Paul J. Evangelista

How Judge Evangelista rules, drawn from 18 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.

Court
United States District Court for the Northern District of New York
Position
Magistrate judge
Commissioned
2025-01
Education
B.A. Political Science, University of Rhode Island, 1991; J.D., Albany Law School, 1994
Signed orders read
18

About Judge Evangelista

Paul J. Evangelista joined the Northern District of New York as a United States Magistrate Judge in January 2025. He previously served in the district's Federal Public Defender office, becoming First Assistant Defender in 2012. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Rhode Island and a law degree from Albany Law School.

Judge Evangelista's practices and standing orders

The court's website lists no individual practices or standing orders of Judge Evangelista'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).

Key rules from these orders · The court's local rules ↗

How Judge Evangelista decides

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

Procedural preferences

In Alexis W. v. Commissioner, Evangelista recommended granting the claimant's motion on the pleadings, denying the Commissioner's motion, vacating the disability decision, and remanding. The district judge adopted that recommendation.

“Judge Evangelista advised by R&R that plaintiff's motion should be granted, the Commissioner's motion should be denied, the Commissioner's final decision should be vacated, and that this matter should be remanded ... The Report & Recommendation (Dkt. No. 22) is ACCEPTED; Plaintiff's motion is GRANTED; The Commissioner's motion is DENIED; The Commissioner's final decision is VACATED; and This action is REMANDED”

In Croney v. Russell, Evangelista recommended denying the plaintiff's summary-judgment motion without prejudice as premature, with an opportunity to renew after discovery. The district judge adopted the recommendation.

“U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul J. Evangelista advised by Report & Recommendation (‘R&R’) that plaintiff's motion should be denied without prejudice. ... The Report & Recommendation (Dkt. No. 50) is ACCEPTED; Plaintiff's motion for summary judgment (Dkt. No. 37) is DENIED without prejudice, and with opportunity to renew upon completion of discovery”

In Remillard v. Rensselaer City School District, Evangelista granted leave to serve a late notice of claim because the district knew the allegations and the defendants did not show substantial prejudice, despite the missing reasonable excuse.

“Here, given the District’s contemporaneous knowledge of plaintiff’s allegations, the absence of demonstrated substantial prejudice, and defendants’ decision not to contest the remaining discretionary factors, the Court concludes that plaintiff’s failure to provide a reasonable excuse does not outweigh the considerations favoring relief.”

Signed rulings

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

Jones v. Agata
9:23-cv-00720-BKS-PJE · 2025-05-28
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Granted

“RECOMMENDED, that defendants’ cross-motion to dismiss (Dkt. No. 52) be GRANTED in its entirety;”

Alexis W. v. Commissioner of Social Security
5:24-cv-01131-DNH-PJE · 2026-01-27
Motion for judgment on pleadings (plaintiff) Granted

“Judge Evangelista advised by R&R that plaintiff's motion should be granted, the Commissioner's motion should be denied, the Commissioner's final decision should be vacated, and that this matter should be remanded ... The Report & Recommendation (Dkt. No. 22) is ACCEPTED; Plaintiff's motion is GRANTED; The Commissioner's motion is DENIED; The Commissioner's final decision is VACATED; and This action is REMANDED”

Cade v. Hart
9:22-cv-00751-ECC-PJE · 2025-08-12
Summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“issued a Report-Recommendation and Order recommending that Defendant's motion for summary judgment be granted. ... the Court adopts the Report-Recommendation in its entirety. ... Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment, Dkt. No. 30, is GRANTED; ... Plaintiff's Complaint, Dkt. No. 1, is DISMISSED”

Croney v. Russell
9:23-cv-01188-DNH-PJE · 2025-03-19
Summary judgment (plaintiff) Denied

“U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul J. Evangelista advised by Report & Recommendation (‘R&R’) that plaintiff's motion should be denied without prejudice. ... The Report & Recommendation (Dkt. No. 50) is ACCEPTED; Plaintiff's motion for summary judgment (Dkt. No. 37) is DENIED without prejudice, and with opportunity to renew upon completion of discovery”

Clark v. Hall
1:24-cv-01150-MAD-PJE · 2026-02-09

Multi-plaintiff pro se action against 14 defendants (70-page amended complaint). Evangelista's R&R (7/30/25) granted IFP, denied appointment of counsel, and recommended dismissal of the amended complaint (failure to comply with Rules 8/10; judicial & prosecutorial immunity; Rooker-Feldman/family-court bar; no Sec.1983 against private parties; pro se cannot sue on behalf of co-plaintiffs). D'Agostino adopted in full; dismissed WITHOUT prejudice with leave to amend within 30 days. Screening/pleading-sufficiency recommendation, excluded from contested-motion stats.

