | 88 |
| Mar 2024 | 78 | 88 |
| Sep 2023 | 83 | 93 |
| Mar 2023 | 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 Eastern District of California, not for Judge Calabretta: 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 | 2,984 | 8.1 months |
| Closed with no court action | 1,029 | 5.5 months |
| Closed before pretrial | 1,899 | 9.1 months |
| Closed during or after pretrial | 36 | 29.9 months |
| Closed during trial | 20 | 50.5 months |
| 12 months ending | Cases closed | Median time |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 2,984 | 8.1 months |
| Sep 2024 | 2,575 | 9.2 months |
| Sep 2023 | 2,528 | 10.5 months |
| Sep 2022 | 2,624 | 11.2 months |
| Sep 2021 | 2,316 | 9.9 months |
| Sep 2020 | 2,319 | 9.2 months |
| Sep 2019 | 2,562 | 10.3 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 Calabretta with the record in hand
Ezel grounds your drafting and research in this profile: what has persuaded Judge Calabretta, and what has not, cited to the signed orders.
Opens in Ezel Pro.
- Grounded in Judge Calabretta's own signed orders
- Cites every source it relies on, so you can verify it
- Chat, drafting and research in one workspace