Juan R. Sanchez
How Judge Sanchez rules, drawn from 32 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Sanchez
Juan Ramon Sánchez is a judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Appointed by President George W. Bush, Judge Sánchez received a commission on June 24, 2004.
Judge Sanchez's practices and standing orders
Rules for cases before Judge Sanchez, as published on the court's website (checked October 8, 2026). Judges revise these often, so confirm the current version on the court's site before you file.
- Policies and Procedures ↗
- Joint Rule 16 Conference Information Report ↗
- Protocol for Use of Electronic Evidence at Trial ↗
Key rules
Contacting chambers
Send continuance and case-management deadline extension requests by letter to the judge.
“Requests for a continuance of any court proceeding or an extension of any case management deadline must be directed to Judge Sánchez by letter.”
Contacting chambers
Copy written communications with chambers to all counsel and unrepresented parties.
“Written communications with chambers must be copied to all counsel and unrepresented parties.”
Discovery
Before filing a discovery motion, request a telephone conference with a brief letter outlining the dispute.
“Counsel should request a telephone conference with Judge Sánchez by emailing a letter to chambers briefly outlining the nature of the dispute.”
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 8, 2026).
- Standing Order on Procedure for Case Opening ↗
- Standing Order on Highly Sensitive Documents ↗
- Standing Order on Access and Management of Sealed Documents ↗
- Standing Order on Filing Procedures in Alien Detainee Cases ↗
- Second Amended Standing Order on Guilty Pleas and Sentencing ↗
- Standing Order on Electronic Document Submission for Unrepresented Litigants ↗
- Standing Procedural Order for Cases Seeking Social Security Review ↗
- Superseding Standing Order on Procedural Matters in Pro Se Civil and Habeas Cases ↗
- Standing Order on Electronic Access to Civil and Criminal Transcripts ↗
How Judge Sanchez decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In Lopez Lopez, Sánchez granted immediate habeas relief to a long-resident noncitizen arrested inside the United States, holding that the mandatory detention provision the government invoked did not authorize his custody.
“Lopez Lopez cannot be detained under § 1225(b)(2). Lopez Lopez’s current detention is therefore illegal, and he is entitled to immediate relief.”
Procedural preferences
In Acuity, Sánchez dismissed an insurance coverage complaint with prejudice after the plaintiff requested leave to amend but gave no account of how new allegations would establish that the related companies were insured.
“Because Acuity has not provided any explanation as to how it would amend its complaint to state a plausible claim, leave to amend will be denied.”
In Colur World, Sánchez granted a personal-jurisdiction challenge but transferred the action to the Central District of California rather than ending the dispute in federal court.
“It is FURTHER ORDERED this action is TRANSFERRED to the United States District Court for the Central District of California.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“the Motion (Document 14) is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part as follows: The Motion is GRANTED insofar as Aspira's substantive due process claim in Count II is DISMISSED with prejudice; and The balance of the Motion is DENIED.”
“Defendants' motions to dismiss (Documents 14 & 15) are GRANTED. Smith-Goodman's Second Amended Complaint is DISMISSED with prejudice. The Clerk of Court is directed to mark this case CLOSED.”
“Smith-Goodman's motion seeking a preliminary injunction (Document 18) is DISMISSED as moot.”
“upon consideration of Defendant Secretary of the Navy's ('the Navy') Motion to Dismiss (Dkt. No. 11) and Plaintiff Sang Heng's response thereto -- and for the reasons set forth in the accompanying Memorandum -- it is ORDERED the Motion is DENIED.”
“Defendants' motions to dismiss are granted insofar as the case will be transferred to the Middle District of Florida. ... In lieu of staying or dismissing this case, however, the case will be transferred to the Middle District of Florida, where an earlier related action is pending.”
“Defendants' motions to dismiss for lack of standing are denied.”
“Defendants' motions to strike Plaintiff's proposed class definition are also denied.”
