Mark Allan Goldsmith
How Judge Goldsmith decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In a franchise dispute, signed attachments and performance tied to the main agreement can plausibly show intent to be bound even when a principal did not sign the agreement itself; the complaint survived challenges to jurisdiction, the statute of frauds, and contract formation.
“These facts are sufficient, at the motion to dismiss stage, for Sizzling Black Rock to have successfully alleged that the Strems Defendants manifest[ed] an intent to be bound by the franchise agreement.”
He enforced a title-insurance exclusion where the insured deliberately failed to build or withdraw condominium units and therefore had the power to prevent the title defect; deliberate conduct, not merely negligence, defeated coverage.
“The loss of title was the direct result of Triple's deliberate acts. It knowingly failed to complete construction of the 14 units within the relevant 10-year period. And it failed to withdraw them from the project, as well. Its conduct falls comfortably within the plain and natural understanding of having created, suffered, assumed, or agreed to the defects of title.”
Procedural preferences
Heavily reliant on the magistrate-judge referral system: most of his recent dispositive rulings are short orders ACCEPTING an R&R. When no objections are filed, he reviews the R&R only for clear error (per Thomas v. Arn) rather than de novo -- so a party that wants de novo review must file specific, timely objections.
“The failure to file a timely objection to an R&R constitutes a waiver of the right to further judicial review. ... Therefore, the Court has reviewed the R&R for clear error. On the face of the record, the Court finds no clear error and accepts the recommendation.”
On a Social Security appeal where the magistrate recommends remand, he construes a plaintiff's all-or-nothing MSJ (seeking reversal-and-award OR remand) as granted in part / denied in part -- granting the remand, denying the request for an outright award of benefits.
“Because the magistrate judge recommends remanding the case, the Court construes the magistrate judge's recommendation that the Court grant Plaintiff's motion for summary judgment as a recommendation that the Court grant in part and deny in part Plaintiff's motion.”
Cautions
In a patent case, once he grants summary judgment of non-infringement on a dispositive ground he treats the remaining Daubert and alternative-ground motions as moot rather than reaching them -- expect efficient, narrow merits dispositions that decline to address issues rendered unnecessary.
“Having found that BMW is entitled to summary judgment on this ground, the Court need not reach the issues of whether BMW is entitled to summary judgment on the remaining grounds.”
Retaliation theories need evidence that the actual decisionmakers knew of the protected activity; a chain of inferences, a long time gap, and intervening performance problems will not establish causation.
“Accordingly, Brown has offered no evidence to support the inference that the decisionmakers of her termination decision were aware of her protected activity prior to this litigation. Thus, Brown fails to establish a critical element of the prima facie case of retaliation.”
Temporal proximity alone may fail when an intervening workplace event gives the employer an independent reason to act; in an FLSA case, complaints about management style and an honest belief that the employee walked off the job defeated causation.
“Wilmoth has failed to provide any evidence that would dispel the inference that her termination decision was not motivated by her performance or conduct at work and instead related to her January 2023 conversation with Berry about overtime pay. Thus, she fails to meet the causation element necessary for a prima facie case of retaliation.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“Defendants’ motion to dismiss (Dkt. 29) is granted in part. All claims against Evans and Ramelis are dismissed. All other claims are dismissed apart from Gooding’s excessive force and state law assault and battery claims against Stephen Ennis, Brian Otto, Smith, and the Doe Defendants.”
“Accordingly, the Court denies Defendant’s motion for summary judgment (Dkt. 46).”
“For the reasons stated in this opinion and order, the Court will GRANT BMW’s motion for summary judgment of non-infringement.”
“the Court finds that the issues of whether exclusion of Macartney’s testimony regarding damages and Dafesh’s testimony regarding infringement is warranted are moot. Accordingly, the Court will DENY BMW’s pending Daubert motions as moot.”
“grants Plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment (Dkt. 13) to the extent it seeks remand but denies Plaintiff’s motion to the extent it seeks a reversal of the Commissioner’s decision and an award of benefits; and, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 405(g), remands this case to the Commissioner for further administrative proceedings.”
“the Court adopts the R&R (Dkt. 18); denies Defendant’s motion for summary judgment (Dkt. 16)”
“Accordingly, Dobronski’s motion to dismiss counterclaim number 11 is denied.”
“For the reasons set forth above, the Court denies Highflyer’s motion to dismiss in its entirely (Dkt. 33).”
“The Court grants in part and denies in part Encova’s motion for summary judgment (Dkt. 50). Within 14 days, the parties must submit a proposed judgment through which the case will be closed.”
“the Court ... adopts the 10/20/25 R&R, and grants Wellpath’s motion to dismiss (Dkt. 67). The case is dismissed with prejudice.”
“For the reasons that follow, the Court (i) grants First American's motions for summary judgment (Dkt. 27) and (ii) denies Triple's motion for summary judgment (Dkt. 29).”
“For the reasons set forth above, the Court denies the Strems Defendants' motion to dismiss in its entirety (Dkt. 42).”
“For the reasons set forth above, the Court (i) grants FCA's motion for summary judgment with respect to Brown's claims under Title VII and (ii) dismisses without prejudice Brown's claims under ELCRA.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
The reviewed 2021-2024 matters reflect a broad civil docket and substantial criminal and duty assignments. They include False Claims Act, prisoner civil-rights, felony, Social Security, and patent cases, along with many warrant and miscellaneous applications that are not treated as merits cases. The mix is descriptive rather than a complete caseload count.
Put Judge Goldsmith's record to work
Ezel drafts and answers grounded in this exact profile: how Judge Goldsmith actually rules, not a generic AI guess.
Opens in Ezel Pro. Every answer is grounded in Judge Goldsmith's own signed orders and cites them.