Damon R. Leichty
How Judge Leichty rules, drawn from 19 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Leichty
Damon Ray Leichty is a judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana. Appointed by President Donald J. Trump, Judge Leichty received a commission on July 26, 2019.
Judge Leichty's practices and standing orders
Rules for cases before Judge Leichty, as published on the court's website (checked October 9, 2026). Judges revise these often, so confirm the current version on the court's site before you file.
Key rules
Motions
Direct non-dispositive criminal motions and related orders to the assigned magistrate judge.
“Non-dispositive motions and related forms of order should be directed to the magistrate judge assigned to the case.”
Conferences
Attend the Rule 16(b) conference unless the magistrate judge excuses counsel.
“Counsel are required to attend the Rule 16(b) conference unless excused by the magistrate judge.”
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 Leichty decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Procedural preferences
On a 28 U.S.C. 2255 motion to vacate sentence he denies the petition and declines to issue a certificate of appealability.
“The court DENIES Mr. Bolden's petition to vacate his sentence under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 and DENIES a certificate of appealability.”
Leichty applies the Prison Litigation Reform Act's exhaustion requirement strictly: filing before the grievance-response period expires, and before using the process for a missing response, does not exhaust available remedies.
“the undisputed facts nevertheless show he had available administrative remedies he hadn’t exhausted when he filed this lawsuit on January 10, 2024.”
In warranty litigation, he enforces Rule 16 issue-narrowing and the buyer's duty to give the warrantor notice and a reasonable opportunity to cure. New theories raised after discovery do not excuse failure to exhaust the agreed repair remedy before suit.
“It is precisely what the [Salonens] contracted to receive; they just never exercised their right to it.”
In two September 2026 immigration detention petitions, the court dismissed without prejudice after finding the petitioners had not requested available custody redeterminations from immigration judges.
“the court DISMISSES the petition [1] WITHOUT PREJUDICE”
In one copyright case, the court struck a party’s summary-judgment motion for failing to comply with Local Rule 56-1.
“Mr. Bartel’s motion for summary judgment [227] is stricken for failure to comply with Local Rule 56-1.”
Cautions
On a False Claims Act qui tam retaliation claim Leichty applies the Iqbal/Twombly plausibility framework and grants a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss with prejudice where the single retaliation count is not plausibly pleaded.
“AbbVie filed a motion to dismiss his claim under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). The court grants the motion.”
At the screening stage, Leichty allows a due-process claim to proceed when the pleaded facts plausibly allege that prison restitution was imposed without evidentiary support, while recognizing that a developed record may later refute the allegation.
“Therefore, while later development of the record may show otherwise, Mr. Potter has stated a plausible due process claim at this stage.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“AbbVie filed a motion to dismiss his claim under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). The court grants the motion.”
Pro se prisoner's 42 U.S.C. 1983 complaint dismissed during 28 U.S.C. 1915A screening. 'This case is DISMISSED under 28 U.S.C. 1915A.' This was a sua sponte screening disposition rather than a ruling on a party motion.
“The court DENIES Mr. Bolden's petition to vacate his sentence under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 and DENIES a certificate of appealability.”
During screening under 28 U.S.C. § 1915A, the court allowed Fourteenth Amendment damages and injunctive-relief claims to proceed where the prisoner plausibly alleged that a restitution sanction lacked any evidentiary support, and dismissed all other claims.
During screening under 28 U.S.C. § 1915A, the court allowed an official-capacity Eighth Amendment claim for permanent injunctive relief to proceed against the warden, dismissed the remaining claims, and explained why the state corrections department and prison were not proper section 1983 defendants.
“For these reasons, the court: (1) DENIES Warden Smiley’s motion to strike Mr. Wright’s sur-reply (ECF 43);”
“GRANTS Warden Smiley’s motion for summary judgment (ECF 13);”
“For these reasons, the court GRANTS Forest River’s summary judgment motion [38] and DIRECTS entry of judgment for Forest River. This opinion terminates the case.”
“For these reasons, the court DENIES the motion for a preliminary injunction (ECF 12).”
“GRANTS the petition for writ of habeas corpus [1] and ORDERS the respondent to release Son Ho on the same conditions of supervised release that existed before his redetention”
“For these reasons, the court DENIES the motion to alter or amend (ECF 17).”
“the court DISMISSES the petition [1] WITHOUT PREJUDICE”
“the court DISMISSES the petition [2] WITHOUT PREJUDICE”
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 | 10 |
| Report | Motions over six months | Cases over three years |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 2026 | 0 | 10 |
| Sep 2025 | 0 | 10 |
| Mar 2025 | 0 | 9 |
| Sep 2024 | 0 | 9 |
| Mar 2024 | 0 | 11 |
| Sep 2023 | 0 | 14 |
| Mar 2023 | 0 | 16 |
| Sep 2022 | 1 | 21 |
| Mar 2022 | 0 | 18 |
| Sep 2021 | 0 | 11 |
| Mar 2021 | 5 | 5 |
| Sep 2020 | 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 U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, not for Judge Leichty: 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).
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