Robert J. White

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan Appointed by Joe Biden (Democratic) 24 signed orders read

How Judge White decides

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

What persuades

In air-passenger injury cases he holds the Montreal Convention the exclusive remedy and grants the carrier summary judgment where the plaintiff's state-law claims fall within it.

“IT IS ORDERED that Delta's motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 6) is granted.”

Procedural preferences

He refers civil-rights and prisoner matters to a magistrate judge and adopts the report and recommendation where he finds it reached the correct result for the right reasons.

“IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Corrections Officer Goldsmith's motion for summary judgment on the basis of exhaustion (ECF No. 16) is granted.”

Where the parties signed a valid arbitration agreement he grants a motion to dismiss and compel arbitration.

“For the reasons given, the Court ORDERS that the motion to dismiss and compel arbitration (ECF No. 8) is GRANTED.”

In multi-defendant cases he applies Frow and declines to enter default judgment against one defendant while claims against others remain, denying the motion without prejudice.

“IT IS ORDERED that Plaintiffs' motion for a default judgment (ECF No. 17) is DENIED WITHOUT PREJUDICE.”

Cautions

Claims against immune defendants such as a State fail at the threshold; he dismisses them with prejudice where amendment could not cure the bar.

“IT IS ORDERED that State's motion to dismiss the complaint (ECF No. 15) is granted with prejudice.”

Signed rulings

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

Nair v. Delta Air Lines, Inc.
2:25-cv-12411-RJW-EAS · 2025-12-02
Summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“IT IS ORDERED that Delta's motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 6) is granted.”

RBS Investments, LLC v. ProAct, Inc.
2:23-cv-12176-RJW-CI · 2025-05-09
Summary judgment (defendant) Granted in part

“the Court ORDERS that the motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 21) is GRANTED IN PART AND DENIED IN PART.”

Apelbaum v. Lambert
2:23-cv-11718-RJW-APP · 2024-11-15
Default judgment (plaintiff) Moot / procedural

“IT IS ORDERED that Plaintiffs' motion for a default judgment (ECF No. 17) is DENIED WITHOUT PREJUDICE.”

Davis-Hussung v. Logan
2:24-cv-12853-RJW-KGA · 2025-12-04
Summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Corrections Officer Goldsmith's motion for summary judgment on the basis of exhaustion (ECF No. 16) is granted.”

Holly D. v. Commissioner of Social Security
2:24-cv-12649-RJW-PTM · 2025-12-02
Summary judgment (plaintiff) Denied

“IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Plaintiff's motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 14) is DENIED.”

Summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Defendant's motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 16) is GRANTED. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Administrative Law Judge's final decision is AFFIRMED.”

Prince v. State of Michigan
2:23-cv-12226-RJW-CI · 2025-01-28
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Granted

“IT IS ORDERED that State's motion to dismiss the complaint (ECF No. 15) is granted with prejudice.”

Motion for leave to amend (plaintiff) Denied

“IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Prince's motion for leave to amend the complaint (ECF No. 16) is denied.”

AF, Inc. v. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
2:23-cv-13009-RJW-CI · 2025-01-27
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Granted

“For the reasons given, the Court ORDERS that Defendant's motion to dismiss (ECF No. 13) is GRANTED. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Plaintiff's amended complaint (ECF No. 6) is DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE.”

Brink's Capital, LLC v. Joe Randazzo's Fruit and Vegetable, Inc.
2:24-cv-11570-RJW-EAS · 2025-07-23
Motions to dismiss (plaintiff) Moot / procedural

“IT IS ORDERED that Brink's motion to dismiss the asserted counterclaims (ECF No. 15) is denied as moot.”

Engle v. Plawecki
2:25-cv-11544-RJW-EAS · 2025-11-14
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Granted

“The Court FURTHER ORDERS that Defendants' motion to dismiss (ECF No. 17) is GRANTED.”

Summary judgment (plaintiff) Denied

“The Court FURTHER ORDERS that Engle's motion to file supplemental pleading (ECF No. 37), his motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 53), and his motion for leave to file an amended complaint (ECF No. 56) are DENIED.”

Motion for leave to amend (plaintiff) Denied
Baird v. Nessel
2:24-cv-11205-RJW-KGA · 2024-11-15
Motion for leave to amend (plaintiff) Granted

“For the above reasons, IT IS ORDERED that Plaintiff's motion for leave to amend the complaint (ECF No. 25) is GRANTED.”

Motions to dismiss (defendant) Moot / procedural

“IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Defendants' motions to dismiss (ECF Nos. 20, 21) are DENIED AS MOOT and without prejudice for renewal.”

Poronto v. T.D. Hoist
2:24-cv-10522-RJW-APP · 2025-09-22
Motion for leave to amend (plaintiff) Granted

“IT IS ORDERED that Poronto's motion for leave to file a second amended complaint to add the Wellpath Liquidating Trust and its trustee, Matthew J. Dundon, as nominal defendants (ECF No. 41) is granted.”

Hall v. Circle K Stores, Inc.
2:24-cv-13361-RJW-APP · 2025-05-09
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Denied

“IT IS ORDERED that Circle K's motion to dismiss the amended complaint's allegations against the company (ECF No. 4) is denied.”

Put Judge White's record to work

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

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