Tonianne J. Bongiovanni
How Judge Bongiovanni rules, drawn from 34 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Bongiovanni
Tonianne J. Bongiovanni has served as a United States Magistrate Judge in Trenton for the District of New Jersey since 2003. Before joining the bench, she worked in the district's Federal Public Defender office, rising from investigator to First Assistant Federal Public Defender.
Judge Bongiovanni's practices and standing orders
Rules for cases before Judge Bongiovanni, as published on the court's website (checked October 8, 2026). Judges revise these often, so confirm the current version on the court's site before you file.
Key rules
Conferences
Clients with full settlement authority must attend settlement conferences in person unless the court directs otherwise.
“Unless specifically instructed otherwise by the Court, clients with full settlement authority are required to appear in person at the conference.”
Conferences
Email any settlement memorandum at least three business days before the conference and keep it within five pages.
“at least 3 business days before the scheduled settlement conference and should not exceed 5 pages in length.”
Conferences
Request a conference adjournment in writing by email at least two business days beforehand.
“Adjournment Requests shall only be considered if made at least 2 business days prior to a scheduled conference.”
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).
- Second Amended Standing Order 2026-02: In Re Increase in Immigration-Related Habeas Corpus Petitions seeking Emergent Relief ↗
- Standing Order 2025-05: IN RE Procedures for Access to and Service of Sealed Documents ↗
- Standing Order 2025-04: IN RE "Schedule A" Cases ↗
- Standing Order 2024-03: In re: Amendment to Procedures for Requesting, Filing, and Management of Highly Sensitive Documents and Guidance for Same ↗
- Standing Order 2024-02: Electronic Signatures ↗
How Judge Bongiovanni decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In Allen v. State of New Jersey, Bongiovanni allowed some proposed employment claims while leaving the defendants’ challenges to their sufficiency and timeliness for later dispositive motion practice.
“the appropriate procedure is for them to do so in a substantive dispositive motion”
In Allen v. State of New Jersey, Bongiovanni allowed several proposed employment claims but denied leave to add ADA damages claims against the state as futile. She held the state’s removal waived immunity from a federal forum, not immunity from liability on those claims.
“while voluntary removal waives a State's immunity from suit in a federal forum, the removing State retains all defenses it would have enjoyed had the matter been litigated in state court, including immunity from liability.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“AGLIC'S MOTION TO AMEND IS GRANTED AND AGLIC SHALL FILE ITS SECOND AMENDED COMPLAINT NO LATER THAN MARCH 23, 2009.”
“Plaintiffs' motion to amend is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part.”
“RECOMMENDED that Plaintiff's Complaint be DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE”
“ORDERED that the Report and Recommendation (ECF No. 19) is hereby adopted and entered; and it is further ORDERED that Plaintiff's Complaint is DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE”
“ORDERED that the Magistrate Judge's Report and Recommendation, dated August 6, 2018, is hereby ADOPTED; and it is further, ORDERED that Plaintiff's Complaint is hereby DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE for failure to prosecute”
After the parties stipulated that damages would not exceed the jurisdictional amount, Bongiovanni recommended remand to state court. No party moved for remand in this order.
“For the foregoing reasons, Plaintiff's Motion to Compel is DENIED.”
“Defendant's Motion to Compel is GRANTED, in part, and DENIED without PREJUDICE, in part.”
“Plaintiffs' motion to amend their Complaint to join Fotografixusa, Inc. as a defendant is granted.”
“the Court finds that Fotografixusa, LLC's motion to set aside default is moot and is dismissed as such.”
“Plaintiff's Motion to Amend is DENIED WITHOUT PREJUDICE.”
“Newtechbio's motion for reconsideration and Septicleanse's cross motion for sanctions are DENIED.”
“Purdue's motion to bifurcate the trial of this matter and to stay all damages and willfulness related discovery is DENIED.”
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 | 1 |
| Mar 2021 | 0 | 1 |
| Sep 2020 | 0 | 1 |
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 U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, not for Judge Bongiovanni: 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 | 8,970 | 8.1 months |
| Closed with no court action | 370 | 4.6 months |
| Closed before pretrial | 6,266 | 5.3 months |
| Closed during or after pretrial | 2,317 | 14.4 months |
| Closed during trial | 17 | 36.6 months |
| 12 months ending | Cases closed | Median time |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 8,970 | 8.1 months |
| Sep 2024 | 7,921 | 8.1 months |
| Sep 2023 | 8,378 | 10.3 months |
| Sep 2022 | 7,053 | 7.9 months |
| Sep 2021 | 9,064 | 9.2 months |
| Sep 2020 | 9,031 | 9.9 months |
| Sep 2019 | 10,590 | 9 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).
Draft for Judge Bongiovanni with the record in hand
Ezel grounds your drafting and research in this profile: what has persuaded Judge Bongiovanni, and what has not, cited to the signed orders.
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