William P. Johnson
How Judge Johnson rules, drawn from 15 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
How Judge Johnson decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
On a partial summary-judgment motion directed at punitive damages Johnson requires malicious, willful, reckless, wanton, or bad-faith conduct and lays out a detailed mental-state continuum; ordinary negligence (a driver forgetting to set a parking brake) will not support punitives, and gross negligence was removed as a basis under New Mexico law in 1998.
“Defendants' Motion for Partial Summary Judgment (Doc. 263) is GRANTED.”
Procedural preferences
He denies a summary-judgment motion filed before the opposing party has had the jurisdictional discovery the court ordered, treating such an early motion as premature and denying it without prejudice rather than on the merits.
“the United States' Motion for Partial Summary Judgment, Doc. 268, filed August 13, 2019, is DENIED without prejudice”
Cautions
He strictly enforces the New Mexico Tort Claims Act notice requirement (NMSA 41-4-16): a complaint that fails to plead actual notice communicating a likelihood that litigation may ensue is dismissed for lack of jurisdiction, and he criticizes shotgun pleading.
“the UNM Defendants' Partial Motion to Dismiss (Doc. 17) is GRANTED. The NMTCA claim is DISMISSED without prejudice on jurisdictional grounds.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“the United States' Motion for Partial Summary Judgment, Doc. 268, filed August 13, 2019, is DENIED without prejudice”
“Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment (Doc. 2) is DENIED in part and GRANTED in part.”
“Defendants' Motion for Partial Summary Judgment (Doc. 263) is GRANTED.”
“the UNM Defendants' Partial Motion to Dismiss (Doc. 17) is GRANTED. The NMTCA claim is DISMISSED without prejudice on jurisdictional grounds.”
“the Cumbres Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss (Doc. 15) is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part.”
“The Individual Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss (Doc. 16) is also GRANTED, and Count V is DISMISSED with prejudice.”
“the Court hereby GRANTS Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment (Doc. 17) on Plaintiff Crandall’s only claim against Defendants.”
“Defendants Motion to Strike Plaintiff’s Jury Demand (Doc. 31) is DENIED as MOOT”
“the Court hereby GRANTS IN PART and DENIES IN PART Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment based on Qualified Immunity.”
“The Tarsin Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment (Doc. 188) is DENIED for the reasons stated in this Memorandum Opinion and Order.”
“Petitioner Martin Perea’s Motion to Vacate, Set Aside, or Correct Sentence Under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 (CR Doc. 168; CV Doc. 1) is DENIED with prejudice.”
“which is construed as a successive 28 U.S.C. § 2255 filing, is DISMISSED without prejudice for lack of jurisdiction”
“DW Partners’ ‘Corrected Motion for Summary Judgment’ (Doc. 148) is GRANTED.”
“Plaintiff’s Motion for Violation of Civil Rights, Doc. 5, filed February 4, 2025, is DENIED.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Median case duration in the sampled dockets: 203 days (N = 16).
Median motion-to-ruling time: 65 days (N = 1).
- Senior Judge Johnson served as Chief Judge from 2018 through 2025 and continues to issue orders in Albuquerque.
- The sampled caseload combines illegal-reentry and firearms prosecutions with prisoner civil-rights suits, employment, contract, diversity, Social Security, and removed personal-injury cases; his recent docket also includes a substantial cohort of immigration-detention habeas petitions.
- This describes caseload composition, not motion outcomes.
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