William P. Kelly
How Judge Kelly decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Procedural preferences
Kelly holds pro se litigants (including incarcerated plaintiffs) to the Federal and Local Rules. When the prisoner plaintiff filed discovery requests directly on the docket, Kelly issued a text order reminding all parties -- 'including pro se parties' -- that discovery is not filed with the court and that everyone must know and follow the rules.
“Pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 26, 33, and 34, and Local Rule 26(f), discovery requests and discovery are not be to be filed with the Court or on the case docket. All parties, including pro se parties, are required to know and follow all Federal and Local Rules.”
He actively manages a pro se prisoner's access to the process: he reassessed and ultimately GRANTED appointment of counsel once the case survived screening and the defendants answered, and granted the plaintiff's discovery request 'as modified.' Practical read: he will give a pro se party a fair procedural footing while keeping the schedule under his own control.
“ORDER granting 19 Motion to Appoint Counsel. See Order for particulars. The Clerk's Office is directed to attempt to find counsel.”
Motion outcomes
Counted from classified signed orders only. Percentages are shown only where the sample is large enough to be meaningful; smaller samples are reported as raw counts.
| Summary judgment N = 1 |
Granted: 1 | counts only |
| Motion to intervene N = 1 |
Granted: 1 | counts only |
| Motions to stay N = 1 |
Denied: 1 | counts only |
| Motion to appoint counsel N = 1 |
Granted: 1 | counts only |
| Motion for discovery N = 1 |
Granted in part: 1 | counts only |
| Motions to compel N = 1 |
Denied: 1 | counts only |
| Motion for sanctions N = 1 |
Denied: 1 | counts only |
A "1 of 1" is one ruling, not a tendency. Treat small samples as illustrative, not predictive.
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“ORDER granting 34 Motion for Summary Judgment. See Order for particulars. Signed by Magistrate Judge William P. Kelly on 1/15/2026.”
“ORDER granting 19 Motion to Appoint Counsel. See Order for particulars. The Clerk's Office is directed to attempt to find counsel. Signed by Magistrate Judge William P. Kelly on 6/3/2025.”
“ORDER granting as modified 27 Plaintiff's Request for Discovery. See Order for specific direction and deadlines. Signed by Magistrate Judge William P. Kelly on 7/3/2025.”
“ORDER denying 37 Plaintiff's Motion to Compel. See Order for Particulars. Signed by Magistrate Judge William P. Kelly on 9/16/2025.”
“ORDER denying 43 Plaintiff's Motion for Sanctions filed as Request for Default Judgment. See Order for particulars. Signed by Magistrate Judge William P. Kelly on 11/10/2025.”
“TEXT ORDER granting 20 Motion for Intervention. The Movants having now complied with Text Order 24 and Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 24(c) in 25, and Plaintiff filing no additional response, the Court grants the Motion for Intervention. Signed by Magistrate Judge William P. Kelly on 5/14/2024.”
“ORDER denying 27 Intervenors' Motion to Stay. See Order for particulars. Signed by Magistrate Judge William P. Kelly on 8/9/2024.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Median case duration in the sampled dockets: 288 days (N = 3).
Median motion-to-ruling time: 22 days (N = 6).
Sample of dockets docket lists with William P. Kelly as assigned/referral judge (filed 2024-2026). His docket is dominated by criminal-DUTY work -- magistrate-judge initial-appearance matters (4:25-mj-00362 Wade, 4:25-mj-00603 Waters, 4:26-mj-00047 Stackhouse, etc.) and miscellaneous criminal matters (4:24-mc-00054 Cripps, 4:24-mc-00058 Seals, same-day terminations) -- alongside civil referral/consent cases (prisoner civil rights, motor vehicle, personal property, healthcare contract). Nature-of-suit mix below counts only the non-duty civil matters in the sample.