John V. Acosta

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

Court
United States District Court for the District of Oregon
Position
Magistrate judge
Commissioned
March 5, 2008
Education
San Diego State University (B.A., history, 1979); University of Oregon School of Law (J.D., 1982)
Signed orders read
18

About Judge Acosta

John V. Acosta has served as a United States magistrate judge for the District of Oregon since March 2008. He currently serves in recall status. Before taking the bench, he worked in private practice and served as senior deputy general counsel for Oregon’s TriMet transit agency.

Judge Acosta's practices and standing orders

Rules for cases before Judge Acosta, as published on the court's website (checked October 9, 2026). Judges revise these often, so confirm the current version on the court's site before you file.

Key rules

Conferences

Schedule a settlement conference through Judge Acosta’s courtroom deputy.

“Requests to schedule a settlement conference with Judge Acosta should be directed to the courtroom deputy”

Conferences

Judge Acosta conducts settlement conferences by Zoom.

“Judge Acosta conducts settlement conferences by Zoom.”

Conferences

Each party’s settlement decision-maker must attend in person or by Zoom.

“Each party’s decision-maker must be present in-person or by Zoom.”

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 Acosta decides

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

What persuades

In Greg J. A. v. Commissioner, Acosta remanded a Social Security appeal for further proceedings because the claimant’s new job counts differed sharply from the vocational expert’s step-five figures and required agency review.

“There is a vast discrepancy between 54,000 jobs and 10,026 jobs in the national economy.”

In Amy E. S. v. Commissioner, Acosta ordered immediate payment of disability benefits after finding that the ALJ had inadequately discounted supported medical limitations and that the developed record left no useful issue for another agency proceeding.

“The record is thoroughly developed, and further development would not aid in resolving this conflict.”

Procedural preferences

In Gable v. Williams, Acosta made habeas relief unconditional after the state let the court’s 90-day retrial period expire; the remedy order also addressed the extraordinary recantation record and barred another prosecution for the same homicide.

“The opinion and order presented a binary choice only, and when the state elected not to retry Gable within the 90-day limit, Gable’s release became permanent and unconditional.”

Signed rulings

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

Pearson v. Ethicon, Inc.
3:20-cv-01905-AC · 2021-09-30
Motion to exclude (defendant) Granted in part

“I DENY IN PART Defendants' Motion to Exclude the Opinions and Testimony of Donald R. Ostergard, M.D. [ECF 32].”

Summary judgment (defendant) Granted in part

“Upon review, I agree with Judge Acosta on all grounds except for his decision to deny Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment as to Plaintiffs gross negligence claim. ... I GRANT IN PART and DENY IN PART Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment [ECF 30].”

Giulio v. BV CenterCal, LLC
3:09-cv-00482-AC · 2011-08-31
Summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“The court ADOPTS the Magistrate Judge's Findings and Recommendations (doc #80 and #81). Accordingly, Defendants' motions for summary judgment (doc #20, #24, and #31) are GRANTED.”

Coos Bay RV Investments, LLC v. Weelhaus, Inc.
3:21-cv-00448-AC · 2021-11-04
Default judgment (plaintiff) Granted

“the Court ADOPTS Judge Acosta's Findings and Recommendation, ECF 24. The Court GRANTS Plaintiff's Motion for Default Judgment, ECF 16. ... awarding Plaintiff damages in the amount of $1,538,444.58 for out-of-pocket expenses and lost profits, plus pre-judgment interest, post-judgment interest, and reasonable attorney's fees and costs.”

Cervantes v. Sutton
2:20-cv-00105-AC · 2022-03-22
Summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“The Court ADOPTS the Findings and Recommendation (ECF 47), as supplemented herein after considering Plaintiff's new argument and evidence. The Court GRANTS Defendants' motion for summary judgment, ECF 34.”

Millbrooke v. City of Canby
3:12-cv-00168-AC · 2014-01-24
Summary judgment (plaintiff) Granted in part

“Plaintiff's motion for summary judgment is GRANTED IN PART as to Defendants' qualified immunity affirmative defense and DENIED on all other grounds, Dkt. 29”

Partial summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“(2) Defendants' motion for partial summary judgment is GRANTED as to Plaintiff's Fourth Amendment Monell violation and negligence claims, Dkt. 19.”

Barber v. Vance
3:16-cv-02105-AC · 2017-09-26
Declaratory judgment (plaintiff) Denied

“Plaintiff’s motion for a declaratory judgment on his first claim for relief (ECF 40) is DENIED.”

Motions to dismiss (defendant) Granted in part

“The State Defendants motion to dismiss (ECF 56) is GRANTED IN PART. It is granted with respect to Plaintiff’s first claim for relief, which is dismissed without prejudice. The Court reserves ruling on the remainder of the State Defendants’ motion to dismiss.”

