Patricia A. Sullivan

How Judge Sullivan rules, drawn from 12 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.

Court
U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island
Appointed by
Judges of the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island
Commissioned
2012-10-01
Education
Wellesley College, B.A., with honors, 1973; Georgetown University Law Center, J.D., magna cum laude, 1978
Signed orders read
12

How Judge Sullivan decides

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

What persuades

In screening a repeat pro se filer's complaint, the judge relied on the litigant's own prior filings and public records to test the credibility of new factual assertions, rather than accepting them at face value.

“A check of the same database in connection with this IFP motion reflects that Mr. Rosario still appears to own at least one property, permitting the inference that the response under penalty of perjury in his Application filed in this case that he owns no real estate may not be accurate.”

Cautions

The judge closely scrutinizes pro se motions for a genuine evidentiary basis and for relief the named defendant is actually capable of granting, rather than relief against absent parties or beyond the court's authority.

“Plaintiff asks for ‘immediate’ summary judgment but provides no evidence in support of his request... the only defendant remaining in the case is Dr. Clarke, who has not been an employee of RIDOC since early 2021.”

Signed rulings

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

Fuentes v. State of Rhode Island
C.A. No. 18-113 WES · 2018-08-30
Motions to dismiss (respondent) Granted

“recommending that the State’s Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 11) be granted and that Fuentes’s Amended Habeas Corpus Petition (ECF No. 10) be denied and dismissed. Having reviewed the R&R and the relevant papers, and having heard no objections, the Court ACCEPTS the R&R and adopts its recommendations and reasoning.”

Jones v. Colvin
14-030-M · 2015-02-18
Social security review (plaintiff) Granted

“The Report and Recommendation of United States Magistrate Patricia A. Sullivan dated January 29, 2015 in the above-captioned matter is accepted pursuant to Title 28 United States Code § 636(b)(1). The Plaintiff’s Motion to Reverse the Decision of the Commissioner is GRANTED and the Defendant’s Motion to Affirm the Decision of the Commissioner is DENIED.”

Jessica S. v. Kijakazi
C.A. No. 21-075-MSM-PAS · 2022-03-21
Social security review (plaintiff) Granted

“recommending that the Court grant the Plaintiff’s Motion to Reverse the Decision of the Commissioner (ECF No. 10) and remand the case for further consideration of the limitations caused by Plaintiff’s mental impairments. After having carefully reviewed the relevant papers and having heard no objections the Court ACCEPTS the R&R and ADOPTS the recommendations and reasoning set forth therein.”

Lisa M. v. Kijakazi
1:20-CV-00471-MSM-PAS · 2022-03-30
Social security review (plaintiff) Denied

“the Court adopts the R&R (ECF No. 18) in full. The plaintiff’s Motion to Reverse the Decision of the Commissioner (ECF No. 13) is DENIED. The defendant’s Motion the Motion to Affirm the Decision of the Commissioner (ECF No. 16) is GRANTED.”

Silva v. State of Rhode Island
C.A. No. 19-CV-568-JJM-PAS · 2021-12-22
Summary judgment (plaintiff) Denied

“I recommend that Plaintiff’s motion (ECF No. 91) for summary judgment, mandatory injunction and change of venue be DENIED.”

Preliminary injunction (plaintiff) Denied
Paiva v. Salisbury
1:69-cv-04192-JJM-PAS · 2026-02-25
Motion for tro (class_member) Denied

“Based on the foregoing, I recommend that the Court summarily DENY Mr. Shepard’s emergency motion for temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction (ECF No. 35), without prejudice to his right to pursue a claim based on 42 U.S.C. § 1983.”

Preliminary injunction (class_member) Denied
Paiva v. Salisbury
1:69-cv-04192-JJM-PAS · 2026-05-07
Motion for certificate of appealability (class_member) Denied

“Based on the foregoing, whether considered as a motion for reconsideration of the prior denial of a certificate of appealability or as a motion pursuant to § 1292(b), Mr. Shepard’s second motion requesting a certificate of appealability (ECF No. 54) is denied.”

Powell v. Bermudez
1:24-cv-00073-MSM-PAS · 2026-06-03
Motion for sanctions (defendant) Granted

“Based on the foregoing, I recommend that the Court grant Defendant’s motion for sanctions (ECF No. 21) and order that Plaintiff’s claims be dismissed without prejudice.”

Claire C. v. Bisignano
1:25-cv-00330-PAS · 2026-04-30
Social security appeal (plaintiff) Denied

“Based on the foregoing, Plaintiff’s Motion to Reverse the Decision of the Commissioner (ECF No. 10) is DENIED and Defendant’s Motion for an Order Affirming the Decision of the Commissioner (ECF No. 12) is GRANTED.”

Schuck v. Town of Johnston
1:25-cv-00653-MSM-PAS · 2026-06-03
Motions to compel (plaintiff) Denied

“Based on the foregoing, Plaintiff’s motion to compel (ECF No. 15) non-party DLT to produce the audio recording in issue in another format or otherwise to make the audio format more accessible is DENIED.”

Conservation Law Foundation, Inc. v. Equilon Enterprises LLC
1:17-cv-00396-JJM-PAS · 2026-05-08
Motions to compel (plaintiff) Denied

“Based on these findings, CLF’s motion to compel SGS to perform additional searches (ECF No. 326) is denied.”

Boudreau v. Petit
1:17-cv-00301-MSM-PAS · 2026-03-17
Motion for protective order (defendant) Granted in part

“for a protective order, ECF No. 261, is GRANTED, except for those document requests in ECF No. 256 to which Warwick is in the process of responding, and except to the extent that Defendants asked the Court to require”

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