Matthew P. Brookman

How Judge Brookman rules, drawn from 11 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.

Court
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
Appointed by
Joseph R. Biden (Democratic)
Commissioned
2023-03-31
Education
Washington University School of Law (J.D.)
Signed orders read
11

How Judge Brookman decides

Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.

What persuades

Will deny a defense exhaustion motion where the movant litigated the wrong grievance policy, and may give Rule 56(f) notice of intent to grant summary judgment for the plaintiff.

“Warden Brown's motion for summary judgment, dkt. [19], is denied.”

In a First Amendment preliminary-injunction challenge, treated a disclosure law as likely viewpoint discriminatory where burdens attached only to recommendations opposing company management, and found the law failed even intermediate scrutiny.

“At bottom, H.B. 1273 cannot withstand intermediate scrutiny because the statute does not ‘directly advance[] the governmental interest asserted.’”

Procedural preferences

Grants a foreign manufacturer's Rule 12(b)(2) motion where the specific product the plaintiff received did not arise from the defendant's contacts with the forum, defeating the relatedness specific jurisdiction requires.

“The company moved to dismiss B.D.'s complaint for lack of personal jurisdiction under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(2), which the district court granted. ... We therefore affirm the district court's decision granting Samsung SDI's motion to dismiss.”

Cautions

Holds litigants to developing their arguments, treating perfunctory and underdeveloped points as waived, and applies the summary-judgment framework strictly.

“FedEx's Motion for Summary Judgment (Docket No. 71) is GRANTED on all counts. Final judgment shall issue by separate order.”

Signed rulings

A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.

Ames v. Federal Express Corporation
1:21-cv-02652-MPB-KMB · 2024-04-24
Summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“FedEx's Motion for Summary Judgment (Docket No. 71) is GRANTED on all counts. Final judgment shall issue by separate order.”

United States v. Christopher Shane Utley
3:21-cr-00031-MPB-CSW · 2024-04-17
Sentence reduction 3582 (defendant) Granted

“IT IS ORDERED that the motion is: ... GRANTED and the defendant's previously imposed sentence of imprisonment (as reflected in the last judgment issued) of 60 months months is reduced to 54 months.”

Coates v. Warden, Indiana Women's Prison
1:24-cv-01869-MPB-MG · 2026-01-14
Summary judgment (defendant) Denied

“Warden Brown's motion for summary judgment, dkt. [19], is denied.”

B.D. v. Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
2:22-cv-00107-MPB-MKK · 2025-07-09
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Granted

“The company moved to dismiss B.D.'s complaint for lack of personal jurisdiction under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(2), which the district court granted. ... We therefore affirm the district court's decision granting Samsung SDI's motion to dismiss.”

Freeling v. Indiana Department of Transportation
1:23-cv-00278-MPB-MJD · 2024-02-02
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Granted in part

“The district court granted the defendants' motion to dismiss the due process and state-law claims, as well as the equal protection claim against INDOT; this left only the Title VII claim against INDOT and the equal protection claim against Leming and Weaver, in their individual and official capacities.”

Summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“The district court later granted the defendants' motion for summary judgment.”

Brighthouse Life Insurance Company v. Jackson
1:25-cv-00830-MPB-CSW · 2025-12-04
Motion for interpleader relief (plaintiff) Granted

“The Court therefore ADOPTS the Magistrate Judge's recommended disposition.”

United States v. Kissel
3:21-cr-00056-MPB-CSW · 2026-04-08
Motion for compassionate release (defendant) Denied

“Ms. Kissel's motion for compassionate release, dkt. [867], is denied.”

United States v. Wilson
3:21-cr-00026-MPB-CSW · 2025-07-28
Motion for compassionate release (defendant) Moot / procedural

“his motions for compassionate release, dkts. [662], [667], and [669], are denied as moot.”

Wira v. Boop
3:23-cv-00096-MPB-CSW · 2025-08-14
Motions to dismiss (plaintiff) Moot / procedural

“The plaintiff's motions to dismiss, dkt. [51], dkt. [52], are GRANTED. This case is dismissed without prejudice.”

Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. v. Rokita
1:26-cv-00717-MPB-MKK · 2026-06-26
Preliminary injunction (plaintiff) Granted

“For the reasons stated herein, Plaintiffs' Motions for Preliminary Injunction, (Docket No. 26; GL Docket No. 23), are GRANTED.”

Glass, Lewis & Co., LLC v. Rokita
1:26-cv-00862-MPB-MKK · 2026-06-26
Preliminary injunction (plaintiff) Granted

“For the reasons stated herein, Plaintiffs' Motions for Preliminary Injunction, (Docket No. 26; GL Docket No. 23), are GRANTED.”

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