“The City's Motion for Summary Judgment (Document 51) is GRANTED. Judgment is entered in favor of the City as to Counts I and II of Addeo's Amended Complaint.”
“The Union's Motion for Summary Judgment (Document 53) is GRANTED. Judgment is entered in favor of the Union as to Count II of Addeo's Amended Complaint.”
“Addeo's Petition to Rescind Jury Waiver Pursuant to Rule 39(b) (Document 87) is DISMISSED as MOOT. The Clerk is directed to mark this case CLOSED.”
“Defendant Oldham Global, LLC's Motion to Dismiss Count II of Plaintiff's Complaint is DENIED.”
“Because the Court agrees with Defendants that a certificate of merit is required in this case, Flint's motion to strike will be denied.”
“it is ORDERED the Motion (Dkt. No. 20) is GRANTED. Judgment is entered in favor of Lt. Pittaoulis as to all claims in Abdulla's Complaint.”
“upon consideration of Defendants' Motions for Summary Judgment (ECF Nos. 71, 72) ... and for the reasons stated in the accompanying Memorandum, it is ORDERED the Motions are DENIED.”
“ORDERED the Motions are DENIED. (Second of two defendant-group MSJs, ECF No. 72, likewise denied.)”
“Defendants Millersville University of Pennsylvania (Millersville), Louis P. DeSol, and Roger Bruszewski's Motion for Summary Judgment (Document 9) is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part as follows: Summary judgment is DENIED as to Dickinson's Title VII claim against Millersville. Summary Judgment is GRANTED as to all claims asserted against DeSol and Bruszewski individually.”
“The Court will grant summary judgment in favor of the moving Defendants on all claims. Green has failed to demonstrate any genuine dispute of material fact and Defendants are entitled to judgment as a matter of law on all claims.”
“For the same reasons, the Court will also deny Green's motion for summary judgment.”
“Defendant Bristol Township's Motion to Dismiss (Document 4) is GRANTED. Plaintiffs Rakeem Rankins and Pearline Davis's Complaint (Document 1) is DISMISSED without prejudice. Plaintiffs shall have until June 14, 2017, to file an amended complaint.”
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 months | 8 |
| Bench trials submitted more than six months | 0 |
| Bankruptcy appeals pending more than six months | 0 |
| Social Security appeals pending more than six months | 0 |
| Civil cases pending more than three years | 13 |
| Report | Motions over six months | Cases over three years |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 2026 | 8 | 13 |
| Sep 2025 | 2 | 7 |
| Mar 2025 | 0 | 6 |
| Sep 2024 | 2 | 4 |
| Mar 2024 | 1 | 3 |
| Sep 2023 | 0 | 2 |
| Mar 2023 | 0 | 1 |
| Sep 2022 | 3 | 4 |
| Mar 2022 | 0 | 3 |
| Sep 2021 | 0 | 3 |
| Mar 2021 | 0 | 2 |
| Sep 2020 | 2 | 2 |
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 U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, not for Judge Sanchez: 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.
| Cases | Median time | |
|---|---|---|
| All civil cases closed | 5,730 | 5.1 months |
| Closed with no court action | 1,952 | 3.2 months |
| Closed before pretrial | 2,834 | 4.7 months |
| Closed during or after pretrial | 898 | 10 months |
| Closed during trial | 46 | 17.8 months |
| 12 months ending | Cases closed | Median time |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 5,730 | 5.1 months |
| Sep 2024 | 6,200 | 4.6 months |
| Sep 2023 | 6,595 | 7 months |
| Sep 2022 | 5,221 | 6.6 months |
| Sep 2021 | 5,245 | 6.5 months |
| Sep 2020 | 4,686 | 5.7 months |
| Sep 2019 | 5,374 | 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 Sanchez with the record in hand
Ezel grounds your drafting and research in this profile: what has persuaded Judge Sanchez, and what has not, cited to the signed orders.
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