Shalina Deborah Kumar

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan Appointed by Joe Biden (Democratic) 7 signed orders read

How Judge Kumar 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 she adopts the magistrate's recommendation and affirms the Commissioner where the plaintiff's objections merely rehash the summary-judgment briefing.

“GRANTS the Commissioner’s motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 13) ... AFFIRMING the Commissioner’s decision that plaintiff is not disabled under sentence four of 42 U.S.C. § 405(g).”

Procedural preferences

She refers prisoner civil-rights matters to a magistrate judge and adopts the report and recommendation, granting a defendant's summary judgment where the claim fails.

“IT IS ORDERED that Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment [17] is GRANTED.”

Cautions

Claims against a state judge are barred by absolute judicial immunity; she grants dismissal of such federal claims with prejudice.

“GRANTS Judge Morgan and the County’s motions to dismiss (ECF Nos. 5, 6). LaMie’s federal claims are DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE.”

Signed rulings

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

Nicole Fetterman v. Peek, et al.
4:20-cv-12020-SDK-EAS · 2022-03-14
Summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“IT IS ORDERED that Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment [17] is GRANTED.”

Phillip G. Bazzo v. Attorney Grievance Commission, et al.
4:23-cv-10403-SDK-KGA · 2024-01-26
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Granted

“IT IS ORDERED that defendants’ motion to dismiss (ECF No. 8) is GRANTED.”

Ervin Joseph LaMie v. Todd M. Morgan, et al.
4:24-cv-11101-SDK-APP · 2025-03-04
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Granted

“GRANTS Judge Morgan and the County’s motions to dismiss (ECF Nos. 5, 6). LaMie’s federal claims are DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE.”

Motions to dismiss (defendant) Granted
Mary Ann B. v. Commissioner of Social Security
4:24-cv-10312-SDK-CI · 2025-03-04
Summary judgment (plaintiff) Denied

“DENIES plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 11)”

Summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“GRANTS the Commissioner’s motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 13) ... AFFIRMING the Commissioner’s decision that plaintiff is not disabled under sentence four of 42 U.S.C. § 405(g).”

Michael Sean Perkins v. Sharon A. Oliver, M.D.
4:21-cv-12720-SDK-DRG · 2025-03-14
Summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“ADOPTS the R&R (ECF No. 47) ... and GRANTS Dr. Oliver’s motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 37). Perkins’ case is DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE”

Zamaria Metcalf v. State of Michigan, et al.
4:21-cv-12242-SDK-DRG · 2025-09-30
Summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“the Court GRANTS the Ennis Defendants’ motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 63)”

Summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“GRANTS the State Defendants’ motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 65)”

Summary judgment (plaintiff) Denied

“and DENIES Metcalf’s motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 60). Metcalf’s complaint is DISMISSED in its entirety.”

Gimenez Gonzalez v. Raycraft
25-cv-13094 · 2025-10-27
Petition for writ of habeas corpus (petitioner) Granted

“his habeas petition will be granted, and Respondents will be directed to provide Gimenez Gonzalez with a bond hearing”

Caseload & timing

From public federal docket records for this judge.

The reviewed civil matters include prisoner civil-rights and habeas cases, employment and disability claims, Social Security appeals, automotive product-liability and consumer-fraud disputes, insurance, securities, trademark, trade-secret, and consumer-credit cases. Warrant and miscellaneous duty matters are excluded from the merits mix. This is a descriptive sample, not a complete caseload count.

Put Judge Kumar's record to work

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

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