F. Keith Ball
Judge Ball no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.
How Judge Ball decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Procedural preferences
On Social Security appeals he reads the ALJ's evidentiary findings closely rather than deferring broadly, and has remanded cases where he found the ALJ selectively cited a treating source's opinion without addressing the parts that cut against the ALJ's conclusion.
“The ALJ was able to arrive at her conclusion only by cherry-picking from and mischaracterizing the opinions of Ms. Thornton and Dr. Lott.”
He applies the Fifth Circuit's Newton framework strictly to a treating physician's opinion, remanding when an ALJ's stated reasons for discounting it do not engage with the required factors (length and nature of the treatment relationship, the physician's specialty, consistency with the record).
“the ALJ erred in rejecting the opinion of Dr. Collins without good cause and without providing the detailed analysis required by Newton v. Apfel... The Court agrees.”
Cautions
In referred prisoner civil-rights cases he manages a heavy docket of pro se procedural motions in omnibus batches, typically denying requests for appointed counsel, discovery compulsion, and preliminary injunctive relief together in a single order rather than addressing each separately -- a party expecting individualized treatment of a stack of pro se motions should not expect it.
“ORDER denying 33 Motion to Appoint Counsel; denying 17 Motion to Compel; denying 18 Motion for Discovery; denying 19 Motion; denying 20 Motion for Order to Show Cause; denying 20 Motion for Preliminary Injunction; denying 20 Motion for TRO; denying 21 Motion to Amend/Correct; denying 22 Motion for Summary Judgment.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“The ALJ was able to arrive at her conclusion only by cherry-picking from and mischaracterizing the opinions of Ms. Thornton and Dr. Lott... Accordingly, this matter is hereby remanded to the Commissioner for proceedings consistent with this opinion.”
“the undersigned finds that the Commissioner's decision should be reversed and remanded for further consideration. Accordingly, Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment [14] is granted in part and denied in part.”
“Having considered the memoranda of the parties and the administrative record, the Court concludes that the decision of the Commissioner should be reversed and this matter remanded to the Commissioner.”
“For the reasons discussed in this Memorandum Opinion and Order, the undersigned finds that the Commissioner's decision should be affirmed.”
“In support of remand, Harris argues that the ALJ erred in rejecting the opinion of Dr. Collins without good cause and without providing the detailed analysis required by Newton v. Apfel... The Court agrees... For these reasons, this matter is hereby remanded to the Commissioner.”
“ORDER granting 14 Motion to Affirm. Signed by Magistrate Judge F. Keith Ball on 8/15/17.”
“ORDER granting 12 Motion to Affirm. Signed by Magistrate Judge F. Keith Ball on 8/7/17. A separate judgment will be entered.”
“MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER denying 16 Motion to Remand. The Commissioner's decision is upheld, and this case is dismissed with prejudice. Signed by Magistrate Judge F. Keith Ball on 3/12/18.”
“ORDER, The decision of the Commissioner is reversed, and this matter is remanded for proceedings consistent with this opinion. A separate judgment will be entered. Signed by Magistrate Judge F. Keith Ball on 3/1/2019.”
“Having considered these grounds for relief and having carefully reviewed the petition, the response, Perryman's reply, and the state court record, the undersigned recommends that habeas relief be denied.”
“JUDGMENT as to Partridge-Sibley Industrial Services, Inc. (1), Count(s) 1, Defendant organization sentenced to 1 year probation term, $200,000 fine and $125 special assessment both due immediately. Signed by Magistrate Judge F. Keith Ball on 2/17/23”
“Oral Order granting [] Motion to Dismiss Counts 2-10 as to Partridge-Sibley Industrial Services, Inc. (1). No further written order shall issue from the Court. Signed by Magistrate Judge F. Keith Ball on 1/11/2023.”
“JUDGMENT as to Bridgett Veronica Medlock (1), Count(s) 1, 6 months imprisonment, 1 year supervised release, $25.00 special assessment and $1500.00 fine. Signed by Magistrate Judge F. Keith Ball on 12/2/13”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Judge Ball's docket at Jackson (3:xx case numbers, with Hattiesburg-area 2:xx, Natchez-area 5:xx, and Meridian-area 1:xx and 4:xx matters also referred to him) was dominated by three veins over his fourteen years on the bench: (1) a substantial consent-jurisdiction Social Security disability-appeal caseload he decided by his own final Memorandum Opinion and Order; (2) prisoner civil-rights suits and habeas corpus petitions referred to him by the district's Article III judges, many of which the parties later consented to have him decide to final judgment; and (3) criminal-magistrate duties on the district's felony and misdemeanor docket, including detention hearings, initial appearances, and -- where a defendant or corporate entity consented -- his own final plea and sentencing dispositions. He was also the referral magistrate on several notable matters, including a state prisoner's habeas petition later cited in published Fifth Circuit and district-court opinions, and the initial detention proceedings in a high-profile 2019 immigration-worksite-raid prosecution, United States v. Baltazar-Sebastian.
A historical record
Judge Ball no longer hears cases. This profile stays available as a record of how they ruled. If you're preparing for a matter, start from the court's current bench.