David L. Martin
How Judge Martin rules, drawn from 13 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Judge Martin no longer sits on this court. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled here.
About Judge Martin
David L. Martin served as a United States Magistrate Judge for the District of Rhode Island from 1998 until his retirement in 2012. Before taking the bench, he worked as a Rhode Island assistant public defender and then practiced criminal defense. He earned degrees from the University of Rhode Island and the University of Virginia School of Law.
How Judge Martin decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In Cambio v. Astrue, Martin granted the Commissioner's sentence-four remand motion and granted the claimant's reversal motion to the extent of a remand for further administrative proceedings.
“I order that Defendant’s Motion for Remand be granted and that Plaintiff’s Motion to Reverse be granted to the extent that the matter be remanded to the Commissioner for further administrative proceedings.”
In Hazen v. South Kingstown School Department, Martin recommended upholding the hearing officer's conclusion that the 2009 education plan provided R.H. with a free appropriate public education, after finding the officer's careful decision entitled to deference.
“Based on the foregoing, the Court concludes that the Hearing Officer’s finding that the 2009 IEP provided R.H. with FAPE is entitled to deference.”
Procedural preferences
In Champlin's Realty Associates v. Carcieri, he ordered nonparty town officials to sit for depositions but limited their burden by requiring a convenient mainland location near the ferry docks.
“the burden on the Town Officials in appearing in Pawtucket weighs most heavily in favor of quashing the subpoenas. However, this burden can be substantially lessened by requiring that the depositions be conducted on the mainland ... at a suitable location which is reasonably convenient to where the ferry docks.”
In Argent Mortgage Co. v. East Wallum Lake Trust, Martin recommended default judgment against John Lace after repeated failures to attend depositions, and against the trust and Lisa Lace because of their close relationship to him and their own failure to attend a deposition.
“here the close relationship between Mr. Lace, Mrs. Lace, and the Trust persuades the Court that unless default judgment is entered against all three Defendants, Plaintiff will not obtain the relief it seeks and Mr. Lace will not be adequately sanctioned.”
Cautions
In Flores v. Wall, he recommended denying a pro se prisoner's requests for injunctive relief insofar as they concerned claims outside the amended complaint; he also found the prisoner had not shown likely success on the pleaded claims.
“to the extent that Flores seeks any relief with respect to claims not alleged in the Amended Complaint, the Motions should be denied.”
In Naval Stores Suppliers v. LGS Consulting, Martin recommended remand because the notice of removal was untimely and another defendant had not clearly consented within the required period.
“Because LGS Consulting has failed to manifest its clear and unequivocal consent to the removal within the statutorily prescribed thirty days, the removal was procedurally improper.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“I recommend that the Motions to Dismiss be granted.”
“Defendant's motion to dismiss is GRANTED, and Plaintiff's requested judgment by default is DENIED.”
“I recommend that Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment be GRANTED and that Plaintiffs' Motion for Summary Judgment be DENIED.”
“I recommend that the Motion to Dismiss and Motion to Join be granted and that the Motion for Injunction and Amended Motion for Injunction be denied.”
“I further recommend that the unopposed Motion to Join be granted.”
“Having received the Amended Motion for Injunction, it is clear that it is completely unrelated to the allegations in the First Amended Complaint... I therefore recommend that it be denied.”
“I recommend that the D.O.C.'s Motion to Dismiss be granted.”
“I recommend that Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment be GRANTED and that Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment be DENIED.”
“For the reasons explained above, I recommend that the Motion to Dismiss be granted.”
“I recommend that the Motion to Remand be granted and that this action be remanded to the Circuit Court of the Third Judicial District in and for Taylor County, Florida.”
“I additionally recommend that Plaintiff's request for an award of attorneys' fees and costs pursuant to 28 U.S.C. Sec. 1447(c) be denied.”
“I recommend that the Attorney General's Motion to Dismiss be granted and that Brown's Petition be denied and dismissed.”
“I recommend that Defendant's Motion to Dismiss or Stay be denied.”
“In summary, the Motions to Compel are granted to the extent that: 1) the Town Officials shall submit to being deposed... 2) the Town Officials shall produce the records described in the subpoena... In all other respects, the Motions to Compel ... are denied.”
“In all other respects, the Motions to Compel and the Motion for Protective Order are denied.”
“For the reasons stated above, I recommend that the Motion for Default Judgment be granted and that default judgment be entered against Mr. Lace, Mrs. Lace, and the Trust as stated above.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Case-level enumeration shows a Social Security consent-jurisdiction docket recurring across his full tenure (1997-2008 sampled here), alongside a large volume of referral-magistrate matters in other case types and, particularly in his earlier years, numerous body-attachment ('Order of Return') proceedings in criminal matters, which are administrative and not counted as motions.
A historical record
Judge Martin no longer sits on this court. This profile stays available as a record of how they ruled here. If you're preparing for a matter, start from the court's current bench.