Michael T. Parker
How Judge Parker rules, drawn from 17 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Parker
Michael T. Parker is a United States Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of Mississippi. He earned his undergraduate and law degrees from Mississippi College. Before joining the federal bench, he practiced commercial litigation, served as a municipal judge in Clinton, and was elected a Hinds County Court judge.
Judge Parker's practices and standing orders
The court's website lists no individual practices or standing orders of Judge Parker'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 Parker decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In McGowan v. Commissioner of Social Security, he affirmed the Commissioner's denial of benefits.
“the Court finds that the Commissioner's decision should be AFFIRMED.”
On summary judgment in a prisoner exposure-to-secondhand-smoke suit, corroborating affidavits describing sustained, severe exposure (specific quantities of daily smoking, repeated ignored complaints) were enough to defeat summary judgment on both prongs of the constitutional test, while a claim with no comparable personal-involvement evidence against supervisors was dismissed.
“The plaintiffs' evidence is enough to create a genuine issue of material fact.”
Procedural preferences
In Carmichael v. Commissioner of Social Security, he granted the Commissioner's unopposed motion to remand for a supplemental hearing and a new administrative decision.
“REMAND ORDER granting 11 Motion to Remand to Commissioner of Social Security”
In Harris v. Daniel, he held an omnibus hearing, screened the prisoner's claims, ordered records produced, and set a motions deadline.
“Minute Entry for proceedings held before Magistrate Judge Michael T. Parker: Omnibus Hearing held on 1/24/2019. ... The court screened plaintiff's claims.”
In Morgan v. Chevron U.S.A., Inc., he denied exclusion of a late-disclosed witness because a short extension for the defendant to depose its own employee could cure prejudice.
“The Court agrees that a continuance could cure any potential prejudice.”
Cautions
A prisoner's failure to exhaust administrative remedies before adding a new defendant is fatal to the claim against that defendant, even if the plaintiff later completed the grievance process, because exhaustion must precede suit.
“The addition of Walton as a defendant was premature inasmuch as Adams had not exhausted his administrative remedies, and Walton shall be dismissed without prejudice.”
A Section 1983 claim against a supervisor fails without evidence of the supervisor's own personal involvement or a policymaker-level policy causally tied to the violation: respondeat superior is not enough.
“Section 1983 does not create supervisory or respondeat superior liability.”
In Payton v. Chevron U.S.A., Inc., he denied a sixty-day schedule extension where the plaintiff did not explain why remaining depositions could not be completed before discovery closed.
“These do not constitute sufficient justification for the failure to complete any deposition before now.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“Plaintiff's claims against Defendant Christian Davis in his official capacity, to the extent there are any, are dismissed with prejudice. Further, Plaintiffs claims against Defendant Joel Thames in his individual and official capacities are dismissed with prejudice.”
“Defendants' unopposed Motion for Summary Judgment on All State Law Claims [69] should be granted.”
“the defendants Jacqueline Banks, Sandra Jackson, Lawrence Walton, and Bryan Shuckrow's motion for summary judgment (docket entry 114) is granted in part and denied in part as follows: GRANTED as to defendant Walton, and GRANTED as to the denial of medical care claim against defendants Banks and Jackson; DENIED as to the remaining claims against defendants Banks, Jackson and Shuckrow.”
“the plaintiff Latrell Adams' motion for summary judgment (docket entry 119) is DENIED”
“the Magistrate Judge issued his Report and Recommendation [docket entry no. 40] that Shelton's petition be dismissed with prejudice... IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the Report and Recommendation [docket entry no. 40] of the Magistrate Judge is ADOPTED.”
“Opinion and Order: the final decision of the Commissioner of Social Security Administration is Affirmed. ... FINAL JUDGMENT: action is dismissed with prejudice.”
“OPINION AND ORDER granting 15 Motion to Affirm. Ordered that the Commissioner's final decision is affirmed. Ordered that this case is dismissed with prejudice.”
“the Court finds that the Commissioner's decision should be AFFIRMED.”
“OPINION AND ORDER granting in part and denying in part 14 Motion for Summary Judgment; granting in part and denying in part 16 Motion to Affirm. Ordered that this case is remanded to the Commissioner for further administrative proceedings consistent with this Order. All other relief requested by Plaintiff is denied.”
“OPINION and ORDER. Ordered that the Commissioner's final decision is AFFIRMED. Ordered that this case is dismissed with prejudice.”
“REMAND ORDER granting 11 Motion to Remand to Commissioner of Social Security”
“Opinion and Order re 1 Complaint: Commissioner's final decision is Affirmed. This action is Dismissed with prejudice.”
“the Court finds that the Commissioner's final decision should be AFFIRMED and this action should be DISMISSED... FINAL JUDGMENT: Ordered that this case is dismissed with prejudice.”
“ORDER denying 15 Motion to Alter or Amend Judgment. Signed by Magistrate Judge Michael T. Parker on October 1, 2018.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
- Judge Parker's docket, centered in the Hattiesburg division with some Natchez and Gulfport matters referred or consented to him, is dominated by three areas: a large consent-jurisdiction Social Security disability docket under 28 U.S.C. 636(c); pro se prisoner civil-rights suits, many screened at an omnibus hearing before merits litigation; and criminal-magistrate duties such as initial appearances, detention and removal hearings, and search-warrant and sealing orders.
- Knight v. State of Mississippi, filed May 18, 2026, remained pending as of July 2026.
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 |
| Sep 2020 | 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 Parker: 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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