Bruce E. Reinhart
How Judge Reinhart decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In Social Security appeals, affirms the agency where the claimant knowingly waived counsel and showed no prejudice, applying the substantial-evidence standard.
“Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment (DE 19) is GRANTED.”
Procedural preferences
On Article III standing, recommends dismissal where the plaintiffs were fully paid before filing (no injury-in-fact), holding the FLSA fee provision cannot manufacture standing.
“The Report recommends that the Court grant Defendants' Motion to Dismiss the Complaint ... This action is DISMISSED without prejudice. The Clerk is instructed to CLOSE this case.”
On failure to prosecute, recommends dismissal without prejudice under Rule 41(b), expressly choosing the less-extreme sanction over dismissal with prejudice.
“Defendants' motions for summary judgment [ECF Nos. 107-108] be DENIED AS MOOT”
Where a litigant repeatedly ignores appearance, filing, and address-update orders after explicit warnings, Reinhart will recommend the last-resort sanction of dismissal with prejudice when the record shows willful delay and lesser sanctions would not suffice.
“This case is DISMISSED with prejudice because of Doherty’s willful, flagrant, and repeated failure to comply with court orders.”
On taxable costs, he requires the prevailing party to show that each charge was necessary rather than convenient, even when the motion is unopposed; expedited and ancillary transcript charges need specific support.
“Even if the costs motion is unopposed, the Court has an independent obligation to ensure the costs awarded are proper.”
Cautions
In setting attorney-fee awards, cuts aggressively for excessive redaction of invoices, duplicative billing, over-staffing, and billing of administrative work.
“I recommend that Defendants' Motion for Attorneys' Fees and Costs (ECF No. 34) be GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART ... Attorneys' Fees: $48,750.50 Costs: $400 TOTAL: $49,150.50”
For a large fee application with recurring block billing, vague entries, excessive staffing, and work attributable only to state-law claims, Reinhart used a 20 percent across-the-board reduction after making targeted rate and paralegal-hour cuts.
“considering the instances of block billing, excessive time spent on certain tasks, vague time entries, and some time spent solely on state law claims, I conclude that a 20 percent across-the-board reduction is appropriate.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“The Report recommends that the Court grant Defendants' Motion to Dismiss the Complaint ... This action is DISMISSED without prejudice. The Clerk is instructed to CLOSE this case.”
“Defendants' motions for summary judgment [ECF Nos. 107-108] be DENIED AS MOOT”
“Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment [ECF No. 100] is GRANTED. ... The Court awards Plaintiff $2,088,213.00 on Count I of the Complaint.”
“Defendant's Motion for Final Summary Judgment [ECF No. 102] is DENIED.”
“Defendant's Motion to Strike the Declaration of Robert Przespolewski [ECF No. 119] is DENIED as moot.”
“Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment (DE 17) is DENIED.”
“Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment (DE 19) is GRANTED.”
“Judge Reinhart issued a Report and Recommendation recommending that the Motion be denied and the matter set for trial. ... Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment [DE 461] is DENIED.”
“I recommend that Defendants' Motion for Attorneys' Fees and Costs (ECF No. 34) be GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART ... Attorneys' Fees: $48,750.50 Costs: $400 TOTAL: $49,150.50”
“Defendants’ Motion for Award of Attorneys’ Fees and Costs be GRANTED IN PART AND DENIED IN PART in that (1) Defendants be awarded $570,826.80 in attorneys’ fees, and (2) Defendants do not recover costs.”
Reinhart recommended sua sponte dismissal with prejudice under Rule 41(b) after the pro se plaintiff repeatedly failed to appear, disregarded orders to explain his absence, communicated with chambers ex parte despite warnings, and failed to keep his address current. The district judge adopted the recommendation, finding a clear record of willful delay and that lesser sanctions would not suffice. This non-motion dismissal is excluded from motion statistics.
“this Court RECOMMENDS that the District Court GRANT in part and DENY in part the Motion.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
The sampled civil dockets include both consent cases he resolved as judge of record and referred cases he handled by recommendation. His broader workload also includes a heavy criminal-duty and search-warrant docket that does not generate civil motion outcomes.
Put Judge Reinhart's record to work
Ezel drafts and answers grounded in this exact profile: how Judge Reinhart actually rules, not a generic AI guess.
Opens in Ezel Pro. Every answer is grounded in Judge Reinhart's own signed orders and cites them.