Danny C. Reeves
How Judge Reeves decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
After Bruen, will sustain 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(1) (felon-in-possession) as applied to defendants with serious, recent drug-trafficking felonies -- the historical tradition of disarming dangerous persons supplies a 'relevantly similar' analogue; no historical twin required.
“the government has met its burden by showing, through identification of historical laws, that disarming Atkins under the circumstances alleged is consistent with the Nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation.”
On major administrative-law challenges, applies a textualist reading (Title IX 'sex' = biological male/female), scrutinizes agency rulemaking hard under the APA (reasoned-explanation / response-to-comments), and treats compelled-pronoun mandates as serious 1st-Amendment compelled-speech/viewpoint-discrimination problems -- a combination that favors States seeking to enjoin federal rules.
“the Department's actions with respect to this rulemaking are arbitrary and capricious. The Department fails to provide a reasoned explanation for departing from its longstanding interpretations regarding the meaning of sex ... A rule that compels speech and engages in such viewpoint discrimination is impermissible.”
Cautions
Skeletal, undeveloped, or unsupported arguments are treated as waived; Reeves will not research and construct a party's argument for them. Brief each point with authority and record support.
“skeletal and unsupported arguments are subject to waiver. ... it is not a judge's responsibility to research and construct the parties' arguments, and putting this onus on the court is a risky business.”
A pro se party's failure to respond to a dispositive motion does NOT auto-grant it -- Reeves still tests the movant's Rule 56(a)/12 burden on the merits, and will deny as to claims that survive.
“Williams, proceeding pro se, did not respond to the present motion ... Notwithstanding that failure, the undersigned has examined the motion and concludes that the defendant has met its burden ... The defendant, however, has failed to meet it[s burden as to wrongful termination]”
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.
| Motions to dismiss N = 4 |
Granted: 2Denied: 2 | counts only |
| Summary judgment N = 4 |
Granted: 2Granted in part: 2 | counts only |
| Motion to amend N = 1 |
Denied: 1 | counts only |
| Preliminary injunction N = 1 |
Granted: 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.
“ORDERED that Defendant Eastern Kentucky University's partial motion to dismiss [Record No. 9] is GRANTED.”
“ORDERED that the defendants' motion for summary judgment [Record No. 48] is GRANTED. All remaining claims against Defendants Deanna Anglin, Austin Pingleton, and Michael Pingleton are DISMISSED, with prejudice.”
“ORDERED that the defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment [Record No. 46] is GRANTED, in part, and DENIED, in part, consistent with this Memorandum Opinion and Order. Plaintiff Tonya Jones' 'Failure to Train or Supervise' Deliberate Indifference Monell Claim against Kenton County in Count III will survive summary judgment. Jones' claims in Counts I, II, IV, V, and VI are dismissed.”
“Defendants National Board of Medical Examiners, Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates, and the Federation of State Medical Boards' motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim [Records No. 16, 21, and 28] is GRANTED.”
“The plaintiff's motion for leave to file an Amended Complaint [Record No. 35] is DENIED.”
“Defendant Eastern Kentucky University's Motion for Summary Judgment [Record No. 43] is DENIED with respect to Plaintiff Williams' claim of wrongful termination. The motion [Record No. 43] is GRANTED with respect to Plaintiff Williams claims of failure to hire, failure to promote, unequal term of employment, retaliation, and hostile work environment.”
“The defendant's motion for summary judgment [Record No. 138] is GRANTED and this action is DISMISSED and STRICKEN from the docket.”
“ORDERED that the defendant's motion to dismiss Count 1 of the indictment [Record No. 20] is DENIED.”
“ORDERED that Defendant McDaniels' Motion to Dismiss Count 3 of the Indictment [Record No. 29] is DENIED.”
“The motions for a preliminary injunction/stay filed by Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Virginia, and West Virginia [Record No. 19] and Christian Educators Association International and A.C. [Record No. 63] are GRANTED.”