Lara Jeanette M. v. Commissioner of Social Security
5:24-cv-01365 · 2026-02-25
Social security appeal (plaintiff) Denied

“RECOMMENDED, that the Commissioner’s cross-motion (Dkt. No. 15) be GRANTED, and the Commissioner’s decision be affirmed”

Burrell v. Hochul
6:25-cv-00052 · 2026-01-28

Initial review of a pro se prisoner civil rights complaint under 28 U.S.C. sections 1915 and 1915A. The Magistrate Judge granted the plaintiff's application to proceed in forma pauperis, allowed certain First Amendment retaliation and assault claims against named individual defendants to survive review, and recommended that the plaintiff's official-capacity monetary-damages claims be dismissed without prejudice and without leave to amend, with leave to replead certain other claims. Screening disposition; no adversarial motion adjudicated. Representative recommendation: "RECOMMENDED, that insofar as plaintiff seeks to proceed against all defendants in their official capacities for monetary damages (Dkt. No. 4), such claims for relief be DISMISSED without prejudice and without leave to amend."

Rowland v. Montgomery
1:25-cv-01035 · 2026-04-28

Initial review of a pro se complaint under 28 U.S.C. section 1915 brought by two prisoner plaintiffs against a private criminal-defense attorney under 42 U.S.C. section 1983. The Magistrate Judge granted the plaintiffs' in forma pauperis applications but recommended dismissing the complaint with prejudice and without leave to amend, because the private attorney is not a state actor and the claims were also barred by Heck v. Humphrey; a request for class certification was recommended dismissed without prejudice. Screening disposition. Recommendation: "RECOMMENDED, that plaintiffs’ complaint (Dkt. No. 1) be DISMISSED with prejudice and without opportunity to amend for failure to state a claim."

Flores v. Liberty Mutual Insurance
1:25-cv-01730 · 2026-04-30

Initial review of a pro se complaint under 28 U.S.C. section 1915 alleging theft of belongings from a rental car and an insurer's failure to reimburse rental costs. The Magistrate Judge granted in forma pauperis status but recommended dismissing the complaint without prejudice and without opportunity to amend for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction, finding no federal question and that the pleaded amount in controversy ($6,000-$8,000) fell below the diversity threshold. Because service had never been authorized, a defendant's motion to dismiss and the plaintiff's motion for appointment of counsel were both recommended dismissed as moot (procedural). Screening disposition. Recommendation: "RECOMMENDED that plaintiff’s complaint (Dkt. No. 1) be DISMISSED without prejudice and without opportunity to amend for lack of subject matter jurisdiction."

Washburn v. Ordway
1:25-cv-01574 · 2026-05-06

Initial review of a pro se prisoner complaint under 28 U.S.C. sections 1915 and 1915A asserting a Fourteenth Amendment deliberate medical indifference claim against a patrol officer. The Magistrate Judge granted in forma pauperis status but recommended dismissing the complaint without prejudice and with opportunity to amend, finding the plaintiff failed to plead facts satisfying either the objective seriousness prong or the subjective culpability prong, and failed to plead a Monell claim for any official-capacity theory. Screening disposition. Recommendation: "RECOMMENDED, that plaintiff’s complaint (Dkt. No. 1) be DISMISSED without prejudice and with opportunity to amend."

Soberanis v. Spellman
6:25-cv-00676-AJB-PJE · 2026-05-04
Motion for leave to proceed ifp (plaintiff) Granted

“is GRANTED; and it is”

Rule v. Braiman
1:23-cv-01218-BKS-PJE · 2026-05-13
Motion to quash subpoena (plaintiff) Granted in part

“dkt. no. 151, is GRANTED IN PART AND DENIED IN PART.”

Caseload & timing

From public federal docket records for this judge.

  • The 2025-2026 docket is dominated by Social Security disability appeals and criminal duty matters such as complaints, warrants, and initial appearances.
  • All reviewed cases post-date Evangelista's January 2025 appointment.
  • Nearly all civil appeals remain pending, while termination dates in the criminal matters reflect the short duty cycle rather than a merits resolution.
  • Meaningful case-duration and ruling-time figures will require more of his newly assigned cases to mature.

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 months0
Bench trials submitted more than six months0
Bankruptcy appeals pending more than six months0
Social Security appeals pending more than six months0
Civil cases pending more than three years0
ReportMotions over six monthsCases over three years
Mar 202600
Sep 202500
Mar 202500

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 Northern District of New York, not for Judge Evangelista: 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.

CasesMedian time
All civil cases closed1,3028.4 months
Closed with no court action2274.2 months
Closed before pretrial7967.4 months
Closed during or after pretrial26717.2 months
Closed during trial1253.8 months
12 months endingCases closedMedian time
Sep 20251,3028.4 months
Sep 20241,3937.7 months
Sep 20231,2497.9 months
Sep 20221,44412 months
Sep 20211,12010.2 months
Sep 20201,1958.6 months
Sep 20191,1879 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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