Caroline Helen Gentry
How Judge Gentry decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In Social Security appeals, recommends reversal and remand where the ALJ mishandled a medical opinion or the residual-functional-capacity analysis.
“IT IS THEREFORE RECOMMENDED THAT: 1. Plaintiff's Statement of Errors (Doc. No. 9) be GRANTED; 2. The Court REVERSE the Commissioner's non-disability determination; ... 4. This matter be REMANDED to the Social Security Administration under Sentence Four of 42 U.S.C. 405(g)”
Procedural preferences
On an unopposed summary-judgment motion, will not scour the record for the non-movant; a plaintiff's unsworn allegations cannot create a genuine issue of material fact.
“The undersigned Magistrate Judge therefore RECOMMENDS that Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment (ECF No. 48) be GRANTED.”
Gentry compares overlapping complaints and recommends dismissal when a later action duplicates the defendants, events, requested relief, and claims already pending in an earlier case. A litigant should consolidate related allegations rather than maintain parallel federal actions.
“The Court need not, and should not, expend judicial resources on both of these cases.”
Cautions
Declines to remand a Social Security appeal on an undefined-'superficial'-interaction theory where the ALJ built an accurate and logical bridge supported by substantial evidence.
“IT IS THEREFORE RECOMMENDED THAT: 1. Plaintiff's Statement of Errors (Doc. No. 9) be OVERRULED; 2. The Court AFFIRM the Commissioner's non-disability determination”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“The undersigned Magistrate Judge therefore RECOMMENDS that Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment (ECF No. 48) be GRANTED.”
“the undersigned Magistrate Judge RECOMMENDS that the District Judge GRANT Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment, DISMISS Plaintiff's remaining access-to-courts claim”
“DENY Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment and Motion for Subpoena AS MOOT, and TERMINATE this case.”
“the undersigned RECOMMENDS that the Court DISMISS this habeas corpus case for lack of jurisdiction. ... The Court should GRANT Defendants' motions to dismiss”
“IT IS THEREFORE RECOMMENDED THAT: 1. Plaintiff's Statement of Errors (Doc. No. 9) be GRANTED; 2. The Court REVERSE the Commissioner's non-disability determination; ... 4. This matter be REMANDED to the Social Security Administration under Sentence Four of 42 U.S.C. 405(g)”
“IT IS THEREFORE RECOMMENDED THAT: 1. Plaintiff's Statement of Errors (Doc. No. 9) be OVERRULED; 2. The Court AFFIRM the Commissioner's non-disability determination”
After comparing the plaintiff's two pending Section 1983 actions, Gentry concluded that the later case involved the same defendants, incident, relief, and overlapping claims as the narrowed amended complaint in the first case. Invoking the court's inherent authority to avoid duplicative federal litigation, she recommended dismissal of the second case and denial of leave to appeal in forma pauperis. Verbatim disposition: "The undersigned therefore RECOMMENDS that the Court DISMISS this second case, Case No. 3:26-cv-14 as DUPLICATIVE of Case No. 3:25-cv-428."
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
A 2023-2026 sample of Judge Gentry's directly assigned work is dominated by Social Security appeals and criminal-duty search- and seizure-warrant matters. Her prisoner and other civil-rights merits work generally appears as recommendations in cases assigned to district judges. The sample is illustrative rather than a measured caseload distribution.
Put Judge Gentry's record to work
Ezel drafts and answers grounded in this exact profile: how Judge Gentry actually rules, not a generic AI guess.
Opens in Ezel Pro. Every answer is grounded in Judge Gentry's own signed orders and cites them.