Motions to strike (defendant) Granted

“Defendant Vance’s special motion to strike under Oregon Revised Statutes § 31.150 (ECF 85) is GRANTED. Plaintiff’s claims against Defendant Vance are dismissed without prejudice.”

Forbidden Fruit Ciderhouse, LLC dba 2 Towns Ciderhouse v. Ohio Security Insurance Co.
3:20-cv-00844-AC · 2022-02-23
Summary judgment (plaintiff) Denied

“This Court GRANTS Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment, ECF 41, DENIES Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment, ECF 37”

Summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“This Court GRANTS Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment, ECF 41, DENIES Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment, ECF 37, and DENIES AS MOOT Defendants' Motion for Relief, ECF 51, and DISMISSES this case with prejudice.”

Motion for relief (defendant) Moot / procedural

“DENIES AS MOOT Defendants' Motion for Relief, ECF 51”

Anand v. Inbasagaran
3:18-cv-02021-AC · 2020-07-13
Judgment on the pleadings (defendant) Granted

“I GRANT the Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings and DENY the Motion for Summary Judgment.”

Summary judgment (defendant) Denied

“I GRANT Mr. Inbasagaran's Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings [36] and DENY his Motion for Summary Judgment [37].”

Dauven v. U.S. Bancorp
3:13-cv-00844-AC · 2014-06-30
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Granted

“GRANTS Bank Defendants' Motion (#73) to Dismiss; DISMISSES without prejudice Plaintiffs' Claims One, Two, Three, and Thirteen against Bank Defendants; and DISMISSES with prejudice Plaintiffs' Claim Nine against Bank Defendants.”

Summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“GRANTS State Farm's Motion (#120) for Summary Judgment and DISMISSES with prejudice Plaintiffs' Claims One and Three against Defendant State Farm.”

Mertz v. American Family Insurer
3:10-cv-00260-AC · 2013-12-06
Summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“The Court ADOPTS Magistrate Judge Acosta's Findings and Recommendation (#88) and, accordingly, GRANTS Defendant's Motion (#62) for Summary Judgment based on Mertz's failure to file proof of loss for the property at issue and DENIES as moot Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment in all other respects.”

Summary judgment (plaintiff) Denied

“The Court also DISMISSES Plaintiff's Motion (#66) for Summary Judgment and Motion (#67) to Dismiss Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment.”

Byers v. Amsberry
2:17-cv-00734-AC · 2018-06-18
Habeas petition (plaintiff) Denied

“The Court ADOPTS Judge Acosta's Findings and Recommendation, ECF 25. Petitioner's Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus (ECF 1) is DENIED. The Court declines to issue a Certificate of Appealability on the basis that Petitioner has not made a substantial showing of the denial of a constitutional right pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2253(c)(2).”

Topness v. Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare
3:16-cv-02026-AC · 2018-02-22
Attorney fees (plaintiff) Granted in part

“The Court ADOPTS IN PART AND MODIFIES IN PART Magistrate Judge Acosta's Findings & Recommendation [42], and therefore, Plaintiff's motion for attorney's fees [26] and Plaintiff's cost bill [39] are granted in part and denied in part. Plaintiff is awarded $41,796 in attorney's fees and $777.44 in costs.”

Caseload & timing

From public federal docket records for this judge.

The Portland sample combines civil cases in which the parties consented to Acosta's jurisdiction with self-represented and duty-magistrate matters that often ended quickly. Several completed cases lasted fewer than 60 days, while litigated consent matters lasted more than a year. Reported durations measure the life of each case, not the time taken to decide a motion.

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
Sep 202400
Mar 202400
Sep 202300
Mar 202300
Sep 202200
Mar 202230
Sep 20211812
Mar 20212410
Sep 20202411

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 District of Oregon, not for Judge Acosta: 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 closed1,6479.8 months
Closed with no court action3005.2 months
Closed before pretrial1,31610.4 months
Closed during or after pretrial9not reported
Closed during trial2233.6 months
12 months endingCases closedMedian time
Sep 20251,6479.8 months
Sep 20241,63310.2 months
Sep 20231,47211.6 months
Sep 20221,62013.7 months
Sep 20211,50111.8 months
Sep 20201,53611.8 months
Sep 20191,59611.6 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).

Draft for Judge Acosta with the record in hand

Ezel grounds your drafting and research in this profile: what has persuaded Judge Acosta, and what has not, cited to the signed orders.

Opens in Ezel Pro.

  • Grounded in Judge Acosta's own signed orders
  • Cites every source it relies on, so you can verify it
  • Chat, drafting and research in one workspace