Paul Arthur Magnuson
How Judge Magnuson decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
On summary judgment, will not resolve competing factual accounts on a paper record — credibility disputes go to the jury. A movant who asks the court to simply credit its own version of disputed events will lose.
“It will be for the jury to determine whether Plaintiffs or ARS’s employees are telling the truth about what transpired.”
Where a negligence claim turns on a professional's exercise of judgment (here, school administrators), Magnuson requires expert testimony on the standard of care; failure to disclose such an expert is dispositive.
“Plaintiff’s failure to identify an expert to define the duty of care Defendants owed her in the exercise of their professional judgment as school administrators is fatal to her negligence claims”
Procedural preferences
Insists litigants use the proper procedural vehicle: you cannot dismiss a defendant via a footnote, nor amend a complaint by adding theories in a brief. Relief must be sought by motion or stipulation.
“But a footnote in an opposition brief is not the appropriate way to accomplish the dismissal of a Defendant. It is Plaintiffs’ responsibility to file a motion or stipulation so the Court’s record can reflect the realities of the case.”
Cautions
A high bar for Rule 11 sanctions: even when granting a motion to dismiss a claim he considers meritless, he declines sanctions absent intentional or reckless disregard of counsel's duties. Moving for sanctions alongside a strong MTD is unlikely to add value before him.
“While the Court believes that the FDCPA claim against Smith Jadin Johnson is without merit, there is no indication that Plaintiff’s counsel intentionally or recklessly disregarded any duties to the court. ... Rule 11 sanctions are not warranted.”
Motion outcomes
Counted from classified signed orders only. Percentages are shown only where the sample is large enough to be meaningful; smaller samples are reported as raw counts.
| Motion to dismiss or summary judgment N = 2 |
Granted: 1Denied: 1 | counts only |
| Motions to dismiss N = 1 |
Granted: 1 | counts only |
| Motion for partial summary judgment N = 1 |
Granted in part: 1 | counts only |
| Motion for sanctions N = 1 |
Denied: 1 | counts only |
| Default judgment N = 1 |
Denied: 1 | counts only |
A "1 of 1" is one ruling, not a tendency. Treat small samples as illustrative, not predictive.
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss or in the Alternative for Summary Judgment (Docket No. 32) is GRANTED as to dismissal”
“Plaintiff’s Motion for Default Judgment, Discovery, and Scheduling of a Court Proceeding to Determine Damages (Docket No. 43) is DENIED”
“Defendants’ Motion for Partial Summary Judgment (Docket No. 57) is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part”
“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss or for Summary Judgment (Docket No. 48) is DENIED.”
“Defendant Smith Jadin Johnson, PLLC’s Motion to Dismiss (Docket No. 22) is GRANTED”
“Defendant’s Motion for Sanctions (Docket No. 42) is DENIED.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Median motion-to-ruling time: 39 days (N = 2).
From search_dockets(mnd, assigned_judge=Magnuson). Recent assignments (2026) are overwhelmingly '463 Habeas Corpus - Alien Detainee' petitions plus criminal cases; older terminated cases include FDCPA/consumer-credit, civil-rights employment, and Target-litigation civil suits. Senior judge still carrying an active and varied caseload.