Scott W. Reid
How Judge Reid rules, drawn from 34 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Reid
Scott W. Reid joined the United States magistrate bench for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in 2021. Based in Philadelphia, he previously served as an assistant United States attorney and practiced commercial litigation at Cozen O’Connor.
Judge Reid's practices and standing orders
Rules for cases before Judge Reid, 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
Filing
When AI assisted with a legal citation, disclose the tool and certify each citation was verified.
“disclose that generative AI has been used to assist with the citation of legal authority, disclose what specific generative AI program was used, and CERTIFY that each and every citation of legal authority has been verified as accurate.”
Filing
Send chambers a courtesy copy of all motion papers.
“Judge Reid requires a courtesy copy of all motions papers to be sent directly to Chambers.”
Motions
Limit memoranda to 25 pages, double space them, and use 12-point Times New Roman.
“Memoranda must not exceed twenty-five (25) pages in length (excluding table of contents and appendices), must be double spaced and must use 12-point Times New Roman font.”
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 Reid decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In a cryptocurrency-listing dispute, Reid found the parties’ agreements enforceable despite omission of customary risk-allocation and forum terms, then entered partial summary judgment for the party denied the promised listings or refunds.
“The absence of these terms, however, does not render these contracts impossible to understand and enforce.”
On reconsideration of a police-pursuit suit, Reid applied controlling circuit precedent to keep a municipal failure-to-supervise claim alive despite the absence of evidence that the city intended to harm the decedent.
“Therefore, although I agree with the City that Otero has not come forward with evidence of an intent to harm by the City, I will not dismiss Otero’s Monell claim on that basis.”
Procedural preferences
In a property-loss suit, Reid required a subrogated insurer to join as a named plaintiff rather than rely only on an affidavit ratifying the insured’s action.
“I conclude that Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 17(a) and 19 are consistent with that principle, and require that a subrogated insurer be named as a plaintiff.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“I will enter an Order of even date directing that Hill's Request for Review be denied, and judgment entered in favor of the Commissioner. ... Hill has not proved the existence of credibly established limitations which were not recognized by the ALJ, and she certainly has not shown the existence of limitations which are not opposed by some of the medical evidence.”
“dismissing Count II with prejudice; dismissing Marshall's conditions of confinement claim with prejudice; and dismissing Marshall's failure to protect claim against Defendants Byrne, McCreary and Shuter without prejudice to amend if he is able to set forth factual matter alleging related physical injury; the failure to protect claim will be dismissed with prejudice against all other defendants.”
“The petitioner's objections are OVERRULED. The Report and Recommendation of Magistrate Judge Scott W. Reid is APPROVED and ADOPTED. The Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus is DENIED as to Claim 1. The Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus is DISMISSED as to Claims 2 and 3. There is no probable cause to issue a certificate of appealability.”
“The Report and Recommendation is APPROVED and ADOPTED. The petition for a writ of habeas corpus is DENIED in part and DISMISSED in part. There is no basis for the issuance of a certificate of appealability.”
“Rockwood's Request for Review is DENIED; The Commissioner's objections are SUSTAINED; The R&R is APPROVED and ADOPTED in part as stated in the accompanying Memorandum. The remainder of the R&R is NOT ADOPTED; Judgment is entered AFFIRMING the decision of the Commissioner”
“1. The Report and Recommendation is APPROVED and ADOPTED; 2. The Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus is DENIED with prejudice; 3. There is no probable cause to issue a certificate of appealability.”
“1. The Report and Recommendation is APPROVED and ADOPTED. 2. The Plaintiff's Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus is DISMISSED with prejudice. 4. There is no basis for the issuance of a certificate of appealability. 5. The case is CLOSED.”
“1. The Report and Recommendation is APPROVED and ADOPTED. 2. The petition for a writ of habeas corpus is DENIED IN PART and DISMISSED IN PART; there is no basis for the issuance of a certificate of appealability.”
“1. The Report and Recommendation (ECF No. 17) is APPROVED and ADOPTED. 2. The Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus (ECF No. 1) is GRANTED as to Ground One, Parker's claim that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to object to the reasonable doubt jury instruction provided at his trial. ... The Commonwealth is instructed to retry Petitioner or release him within 180 days.”
“1. The Report and Recommendation (Doc. No. 46) is APPROVED and ADOPTED. 2. Petition for a Writ of Habeas Corpus (Doc. No. 1) is DENIED. 3. A Certificate of Appealability SHALL NOT issue because, based on the analysis contained in the Magistrate Judge's Report and Recommendation, as approved and adopted by this Court, a reasonable jurist could not conclude that the Court is incorrect in denying and dismissing the Habeas Petition.”
“1. McGee's objections are OVERRULED and Magistrate Judge Reid's Report and Recommendation (ECF 12) is APPROVED and ADOPTED; 2. McGee's Petition (ECF 1) is DENIED. 3. No certificate of appealability shall issue... 4. McGee's Motion for Leave to Conduct Discovery (ECF 15) and Motion for a Stay of the Proceedings (ECF 22) are DENIED.”
“1. The Report and Recommendation is APPROVED and ADOPTED. 2. The Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus file by Omar Miller is DISMISSED as untimely filed. 3. There is no basis for a Certificate of Appealability.”
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 | 2 |
| Bench trials submitted more than six months | 0 |
| Bankruptcy appeals pending more than six months | 0 |
| Social Security appeals pending more than six months | 4 |
| Civil cases pending more than three years | 2 |
| Report | Motions over six months | Cases over three years |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 2026 | 2 | 2 |
| Sep 2025 | 1 | 1 |
| Mar 2025 | 0 | 1 |
| Sep 2024 | 0 | 1 |
| Mar 2024 | 2 | 1 |
| Sep 2023 | 1 | 0 |
| Mar 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2022 | 0 | 2 |
| Mar 2022 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2021 | 0 | 0 |
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 Reid: 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).
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