Patricia T. Morris
How Judge Morris rules, drawn from 15 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Morris
Patricia T. Morris has served as a United States magistrate judge for the Eastern District of Michigan since April 2014. Based in Bay City, she succeeded Magistrate Judge Charles E. Binder on the court’s northern division bench.
Judge Morris's practices and standing orders
Rules for cases before Judge Morris, 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.
Key rules
Motions
Additional briefing, including sur-replies, will NOT be permitted unless requested by the Court.
“Additional briefing, including sur-replies, will NOT be permitted unless requested by the Court.”
Discovery
This statement should be electronically filed at least 5 days prior to the hearing.
“This statement should be electronically filed at least 5 days prior to the hearing.”
Conferences
A short, concise statement of the issues is to be submitted by each side directly to chambers at least seven days prior to the settlement conference.
“A short, concise statement of the issues is to be submitted by each side directly to chambers at least seven days prior to the settlement conference.”
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 Morris decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Procedural preferences
In Bundy v. Commissioner of Social Security, she recommended denying the claimant's summary-judgment motion and affirming the Commissioner after finding the administrative law judge adequately addressed treating-physician opinions; the district judge adopted her recommendation over an objection.
“the defendant’s motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 15) is GRANTED. The findings of the Commissioner are AFFIRMED.”
Cautions
In Farmer v. Commissioner of Social Security, Morris recommended denying the claimant's summary judgment motion and granting the Commissioner's motion. District Judge Roberts adopted the recommendation after reviewing the claimant's objections.
“The Court agrees with Magistrate Judge Morris’s analysis and ADOPTS the R&R. The Court GRANTS the Commissioner’s Motion for Summary Judgment and DENIES Plaintiff’s Motion.”
In one 2026 Social Security appeal, she recommended remand after the administrative law judge identified migraines as severe but gave them scant discussion in the written decision. The district judge adopted the recommendation.
“the ALJ barely discussed Plaintiff’s migraines in the written decision, despite finding”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“On July 31, 2019, Magistrate Judge Patricia T. Morris issued a Report and Recommendation (‘R&R’) recommending that the Court deny Plaintiff’s Motion for Summary Judgment and grant Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment... The Court agrees with Magistrate Judge Morris’s analysis and ADOPTS the R&R.”
“The Court GRANTS the Commissioner’s Motion for Summary Judgment and DENIES Plaintiff’s Motion.”
“Magistrate Judge Morris filed a report on January 29, 2021, recommending that the defendant’s motion for summary judgment be granted, the plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment be denied, and the decision of the Commissioner be affirmed... the plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 13) is DENIED.”
“the defendant’s motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 15) is GRANTED. The findings of the Commissioner are AFFIRMED.”
“the report issued on January 26, 2022 by Magistrate Judge Patricia T. Morris pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(b), recommending that the Court deny the plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment, grant the defendant’s motion for summary judgment, and affirm the Commissioner’s findings... the plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 13) is DENIED.”
“the defendant’s motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 14) is GRANTED. The findings of the Commissioner are AFFIRMED.”
28 U.S.C. 1915(e)(2) pro se screening recommendation, resolving no party motion. Morris recommended sua sponte dismissal of plaintiff's five federal-criminal-statute claims with prejudice (no private cause of action under 18 U.S.C. 241/246/249/607/1512) and his Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower claim without prejudice (failure to plead exhaustion, leaving no subject-matter jurisdiction). District Judge Thomas L. Ludington adopted the recommendation (August 10, 2022) over objections, and denied a motion to stay. The adoption order states: “Magistrate Judge Patricia T. Morris, who recommended that this Court sua sponte dismiss Plaintiff’s criminal claims with prejudice and sua sponte dismiss Plaintiff’s Sarbanes-Oxley Act claim without prejudice... Judge Morris’s R&R... is ADOPTED.” The dismissal was mixed: with prejudice for the criminal claims, without prejudice for the Sarbanes-Oxley claim.
“IT IS RECOMMENDED that Defendant Kreisher’s Motion for Summary Judgment (ECF No. 43) be GRANTED”
“Plaintiff Sharon’s ‘CounterMotion’ for Summary Judgment (ECF No. 49) be DENIED WITH PREJUDICE.”
“IT IS RECOMMENDED that defendants’ motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 56) be DENIED.”
“defendant Nathan Falk’s motion to dismiss (ECF No. 32) be GRANTED IN PART AND DENIED IN PART.”
“I RECOMMEND that the Court grant the motion (ECF No. 189) and DISMISS this case WITHOUT PREJUDICE for Plaintiff’s failure to prosecute”
“For these reasons, Nevills’ motion to compel (ECF No. 37) is DENIED.”
“Obiakor’s motion to compel discovery responses (ECF No. 21) are hereby deemed RESOLVED.”
Sua sponte R&R recommending dismissal of the pro se prisoner complaint with prejudice for failure to prosecute under Fed. R. Civ. P. 41(b) after plaintiff failed to serve process; no motion adjudicated. Grounding quote: “IT IS RECOMMENDED that this case be DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE for Plaintiff’s failure to prosecute under Fed. R. Civ. P. 41(b) and Eastern District of Michigan Local Rule 41.2.”
Screening R&R recommending sua sponte dismissal of an IFP complaint under 28 U.S.C. 1915(e)(2) as frivolous, the claims resting on rejected sovereign-citizen theories. Grounding quote: “IT IS RECOMMENDED that the Court DISMISS Thompson’s complaint, sua sponte, under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2).”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
The reviewed matters combine Social Security referrals, criminal-duty proceedings, and pro se screening cases. This is a descriptive sample, not a complete caseload count.
Pending matters in the official report
Reported by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts under the Civil Justice Reform Act, as of March 31, 2026.
| 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 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2022 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 2022 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2021 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 2021 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2020 | 0 | 0 |
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 Morris: 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).
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