LaKeysha Greer Isaac
How Judge Isaac rules, drawn from 20 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Isaac
LaKeysha Greer Isaac is a United States Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of Mississippi. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Millsaps College in 1997 and a law degree from Emory University School of Law in 2000. Before joining the bench, she practiced civil litigation in Jackson and became a senior partner at Cosmich, Simmons & Brown.
Judge Isaac's practices and standing orders
The court's website lists no individual practices or standing orders of Judge Isaac's own (checked October 9, 2026), so the court's local rules and general orders are the place to look (court page ↗).
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 9, 2026).
How Judge Isaac decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In Mooney v. Commissioner of Social Security, she recommended affirming a benefits denial because later treatment records showed the claimant's symptoms had improved enough for customary workplace breaks; the district judge adopted the recommendation.
“Given that the evidence generated after the agency physician's opinion showed continual gastrointestinal improvement through Plaintiff's last medical visit of record, it was not unreasonable for the ALJ to conclude that the severity of Plaintiff's symptoms had decreased to the point that his bathroom needs could be accommodated by the customary work breaks.”
In Bracken Construction, she denied transfer after finding that warranty repairs did not show the purchaser knew the sales agreement containing the forum-selection clause or knowingly exploited that agreement.
“Bracken was not on notice of the subject Agreement.”
In the reviewed Minor fee-waiver report, she weighed current and prospective earnings along with household support when assessing claimed inability to pay.
“her spouse’s income, minus expenses, was more than enough to pay the filing fee at the time of filing.”
Procedural preferences
In Divinity v. Bridgefield Casualty Insurance Co., she stayed discovery pending summary judgment but preserved the defendants' obligation to produce a reinsurance agreement.
“Discovery is hereby stayed until the Court rules on the pending Motion for Summary Judgment and lifts the stay on discovery. The instant stay does not apply to Defendants' obligation to produce the reinsurance agreements at issue.”
In Cruse, she recommended dismissal after finding that the plaintiff concealed his prior litigation and three-strikes status and did not meet the imminent-danger exception.
“Cruse’s failure to reveal his known strike status is disingenuous.”
In the reviewed Reed habeas report, she recommended dismissal without prejudice only after repeated fee and show-cause orders, explicit warnings, and continued nonresponse.
“The Court warned Petitioner four times that his failure to comply with a court order could result in the dismissal of this case.”
In one insurance discovery dispute, she declined to compel a post-suit claims file or privilege log where the plaintiffs had not shown substantial need and could seek the explanation through written discovery.
“information sought can be ascertained by other means – written discovery.”
Cautions
In Montalto v. Bonner, she recommended summary judgment on the remaining claim after the prisoner's sworn testimony and medical records contradicted key allegations; the district judge adopted the recommendation.
“Plaintiff's testimony contradicts his pleadings, as he did not testify with certainty that it was Defendant who allegedly 'set him up' or told the gang members that he exposed himself.”
In a pro se prisoner's request for emergency injunctive relief over prison-mail handling, she required more than a general grievance: a claimant must show a substantial likelihood of success and a concrete resulting prejudice, not just an allegation that prison staff opened legal mail, which the law otherwise permits for contraband inspection.
“Jordan does not allege that he was prejudiced in any way in a legal proceeding or prevented from filing a legal document because the mail room staff opened his legal mail.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER granting 17 Motion to Affirm. Ordered that the Plaintiff's appeal is dismissed with prejudice.”
“THE PARTIES have agreed to and announced to the Court a settlement of this case. ... IT IS, THEREFORE, ORDERED that this case is hereby DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE as to all parties.”
“the undersigned recommends that the Motion [41] be granted.”
“Because Summit has submitted itself to the jurisdiction of this Court and Plaintiff failed to show any prejudice prior to or resulting from the amendment of Summit's name, the Court denies Plaintiff's Motion for Reconsideration [15].”
“Bridgefield is required to produce it, and its Motion to Limit Initial Disclosures [17] is denied.”
“Defendants' uncontested Motion [33] is granted in part and denied in part. Discovery shall be stayed pending resolution of Defendants' Motion [31] for Summary Judgment. The Court declines to the stay the case in its entirety.”
“Defendants' Motion to Amend Case Management Order to Extend Defendants' Expert Deadline [43] is GRANTED.”
“Defendant Liebherr-American, Inc.'s Motion to Transfer Venue is DENIED, as discussed below.”
“The Motion for Summary Judgment [62] filed by Defendants ... should be GRANTED with respect to all claims except for the allegations raised relating to the April 11, 2020, assault.”
“The Motion to Dismiss [75] filed by Defendants Dr. Arnold, Nurse Cole, and Nurse Hobson should be granted with respect to all claims.”
“It is recommended that Defendant Aswandra Bonner's Motion for Summary Judgment [111], should be GRANTED, and the case against her should be DISMISSED with prejudice.”
“Having carefully analyzed the hearing transcript, the medical records in evidence, and all the applicable law, the undersigned recommends that this matter be affirmed.”
“the undersigned recommends that Plaintiff Jordan's letter Motion [7] for a Temporary Restraining Order, which in effect seeks a Preliminary Injunction, be DENIED.”
“the undersigned recommends that the Mississippi Department of Corrections be dismissed as a Defendant.”
“it is the opinion of the undersigned United States Magistrate Judge that Defendant's Motion to Affirm the Commissioner's Decision be granted, that Plaintiff's appeal be dismissed with prejudice, and that Final Judgment in favor of the Commissioner be entered.”
“the undersigned recommends that the petition be dismissed with prejudice for lack of jurisdiction.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Median motion-to-ruling time: 191 days (N = 4).
The sampled docket combines Isaac's consent civil caseload, dominated by prisoner Section 1983 suits and Social Security disability appeals, with referred insurance, products-liability, employment, and personal-injury matters for the district judges in Jackson. It also includes criminal-duty work such as initial appearances and detention hearings.
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 |
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 United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, not for Judge Isaac: 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 | 1,034 | 9.4 months |
| Closed with no court action | 613 | 8.4 months |
| Closed before pretrial | 385 | 9.9 months |
| Closed during or after pretrial | 26 | 21 months |
| Closed during trial | 10 | 21.5 months |
| 12 months ending | Cases closed | Median time |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 1,034 | 9.4 months |
| Sep 2024 | 988 | 8.7 months |
| Sep 2023 | 972 | 11 months |
| Sep 2022 | 1,139 | 11.9 months |
| Sep 2021 | 1,061 | 11.2 months |
| Sep 2020 | 1,605 | 7.2 months |
| Sep 2019 | 1,094 | 9.3 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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