Andrew L. Teel
How Judge Teel rules, drawn from 15 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Teel
Andrew L. Teel became a United States Magistrate Judge in the Northern District of Indiana’s Fort Wayne Division in July 2025. He previously served as a career law clerk to Chief Judge Holly A. Brady and practiced law in Fort Wayne.
Judge Teel's practices and standing orders
The court's website lists no individual practices or standing orders of Judge Teel's own (checked October 9, 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 9, 2026).
How Judge Teel decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In Wilson's Social Security appeal, Teel remanded after finding that the ALJ had not reconciled the rejection of Sands' report with the omission of its suggested postural limitations from the residual functional capacity finding.
“It is difficult to understand how Sands’ report could be rejected for containing not enough limitations and yet the ALJ failed to include any for the suggested postural limitations in the RFC.”
In Moore v. Commissioner of Social Security, Teel affirmed the denial of benefits because the pro se claimant's briefs identified no ALJ error or developed legal argument, even when read liberally.
“In this case, Plaintiff advances no legal arguments.”
Procedural preferences
In this case, Teel allowed amendment and left the defendants' remaining futility arguments for full briefing on a motion to dismiss.
“even if merited, remain better left for full briefing on a motion to dismiss.”
In Mayberry, he declined to replace responsive meal-cost documents with summaries where the confidentiality objection was raised late; he allowed protected production instead.
“The Court declines to limit production to cost summaries as proposed by the Aramark defendants. Their objection on the basis of confidentiality is both untimely and premature:”
Cautions
In a referred civil case, he recommended dismissal with prejudice after the plaintiff missed three proceedings and was warned at a show cause hearing. The district judge later adopted the recommendation.
“Martratt has been adequately warned of the possibility of dismissal of this case.”
In Wilson v. Hutter, Teel denied the defendants' second summary judgment motion on the individual-capacity due process claims against Hutter and Brelje because disputed evidence could show each defendant personally acted in revoking Wilson's license. He granted judgment on the separate failure-to-intervene count after Wilson failed to respond to that argument.
“Given this unclear factual record, Defendants’ request for summary judgment in their favor on Wilson’s § 1983 claims against Hutter and Brelje in their individual capacity will be denied.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“For the foregoing reasons, the Commissioner’s decision is REVERSED and the case REMANDED for further proceedings. The Clerk is DIRECTED to enter a judgment in favor of Wilson and against the Commissioner.”
“OPINION AND ORDER: The Commissioner's decision is REVERSED and the case REMANDED for further proceedings. The Clerk is DIRECTED to enter a judgment in favor of Carper and against the Commissioner.”
“OPINION AND ORDER GRANTING 19 Consent Motion for Attorney Fees Pursuant to EAJA. Pla is awarded $8,000 for attorney fees and expenses and $405 in costs in full satisfaction of any and all claims that may be payable to Plaintiff in this matter under the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA), 28 U.S.C. Section 2412.”
“OPINION AND ORDER: The Commissioner's decision is AFFIRMED. The Clerk is DIRECTED to enter a judgment in favor of the Commissioner and against Black.”
“OPINION AND ORDER: The Commissioner's decision is AFFIRMED. The Clerk is DIRECTED to enter a judgment in favor of the Commissioner and against Costin.”
“OPINION AND ORDER: The Commissioner's decision is AFFIRMED. The Clerk is DIRECTED to enter a judgment in favor of the Commissioner and against Moore.”
“OPINION AND ORDER Counsel's motion for authorization of attorney fees pursuant to Section 406(b) 26 is GRANTED.”
“OPINION AND ORDER GRANTING 28 Motion for Authorization of Attorney Fees Pursuant to 42 U.S.C. Section 406(b) filed by Pla Jerjuana S Chambers in the amount of $16,600. Counsel is reminded of her duty to refund to Pla the $7,900 in EAJA fees previously awarded to Counsel.”
“Defendants’ motion to dismiss (ECF 7) is DENIED as moot.”
“Plaintiffs’ motion to amend (ECF 11) is GRANTED.”
“RECOMMENDS that Plaintiff Isaiah Malik Benjamin Martratt’s claims be DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE”
“REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS: I RECOMMEND that Plaintiff Izet Tursunovic's claims be DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 16(f)(1) and 41(b) and the Court's inherent power to manage its own affairs as a result of Plaintiff's failure to attend two hearings and the PPTC and respond to the Court's December 3, 2025, show-cause Order, or to otherwise prosecute his case.”
“REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION: The undersigned Magistrate Judge sua sponte RECOMMENDS that Plaintiff Diana Tran's claims be DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 16(f)(1) and the Court's inherent power to manage its own affairs as a result of Plaintiff's failure to cure the deficiencies in her complaint or to otherwise prosecute her case.”
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 | 1 |
| Report | Motions over six months | Cases over three years |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 2026 | 0 | 1 |
| Sep 2025 | 0 | 2 |
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 U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, not for Judge Teel: 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 | 1,338 | 8.5 months |
| Closed with no court action | 68 | 2.6 months |
| Closed before pretrial | 958 | 7.6 months |
| Closed during or after pretrial | 302 | 14.5 months |
| Closed during trial | 10 | 43.6 months |
| 12 months ending | Cases closed | Median time |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 1,338 | 8.5 months |
| Sep 2024 | 1,336 | 8.5 months |
| Sep 2023 | 1,248 | 9.4 months |
| Sep 2022 | 1,434 | 12.5 months |
| Sep 2021 | 1,258 | 12.7 months |
| Sep 2020 | 1,408 | 11.8 months |
| Sep 2019 | 1,576 | 13.8 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).
Draft for Judge Teel with the record in hand
Ezel grounds your drafting and research in this profile: what has persuaded Judge Teel, and what has not, cited to the signed orders.
Opens in Ezel Pro.
- Grounded in Judge Teel's own signed orders
- Cites every source it relies on, so you can verify it
- Chat, drafting and research in one workspace