George Caram Steeh III
How Judge Steeh rules, drawn from 26 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Steeh
George Caram Steeh, III is a judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Appointed by President William J. Clinton, Judge Steeh received a commission on May 22, 1998. Judge Steeh assumed senior status on January 29, 2013.
Judge Steeh's practices and standing orders
Rules for cases before Judge Steeh, as published on the court's website (checked October 8, 2026). Judges revise these often, so confirm the current version on the court's site before you file.
- Practice Guidelines ↗
- Scheduling Order ↗
- ESI Order ↗
- ERISA Scheduling Order ↗
- Patent Scheduling Order ↗
- Preliminary Injunction Hearing Procedures ↗
Key rules
Motions
The Court requires that the moving party submit a proposed order to all motions via Utilities.
“The Court requires that the moving party submit a proposed order to all motions via Utilities.”
Conferences
The parties are required to submit a Rule 26(f) plan no later than one week prior to the initial scheduling conference.
“The parties are required to submit a Rule 26(f) plan no later than one week prior to the initial scheduling conference.”
Trial
All proposed trial exhibits are required to be marked before the final pretrial conference, and listed in the final pretrial order.
“All proposed trial exhibits are required to be marked before the final pretrial conference, and listed in the final pretrial order.”
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 8, 2026).
- Procedures for Access, Service, and Management of Sealed Documents ↗
- Procedures for the Filing, Service and Management of Highly Sensitive Documents ↗
- Standing Order for Discovery and Inspection and Fixing Motion Cut-Off Date in Criminal Cases ↗
- Pro Se Filings (Revised & Amended) ↗
- Filing a New Civil Case or Civil Initiating Papers Under Seal ↗
How Judge Steeh decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Procedural preferences
In an excessive force suit, he treated body camera footage as conclusive about one alleged use of force but allowed a handcuffed plaintiff’s separate wall-impact allegation to proceed because the dark video did not resolve it.
“Here, the video is conclusive with respect to some of the alleged facts and inconclusive as to others.”
In a false arrest suit arising from a student prank, he declined to resolve probable cause and qualified immunity on a motion to dismiss because the officers’ full evidence had not yet been developed.
“A definitive ruling on probable cause, at this stage of the proceedings, is premature.”
Cautions
In an automotive supply dispute, he denied a preliminary injunction after finding that a promise to purchase “some portion or all” of requirements lacked a sufficiently precise quantity term to create an enforceable requirements contract.
“This imprecise quantity term is insufficient under Airboss.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Defendants’ motion for judgment on the pleadings is GRANTED.”
“For the reasons stated above, defendant’s motion for summary judgment is GRANTED as to all counts.”
“plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment is hereby GRANTED. Defendant’s motion for summary judgment is DENIED, and this cause of action is REMANDED to the Commissioner of Social Security for further consideration pursuant to sentence four of 42 U.S.C. § 405(g)”
“Defendant’s motion for summary judgment is DENIED, and this cause of action is REMANDED to the Commissioner of Social Security for further consideration pursuant to sentence four of 42 U.S.C. § 405(g)”
“IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that plaintiff’s motion to amend/correct the complaint is DISMISSED AS MOOT.”
In a wrongful-death suit arising from a juvenile detainee's suicide, Steeh considered the defendants' objections to Magistrate Judge Curtis Ivy Jr.'s order granting a motion to compel discovery. He remanded the non-dispositive discovery matter so the magistrate judge could consider an overlooked protective-order motion and clarify which facilities the discovery order covered, without reaching any dispositive merits issue. The docket was assigned to Judge Jonathan J.C. Grey, but Steeh signed the order. Quote: 'this matter is REMANDED to the magistrate judge to consider Defendants’ motion for a protective order (ECF No. 60).'
“Defendants’ motion to dismiss is therefore GRANTED and plaintiff’s complaint is DISMISSED with prejudice.”
“IT IS ORDERED that Towler’s motion to dismiss (docket entry #13) hereby is GRANTED and Towler is DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE.”
“IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Washtenaw County’s motion to dismiss (docket entry # 4) hereby is GRANTED and the County is DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE.”
“As set forth above, defendants’ motions to dismiss are hereby GRANTED IN PART AND DENIED IN PART.”
“Accordingly, defendant’s motion for judgment on the pleadings is GRANTED.”
“For the reasons stated above, defendant’s motion for judgment on the pleadings is DENIED.”
“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Defendant Huron County’s motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 52) is GRANTED.”
“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Defendants’ motion for summary judgment is GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART, consistent with this opinion and order.”
“Summary judgment is hereby GRANTED in favor of defendants, and all claims are dismissed.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
- During his senior service, Judge Steeh's directly assigned matters are weighted toward warrant and miscellaneous duty proceedings and post-conviction petitions under 28 U.S.C. section 2255.
- His signed civil decisions also include employment, municipal civil-rights, Social Security, and consumer-protection disputes, some in cases formally assigned to other judges.
- The mix is descriptive rather than a complete caseload count.
Pending matters in the official report
Judge Steeh was last listed in the Civil Justice Reform Act report as of March 31, 2025.
| 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 | 0 |
| Report | Motions over six months | Cases over three years |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2024 | 1 | 1 |
| Mar 2024 | 4 | 6 |
| Sep 2023 | 1 | 8 |
| Mar 2023 | 0 | 10 |
| Sep 2022 | 2 | 6 |
| Mar 2022 | 1 | 7 |
| Sep 2021 | 0 | 5 |
| Mar 2021 | 0 | 4 |
| Sep 2020 | 0 | 6 |
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 Eastern District of Michigan, not for Judge Steeh: 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 | 2,926 | 8.3 months |
| Closed with no court action | 410 | 2.9 months |
| Closed before pretrial | 1,246 | 4.1 months |
| Closed during or after pretrial | 1,252 | 15.3 months |
| Closed during trial | 18 | 35.8 months |
| 12 months ending | Cases closed | Median time |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 2,926 | 8.3 months |
| Sep 2024 | 2,615 | 7.9 months |
| Sep 2023 | 2,616 | 8.5 months |
| Sep 2022 | 2,541 | 9.2 months |
| Sep 2021 | 2,405 | 10.2 months |
| Sep 2020 | 2,677 | 9 months |
| Sep 2019 | 3,237 | 8.6 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 Steeh with the record in hand
Ezel grounds your drafting and research in this profile: what has persuaded Judge Steeh, and what has not, cited to the signed orders.
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