Juan R. Sanchez

How Judge Sanchez rules, drawn from 32 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.

Court
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Position
District judge
Appointed by
George W. Bush (Republican)
Education
City College of New York (CUNY), B.A. cum laude 1978; University of Pennsylvania Law School, J.D. 1981
Signed orders read
32

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.

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).

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

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.

Aspira, Inc. of Pennsylvania v. The School District of Philadelphia
2:19-cv-04415 · 2020-01-21
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Granted in part

“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.”

Smith-Goodman v. City of Philadelphia Department of Human Services
2:18-cv-03675 · 2019-08-13
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Granted

“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.”

Preliminary injunction (plaintiff) Moot / procedural

“Smith-Goodman's motion seeking a preliminary injunction (Document 18) is DISMISSED as moot.”

San Heng v. Secretary of the Navy
2:24-cv-06119 · 2026-03-30
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Denied

“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.”

O.P. Schuman & Sons, Inc. v. DJM Advisory Group, LLC
2:16-cv-03563 · 2017-02-16
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Moot / procedural

“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.”

Motions to dismiss (defendant) Denied

“Defendants' motions to dismiss for lack of standing are denied.”

Motions to strike (defendant) Denied

“Defendants' motions to strike Plaintiff's proposed class definition are also denied.”

Addeo v. Philadelphia Firefighters and Paramedic Union Local 22
2:17-cv-02239 · 2018-11-20
Summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“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.”

Summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“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.”

Petition to rescind jury waiver (plaintiff) Moot / procedural

“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.”

Riley v. Oldham Global, LLC
2:24-cv-01487 · 2025-02-13
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Denied

“Defendant Oldham Global, LLC's Motion to Dismiss Count II of Plaintiff's Complaint is DENIED.”

Flint v. Armanino LLP
2:25-cv-03836 · 2025-10-06
Motions to strike (plaintiff) 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.”

Abdulla v. Pittaoulis
2:23-cv-03914 · 2026-02-20
Summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“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.”

Dennis v. City of Philadelphia
2:18-cv-02689 · 2023-10-30
Summary judgment (defendant) Denied

“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.”

Summary judgment (defendant) Denied

“ORDERED the Motions are DENIED. (Second of two defendant-group MSJs, ECF No. 72, likewise denied.)”

Dickinson v. Millersville University of Pennsylvania
5:13-cv-05022 · 2014-04-03
Summary judgment (defendant) Granted in part

“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.”

Green v. Mergen
2:23-cv-03037 · 2025-01-23
Summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“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.”

Summary judgment (plaintiff) Denied

“For the same reasons, the Court will also deny Green's motion for summary judgment.”

Rankins v. Bristol Township
2:16-cv-05525 · 2017-05-31
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Granted

“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 months8
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 years13
ReportMotions over six monthsCases over three years
Mar 2026813
Sep 202527
Mar 202506
Sep 202424
Mar 202413
Sep 202302
Mar 202301
Sep 202234
Mar 202203
Sep 202103
Mar 202102
Sep 202022

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.

CasesMedian time
All civil cases closed5,7305.1 months
Closed with no court action1,9523.2 months
Closed before pretrial2,8344.7 months
Closed during or after pretrial89810 months
Closed during trial4617.8 months
12 months endingCases closedMedian time
Sep 20255,7305.1 months
Sep 20246,2004.6 months
Sep 20236,5957 months
Sep 20225,2216.6 months
Sep 20215,2456.5 months
Sep 20204,6865.7 months
Sep 20195,3746 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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