Detra Shaw-Wilder
How Judge Shaw-Wilder rules, drawn from 14 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Shaw-Wilder
Detra Shaw-Wilder serves as a U.S. magistrate judge for the Southern District of Florida in Fort Lauderdale. Before joining the bench, she practiced at Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton, where she served as managing partner and general counsel.
Judge Shaw-Wilder's practices and standing orders
The court's website lists no individual practices or standing orders of Judge Shaw-Wilder's own (checked October 8, 2026), so the court's local rules and general orders are the place to look (court page ↗).
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 8, 2026).
How Judge Shaw-Wilder decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
She declines to compel arbitration where a federal statute bars it: she recommended denying a cruise line's motion to compel arbitration of sexual-assault claims, holding the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act (9 U.S.C. 401-02) and 46 U.S.C. 30527 preclude enforcing the ticket-contract clause.
“Royal Caribbean's Omnibus Motion to Stay Litigation and Compel Arbitration, [ECF No. 57], is DENIED.”
Procedural preferences
Shaw-Wilder recommends compelling arbitration and staying the case where a valid arbitration agreement governs, denying a competing motion for a preliminary injunction.
“Defendant's Motion to Compel Arbitration, [ECF No. 6], is GRANTED. ... The case shall be STAYED and CLOSED pending arbitration.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“Plaintiff's Motion for Preliminary Injunction, [ECF No. 1-5], is DENIED.”
“Defendant's Motion to Compel Arbitration, [ECF No. 6], is GRANTED. ... The case shall be STAYED and CLOSED pending arbitration.”
“Royal Caribbean's Omnibus Motion to Stay Litigation and Compel Arbitration, [ECF No. 57], is DENIED.”
“Judge Shaw-Wilder recommends dismissing Plaintiff's Complaint without prejudice for failure to comply with court orders. ... This action is DISMISSED without prejudice.”
“Defendant Miami-Dade County’s Motion to Dismiss Amended Complaint, [ECF No. 36], is GRANTED. ... Plaintiffs’ Amended Class Action Complaint, [ECF No. 10], shall be DISMISSED without prejudice.”
“Defendants BusPatrol America, LLC and the School Board of Miami-Dade County, Florida’s Motion to Dismiss Plaintiffs’ Amended Class Action Complaint, [ECF No. 39], is GRANTED. ... Plaintiffs’ Amended Class Action Complaint, [ECF No. 10], shall be DISMISSED without prejudice.”
Her own signed R&R on a consented Rule 11 change-of-plea hearing for illegal re-entry under 8 U.S.C. 1326. She recommended that the district judge accept the guilty plea and adjudicate the defendant guilty. This plea-colloquy recommendation did not resolve a contested motion and shows her duty coverage for the West Palm Beach division on referral from Judge Damian.
“the undersigned respectfully recommends that Fortun’s Motion to Dismiss Count IV of Plaintiff’s Second Amended Complaint be DENIED.”
“The undersigned hereby RECOMMENDS Defendant’s Motion for Partial Judgment on the Pleadings be GRANTED IN PART, DENIED IN PART.”
“The undersigned hereby RECOMMENDS Lamkin’s Motion for Summary Judgment be GRANTED, and Plaintiffs’ Motion for Summary Adjudication of Defamation and No Abuse of Process be GRANTED IN PART AND DENIED IN PART.”
The court recommended dismissal without prejudice after the petitioner failed to comply with orders to amend and renew a fee application; no contested motion was decided.
The court recommended dismissal without prejudice after the plaintiff failed to comply with an order to correct his fee application; no contested motion was decided.
“the undersigned respectfully RECOMMENDS that Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment [ECF No. 35] be GRANTED as to Counts I-V.”
“The undersigned hereby RECOMMENDS that [ECF No. 31], [ECF No. 32], [ECF No. 33], [ECF No. 43], [ECF No. 49], [ECF No, 51], [ECF No. 56], and [ECF No. 58] be GRANTED and that Plaintiff be granted leave to amend her Complaint.”
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 | 0 |
| Bench trials submitted more than six months | 0 |
| Bankruptcy appeals pending more than six months | 0 |
| Social Security appeals pending more than six months | 0 |
| Civil cases pending more than three years | 0 |
| Report | Motions over six months | Cases over three years |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2025 | 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 Southern District of Florida, not for Judge Shaw-Wilder: 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 | 8,196 | 3.4 months |
| Closed with no court action | 848 | 3 months |
| Closed before pretrial | 7,287 | 3.5 months |
| Closed during or after pretrial | 16 | 10.1 months |
| Closed during trial | 45 | 17.1 months |
| 12 months ending | Cases closed | Median time |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 8,196 | 3.4 months |
| Sep 2024 | 7,755 | 3.6 months |
| Sep 2023 | 20,408 | 0 months |
| Sep 2022 | 8,287 | 3.7 months |
| Sep 2021 | 8,536 | 3.2 months |
| Sep 2020 | 8,657 | 3.4 months |
| Sep 2019 | 9,471 | 3.7 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).
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