Sean C. Riordan
How Judge Riordan decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In immigration-detention habeas (28 U.S.C. 2241), he applies the Mathews v. Eldridge due-process framework and the Zadvydas limits on prolonged detention, and recommends relief where the government files no substantive answer and detention has run past a reasonable period. He calibrates the remedy to the petitioner's posture -- immediate release in some cases, an individualized bond hearing (government to justify continued detention by clear and convincing evidence) in others.
“Respondent be ordered to provide petitioner with a bond hearing before an IJ within fourteen days”
Procedural preferences
Tests subject-matter jurisdiction at the threshold and recommends dismissal before reaching the merits where a preemptive statutory scheme (e.g. the Civil Service Reform Act), a failure to exhaust administrative remedies, or a wholly insubstantial federal question deprives the court of jurisdiction.
“IT IS HEREBY RECOMMENDED that Defendants' Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 16) be GRANTED and this action be dismissed for lack of subject matter jurisdiction and that this case be closed.”
Cautions
Scrutinizes in forma pauperis affidavits and will recommend dismissal with prejudice -- rejecting the lesser sanction of dismissal without prejudice -- where the application is demonstrably false or submitted in bad faith.
“Plaintiff's complaint be dismissed with prejudice pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 1915(e)(2)(A).”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“IT IS HEREBY RECOMMENDED that Defendants' Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 16) be GRANTED and this action be dismissed for lack of subject matter jurisdiction and that this case be closed.”
“Defendants' motion to dismiss, or, in the alternative, revoke plaintiff's in forma pauperis status (ECF No. 22) be granted. ... Plaintiff's complaint be dismissed with prejudice pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 1915(e)(2)(A).”
“Defendant's Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 7) be GRANTED; ... Plaintiff's Complaint (ECF No. 1) be DISMISSED with prejudice, given the futility of amendment.”
“Plaintiffs' Motion for Default Judgment and Permanent Injunction (ECF No. 13) be GRANTED. ... the undersigned also recommends that the injunction here exclude the following language proposed by Plaintiffs: 'otherwise competing unfairly with Nutramax in any manner' and 'those with actual notice of this Order...'”
“Plaintiff's motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 16) is DENIED ... The Commissioner's cross-motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 18) is GRANTED; ... This Commissioner's final decision in this matter is AFFIRMED”
“IT IS HEREBY RECOMMENDED that defendant Crivello's motion to dismiss plaintiff's official capacity retaliation claim (ECF No. 22) be GRANTED.”
“Petitioner's application for a writ of habeas corpus (ECF No. 1) be granted. ... Petitioner be ordered to be released immediately from the respondent's custody with the same conditions that he was subject to prior to his re-detention on July 20, 2025.”
“Petitioner's application for a writ of habeas corpus (ECF No. 1) be granted based on the lack of any substantive answer filed by respondent and the weight of relevant authority; [and] Respondent be ordered to provide petitioner with an individualized bond hearing before a neutral decision-maker, at which the government bears the burden of justifying continued detention by clear and convincing evidence”
“Petitioner's application for a writ of habeas corpus (ECF No. 1) be granted. ... Respondent be ordered to provide petitioner with a bond hearing before an IJ within fourteen days ... where the IJ must order petitioner released unless the IJ finds that he is a risk of flight or danger to the community by clear and convincing evidence.”
“Petitioner Lovepreet Singh's (A# 208-203-248) application for a writ of habeas corpus be GRANTED on Count Two (procedural due process). ... Petitioner be released immediately from custody”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Riordan presides over a large Sacramento consent Social Security docket reassigned from his retiring predecessor, in which the parties proceed under 28 U.S.C. 636(c) and he enters the final merits judgment himself. His broader referral docket carries prisoner and pro se civil-rights matters and a notable volume of immigration habeas petitions.
Put Judge Riordan's record to work
Ezel drafts and answers grounded in this exact profile: how Judge Riordan actually rules, not a generic AI guess.
Opens in Ezel Pro. Every answer is grounded in Judge Riordan's own signed orders and cites them.