James Ray Knepp II
How Judge Knepp decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
Grants a defendant's summary judgment in employment and civil cases where the movant shows no genuine dispute of material fact.
“ORDERED that Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment (Doc. 34) be, and the same hereby is, GRANTED.”
Procedural preferences
Enforces arbitration agreements — compels arbitration and stays the case pending its resolution.
“ORDERED that Defendants Motion to Compel Arbitration (Doc. 6) be, and the same hereby is, GRANTED; FURTHER ORDERED that further proceedings in this matter, as to Plaintiffs Baker and Arnett, be STAYED pending resolution of arbitration.”
Grants a Rule 12(b)(6) dismissal and denies the plaintiff's competing motion for default judgment.
“ORDERED that Defendant's Motion to Dismiss (Doc. 5) be, and the same hereby is, GRANTED”
Cautions
Denies motions to reconsider or to alter or amend a judgment.
“ORDERED that Plaintiffs' Motion to Alter or Amend (Doc. 15) be, and the same hereby is, DENIED.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“ORDERED that Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment (Doc. 17) be, and the same hereby is, GRANTED.”
“ORDERED that Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment (Doc. 34) be, and the same hereby is, GRANTED.”
“ORDERED that Defendant's Motion to Tax Costs (Doc. 41) be, and the same hereby is, granted; Plaintiff is taxed with $2,693.50 in costs.”
“ORDERED that Defendants Motion to Compel Arbitration (Doc. 6) be, and the same hereby is, GRANTED; FURTHER ORDERED that further proceedings in this matter, as to Plaintiffs Baker and Arnett, be STAYED pending resolution of arbitration.”
“ORDERED that Plaintiff's Motion for Leave to File Sur-Reply Instanter (Doc. 11) be, and the same hereby is, DENIED”
“ORDERED that Plaintiff's Motion to Expedite Issuance of Official Final Decision (Doc. 14) be, and the same hereby is, DENIED.”
“ORDERED that Plaintiffs' Motion to Alter or Amend (Doc. 15) be, and the same hereby is, DENIED.”
“ORDERED that Defendant's Motion to Dismiss (Doc. 5) be, and the same hereby is, GRANTED”
“FURTHER ORDERED that Plaintiff's Motion for Default Judgment (Doc. 10) be, and the same hereby is, DENIED”
“Motion for Leave to File Second Amended Complaint (Doc. 55) be, and the same hereby is, GRANTED”
“Joint Motion to Stay (Doc. 65), be and the same hereby is, GRANTED and this case is STAYED until June 30, 2026”
“the Petition (Doc. 1) is DENIED as set forth specifically herein”
“Motions for Temporary Restraining Orders (Docs. 3, 4, 12, 20, 21, 22) be, and the same hereby are, DENIED as moot”
“Rule 56(d) Motion (Doc. 31) be, and the same hereby is, DENIED”
“Motion to Convert (Doc. 12) be, and the same hereby is, GRANTED in part to the extent is seeks to dismiss Defendants Danbury Township, Michael Scherer, United States of America, and David Kasulones and DENIED in all other respects”
“Motion to Dismiss (Doc. 11), be and the same hereby is, GRANTED to the extent it seeks dismissal of the claims against Defendants Barbara Distel and Marc Kudley”
“Motion to Dismiss (Doc. 9), be and the same hereby is, DENIED as moot”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Median case duration in the sampled dockets: 419 days (N = 11).
The reviewed 2021 Toledo filings include Social Security appeals, employment disputes under Title VII, the ADA, the FMLA, the ADEA, and the FLSA, prisoner and other civil-rights cases, state habeas petitions, diversity tort actions, and contract disputes. Magistrate Judge Darrell A. Clay appears in the sampled matters, including for settlement conferences.
Put Judge Knepp's record to work
Ezel drafts and answers grounded in this exact profile: how Judge Knepp actually rules, not a generic AI guess.
Opens in Ezel Pro. Every answer is grounded in Judge Knepp's own signed orders and cites them.