David R. Grand

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan Appointed by U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (merit-selected U.S. Magistrate Judge; magistrates are appointed by the district's Article III judges under 28 U.S.C. 631, not the President) 11 signed orders read

How Judge Grand decides

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

What persuades

In Social Security appeals, recommends reversal and remand where the ALJ's decision lacks substantial-evidence support, granting the claimant's summary-judgment motion.

“Magistrate Judge Grand recommends that Marshall's motion be granted; that the Commissioner's motion be denied; and that, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 405(g), the Commissioner's decision be reversed and this case remanded ... Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment (Dkt. 8) is GRANTED”

Cautions

Treats failure to exhaust prison grievances through the proper multi-step process as fatal to a Section 1983 claim; a PREA grievance does not exhaust a failure-to-protect claim.

“Judge Grand's R&R will be adopted, Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment will be granted, and Plaintiff's Complaint will be dismissed for lack of administrative exhaustion.”

In prisoner First Amendment retaliation cases, recommends dismissal with prejudice where the alleged adverse action, such as harassing language, is not sufficiently adverse to deter protected conduct.

“Magistrate Judge Grand's Report and Recommendation of August 31, 2023, ECF No. 23, is ACCEPTED and ADOPTED; the Motion to Dismiss of Defendant Norbert Fronczak, ECF No. 15, is GRANTED; and the Complaint is DISMISSED with prejudice.”

Signed rulings

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

Vartinelli v. Fronczak
2:22-cv-12498-TGB-DRG · 2024-01-30
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Granted

“Magistrate Judge Grand's Report and Recommendation of August 31, 2023, ECF No. 23, is ACCEPTED and ADOPTED; the Motion to Dismiss of Defendant Norbert Fronczak, ECF No. 15, is GRANTED; and the Complaint is DISMISSED with prejudice.”

Marshall v. Colvin (Commissioner of Social Security)
5:13-cv-11860-JEL-DRG · 2014-12-03
Summary judgment (plaintiff) Granted

“Magistrate Judge Grand recommends that Marshall's motion be granted; that the Commissioner's motion be denied; and that, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 405(g), the Commissioner's decision be reversed and this case remanded ... Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment (Dkt. 8) is GRANTED”

Summary judgment (defendant) Denied

“Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment (Dkt. 13) is DENIED; The Commissioner's decision is REVERSED; and This case is REMANDED to the ALJ”

Kuchna v. Social Security Commissioner
2:16-cv-12182-LJM-DRG · 2017-08-21
Summary judgment (plaintiff) Denied

“this Court DENIES Plaintiff's motion for summary judgment (R. 14) and GRANTS Defendant's motion for summary judgment (R. 16)”

Summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“the parties have waived further review of the Magistrate Judge's Report and accepts his recommended disposition. It follows that this Court DENIES Plaintiff's motion ... and GRANTS Defendant's motion for summary judgment (R. 16)”

Tina R. v. Commissioner of Social Security
2:24-cv-10365-DPH-DRG · 2024-11-12
Summary judgment (plaintiff) Denied

“the Court RECOMMENDS that the Commissioner's Motion for Summary Judgment (ECF No. 10) be GRANTED, Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment (ECF No. 8) be DENIED, and the ALJ's decision be AFFIRMED.”

Summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“the Court finds that the Administrative Law Judge's ('ALJ') conclusion that Plaintiff is not disabled under the Act is supported by substantial evidence. Accordingly, the Court recommends that the Commissioner's Motion for Summary Judgment (ECF No. 10) be GRANTED”

Perkins v. Johnson
1:23-cv-11530-TLL-DRG · 2024-09-04
Summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“Judge Grand's R&R will be adopted, Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment will be granted, and Plaintiff's Complaint will be dismissed for lack of administrative exhaustion.”

Thomas Warren Howe v. First American Title Insurance Company
· 2025-06-06
Default judgment (plaintiff) Denied

“For the foregoing reasons, the Court RECOMMENDS that Howe’s Motion for Default Judgment or, in the Alternative, for Judgment on the Pleadings (ECF No. 16) be DENIED.”

Jaylin Harris v. Eagle Security Services, LLC
· 2025-07-21
Default judgment (plaintiff) Denied

“For the foregoing reasons, the Court RECOMMENDS that Harris’ Motions for Default Judgment (ECF Nos. 18, 19) be DENIED.”

Justin Allen v. Kelly Holden, et al.
· 2025-04-21
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Granted

“the Court RECOMMENDS that Defendants’ motion to dismiss pursuant to Rule 41(b) (ECF No. 42) be GRANTED, and that Allen’s amended complaint (ECF No. 21) be DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE.”

Kraig Sippell ex rel. Estate of Dawn Palmer v. Allstate Insurance Company, et al.
· 2025-10-31
Summary judgment (defendant) Granted in part

“IT IS ORDERED that Charter’s motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 41) is DENIED WITHOUT PREJUDICE except that the motion is GRANTED as to Palmer’s request for an injunction against any eviction proceedings because that issue is now moot.”

Summary judgment (defendant) Granted in part

“IT IS ORDERED that Allstate’s motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 53) is GRANTED to the extent it seeks a declaration that Allstate does not have a statutory obligation under the No-Fault Act to tender payment for medical treatment and care related directly to Dawn Palmer’s July 29, 2024 fall.”

Bethany L. v. Commissioner of Social Security
· 2025-01-10
Social security appeal (plaintiff) Granted

“the Court RECOMMENDS that the Commissioner’s Motion for Summary Judgment (ECF No. 14) be DENIED, Plaintiff’s Motion for Summary Judgment (ECF No. 11) be GRANTED to the extent it seeks remand, and that pursuant to sentence four of 42 U.S.C. § 405(g), this case be REMANDED for further proceedings consistent with this Report and Recommendation.”

Ali Musaid Muthana v. Paul Schreiber, et al.
· 2025-05-13
Summary judgment (defendant) Granted in part

“IT IS RECOMMENDED that Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment on the Basis of Exhaustion (ECF No. 19) be GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART.”

Put Judge Grand's record to work

Ezel drafts and answers grounded in this exact profile: how Judge Grand actually rules, not a generic AI guess.

Opens in Ezel Pro. Every answer is grounded in Judge Grand's own signed orders and cites them.