Karen Ballard Molzen

How Judge Molzen rules, drawn from 9 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.

Court
United States District Court for the District of New Mexico
Position
magistrate
Commissioned
1999-04-26
Signed orders read
9

How Judge Molzen decides

Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.

Procedural preferences

In Maloy, Judge Molzen recommended denying pauper status where the financial showing did not establish inability to pay and recommended dismissal without prejudice because the sparse civil-rights allegations did not invoke federal jurisdiction.

“Maloy has failed to show that he cannot, because of poverty, provide himself with the necessities of life and pay the filing fee. ... his sparse allegations do not invoke the subject-matter jurisdiction of the court ... and border on being delusional.”

In Cowgill, Judge Molzen used an order to show cause to address defective service and recommended dismissal without prejudice after the self-represented plaintiff did not respond.

“the Chief Magistrate Judge entered an Order to Show Cause ... Cowgill did not respond, and ... Chief Magistrate Judge Molzen sua sponte proposed that the Court dismiss the case without prejudice”

Signed rulings

A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.

Moya v. U.S. Eagle Federal Credit Union
1:17-cv-00415-RB/KBM
Bankruptcy appeal (plaintiff) Denied

“Magistrate Judge Karen B. Molzen filed her PF&RD on March 9, 2018, in which she recommended that the Order Dismissing Bankruptcy Case be affirmed and this bankruptcy appeal dismissed. ... the bankruptcy appeal is DISMISSED with prejudice”

Maloy v. Anglin
1:13-cv-00294-JB/KBM
Screening dismissal (court) Granted

“the Honorable Karen B. Molzen, Chief United States Magistrate Judge, recommends that the Court deny the pro-se Plaintiff's Application to Proceed ... without Prepaying Fees or Costs ... and dismiss without prejudice his Civil Rights Complaint Pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 1983 ... the Plaintiff's Civil Rights Complaint ... is dismissed without prejudice.”

Cowgill v. Burke
1:17-cv-00242-JB/KBM
Failure to prosecute dismissal (court) Granted

“Chief Magistrate Judge Molzen sua sponte proposed that the Court dismiss the case without prejudice because of Cowgill's apparent lack of interest in properly litigating this matter. ... this case is dismissed without prejudice”

United States v. Daprano
1:04-cr-02040-JB/KBM
Construed motion (defendant) Denied

“the Honorable Karen B. Molzen ... recommended that the Court deny the relief requested in the Defendant's Letter[s] to the Honorable James O. Browning ... without prejudice, and open a new civil case pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 1983 ... the relief requested ... is denied without prejudice; and ... the Clerk of the Court is directed to open a new civil case pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 1983”

Coriz v. Rodriguez
1:17-cv-01258-JB/KBM · 2018-11-05
Motion to substitute party (plaintiff) Granted in part

“Magistrate Judge Molzen issued her PFRD on June 7, 2018 in which she recommends granting the Motion in part and denying it in part. ... IT IS ORDERED that: (i) Magistrate Judge Molzen's Proposed Findings and Recommended Disposition on Petitioner's Motion to Substitute the Current Governor as the Successive Officer in the Above-Captioned Case, filed June 7, 2018 (Doc. 34), is adopted; (ii) Thomas Moquino, Jr., in his official capacity as Governor of the Kewa Pueblo, is substituted as a Respondent in place of Robert B. Coriz, in his official capacity as Governor of the Kewa Pueblo; (iii) Robert B. Coriz remains a Respondent in his official capacity as Tribal Court Judge; and (iv) Respondent Kewa Pueblo is dismissed.”

Baray v. Saul
1:19-cv-00343
Social security appeal (plaintiff) Granted

“this Court hereby reverses the Commissioner's decision and remands this matter to the Commissioner.”

Erives v. Saul
2:20-cv-00398
Social security appeal (plaintiff) Granted

“this Court hereby reverses the Commissioner's decision and remands this matter to the Commissioner.”

Schweiter v. Saul
1:21-cv-00168
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Granted

“it is ORDERED that ¶ 8(G) of Plaintiff's Complaint be dismissed with prejudice pursuant to F.R.C.P. 12(b)(1).”

Saavedra v. Saul
1:20-cv-00528
Social security appeal (plaintiff) Granted

“this Court hereby REVERSES the Commissioner's decision under sentence four of 42 U.S.C. § 405(g) with a REMAND to the Commissioner for further administrative proceedings.”

Caseload & timing

From public federal docket records for this judge.

Median case duration in the sampled dockets: 347 days (N = 10).

Median motion-to-ruling time: 252.5 days (N = 2).

Judge Molzen's work includes substantial Albuquerque criminal and immigration duty, final decisions by consent in Social Security disability appeals, and recommendations in bankruptcy appeals, prisoner and other pro se cases, and immigration habeas matters. This describes the composition of her work, not a grant rate.

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