Georgette Castner
How Judge Castner decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Procedural preferences
Grants Rule 12(b)(6) dismissals without prejudice with a defined window to amend, and treats a standalone declaratory-judgment count aimed at purely past conduct as not stating a cognizable claim.
“the Court GRANTS Defendants' Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 17) in its entirety. Plaintiffs' Complaint (ECF No. 1) is DISMISSED without prejudice.”
Cautions
On a motion to remand she counts a successful plaintiff's potential statutory attorney's fees toward the $75,000 amount-in-controversy and will not find to a legal certainty that recovery could never exceed the threshold, so she denies remand and retains a diversity case.
“Plaintiff's Motion to Remand (ECF No. 6) is DENIED.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“the Court GRANTS Defendants' Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 17) in its entirety. Plaintiffs' Complaint (ECF No. 1) is DISMISSED without prejudice.”
“Plaintiff's Motion to Remand (ECF No. 6) is DENIED.”
“Defendant's Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 28) is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part. Plaintiff shall have thirty (30) days to file an amended complaint to the extent Plaintiff can cure the deficiencies cited herein.”
“Plaintiff's Motion is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part without prejudice. ... the Court denies the Motion for Default Judgment on the issue of damages and directs Plaintiff to provide additional information regarding Defendant's partial payment and a revised damages calculation.”
“Plaintiff's motion for a TRO is DENIED.”
Pro se prisoner Eighth Amendment deliberate-indifference suit alleging denial of wheelchair-van access. Castner did not decide the defendant's summary-judgment motion on the merits. She ordered supplemental briefing on four specific record questions and administratively terminated the motion subject to reopening. The procedural deferral illustrates her practice of staging dispositive motions and seeking further input before deciding them.
In this FTCA suit, the United States moved to dismiss under Rules 12(b)(1) and 12(b)(6), alternatively sought summary judgment on limitations, and requested a stay. Castner did not reach the merits. Invoking the court's docket-control power and Rule 15(a)(2)'s liberal amendment standard, she administratively terminated the motion without prejudice and allowed the plaintiffs to file a third amended complaint pleading their equitable-estoppel facts.
“the Court ... concludes that there are genuine issues of material fact for trial, and thus DENIES Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment.”
“Supernus' Motion in Limine (ECF No. 126) is GRANTED in part. Torrent is precluded from eliciting from its expert testimony about the absence of evidence ...”
“The Court RESERVES on deciding Torrent's First Motion in Limine (ECF No. 128). ... ADMINISTRATIVELY TERMINATE the parties' motions (ECF Nos. 126, 128, 129) pending the trial's outcome.”
“The Court RESERVES on deciding Torrent's Second Motion in Limine (ECF No. 129). ... ADMINISTRATIVELY TERMINATE the parties' motions ... pending the trial's outcome.”
“Defendants' Motions are GRANTED to the extent they seek dismissal of Plaintiff's FAC and DENIED as moot to the extent they seek dismissal of Plaintiff's initial Complaint.”
“For the foregoing reasons, and other good cause shown, Plaintiffs' Motion to Remand (ECF No. 17) is GRANTED.”
“For the reasons set forth below, and other good cause shown, Defendant's Motion is GRANTED.”
Put Judge Castner's record to work
Ezel drafts and answers grounded in this exact profile: how Judge Castner actually rules, not a generic AI guess.
Opens in Ezel Pro. Every answer is grounded in Judge Castner's own signed orders and cites them.