Susan G. van Keulen
How Judge Keulen decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Procedural preferences
As a San Jose screening/IFP magistrate she gives pro se plaintiffs repeated chances to cure pleading defects (here three screening orders and four leave-to-amend opportunities) before recommending dismissal.
“Since February 6, 2020, United States Magistrate Judge Susan van Keulen has issued three screening orders and granted Plaintiff four opportunities to amend his complaint.”
Cautions
Her dismissal recommendations are sometimes softened by the reviewing district judge for pro se litigants -- 'with prejudice' became 'without prejudice' where no prior order warned of the harsher outcome. Treat R&R recommendations as recommendations, not final rulings.
“the Court dismisses the case without prejudice because Judge van Keulen's Third Screening Order did not specify that she would recommend that the case would be dismissed with prejudice and because Plaintiff is pro se.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“the Court ADOPTS Magistrate Judge Susan van Keulen's Report and Recommendation that Plaintiff's application to proceed in forma pauperis be denied and DENIES the application, and DISMISSES the action due to Plaintiff's failure to keep the Court informed as to his current address.”
“Judge van Keulen's recommendation will be adopted in part; the Complaint will be dismissed without prejudice for lack of subject matter jurisdiction and without leave to amend.”
“the Court hereby adopts Judge van Keulen's Report & Recommendation except that the Court dismisses the case without prejudice ... Thus, the Court ADOPTS IN PART the Report & Recommendation and DISMISSES the case without prejudice.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
The sample covers cases filed in 2022. As an initially assigned San Jose magistrate judge, van Keulen handles product liability, personal injury, construction, trademark, prisoner civil-rights, Social Security, federal tort and medical-malpractice, immigration, employee-benefit collection, habeas, and copyright matters. The durations measure filing to termination, not motion-to-ruling time.
Put Judge Keulen's record to work
Ezel drafts and answers grounded in this exact profile: how Judge Keulen actually rules, not a generic AI guess.
Opens in Ezel Pro. Every answer is grounded in Judge Keulen's own signed orders and cites them.