Donald G. Wilkerson
How Judge Wilkerson rules, drawn from 6 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Judge Wilkerson no longer sits on this court. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled here.
About Judge Wilkerson
Donald G. Wilkerson became a United States Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of Illinois in January 2005. He was the first African American judge on that court and fully retired from judicial service in 2020.
How Judge Wilkerson decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In West's exhaustion dispute, he credited testimony that the inmate had mailed a grievance to Menard but it was returned, and recommended denying the defendants' summary judgment motion because the process was unavailable. The district judge later adopted the recommendation.
“This Court finds Plaintiff credible in his statement that he sent a relevant grievance to Menard but that it was returned to him, notwithstanding the lack of documentation that such a grievance was received by Menard.”
In Williams's exhaustion dispute, Wilkerson found the plaintiff's account of an officer refusing to accept his grievances not credible and recommended granting the defendants' exhaustion motions.
“Plaintiff’s claim that an unnamed, seven-foot-tall corrections counselor refused to accept his grievances is not credible.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“For the foregoing reasons, it is RECOMMENDED that the motion for summary judgment be DENIED (Doc. 22) and that the Court adopt the foregoing findings of fact and conclusions of law.”
“Based on the foregoing, it is hereby RECOMMENDED that the Motion for Summary Judgment for Failure to Exhaust filed by Defendants Richard Harrington and Kimberly Butler (Doc. 24) be DENIED”
“For the foregoing reasons, it is RECOMMENDED that the Motion for Summary Judgment field by Wexford Health Sources, Inc. be DENIED”
“this Court RECOMMENDS that the Motion for Summary Judgment on Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies filed by Defendants Kevin Page and Frank Eovaldi on April 11, 2014 (Doc. 47) be GRANTED”
“It is FURTHER RECOMMENDED that the Motion to Dismiss filed by Defendant Fahim (Doc. 30) and the Motion for Summary Judgment filed by Defendant Schicker (Doc. 48) be GRANTED, and the action be DISMISSED.”
“it is FURTHER RECOMMENDED that Defendant Fahim’s Motion to Dismiss on the basis of Qualified Immunity be found MOOT.”
“it is RECOMMENDED that the motion to dismiss be GRANTED, that the petition be DISMISSED as moot”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Median case duration in the sampled dockets: 678 days (N = 15).
Median motion-to-ruling time: 226 days (N = 1).
Counts are illustrative from a capped enumeration, not an authoritative caseload census.
A historical record
Judge Wilkerson no longer sits on this court. This profile stays available as a record of how they ruled here. If you're preparing for a matter, start from the court's current bench.