Barbara D. Holmes
How Judge Holmes rules, drawn from 21 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Judge Holmes no longer sits on this court. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled here.
About Judge Holmes
Barbara D. Holmes served as a United States Magistrate Judge for the Middle District of Tennessee from 2015 until her retirement in 2026. Before joining the bench, she practiced commercial and bankruptcy litigation in Nashville and worked in the United States Trustee Program. Her successor’s term began in August 2026.
How Judge Holmes decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In Kilpatrick’s prisoner civil-rights case, she recommended granting four defense summary judgment motions and dismissing the claims with prejudice. The district judge adopted her recommendation after neither party objected.
“This matter is before the Court on Magistrate Judge Barbara D. Holmes’s November 27, 2017 Report and Recommendation (Dkt. 68), recommending that the motions for summary judgment filed by Defendants Robert Arnold (Dkt. 47), Rudd Medical Services, P.L.C., John Daniel Rudd and Kenneth Tucker (Dkt. 51), Melissa Foster (Dkt. 58), and James O’Rourke (Dkt. 61) be GRANTED, and that this action be DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE as to all claims and Defendants.”
Procedural preferences
Recommends granting a defendant's motion to dismiss where the complaint fails; the district judge adopts the Report and Recommendation.
“Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes has issued a Report and Recommendation (‘R&R’) (Doc. No. 25), recommending that the court grant the Motion to Dismiss (Doc. No. 13) filed by defendant Asurion ... the defendant's Motion to Dismiss (Doc. No. 13) is GRANTED, and this case is DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE.”
Cautions
Recommends denying a prisoner-plaintiff's motion for injunctive relief.
“Magistrate Judge Barbara D. Holmes, to whom all pretrial matters are referred, recommends that Beasley's motion for injunctive relief be denied. ... the Court ACCEPTS Magistrate Judge Holmes' recommendation to deny Beasley's motion for a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction. Beasley's motion (R. 49) is thus DENIED.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“Magistrate Judge Barbara D. Holmes's November 27, 2017 Report and Recommendation (Dkt. 68), recommending that the motions for summary judgment filed by Defendants Robert Arnold ... be GRANTED, and that this action be DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE as to all claims and Defendants.”
“Magistrate Judge Barbara D. Holmes, to whom all pretrial matters are referred, recommends that Beasley's motion for injunctive relief be denied. ... the Court ACCEPTS Magistrate Judge Holmes' recommendation to deny Beasley's motion for a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction. Beasley's motion (R. 49) is thus DENIED.”
“Magistrate Judge Holmes prepared a well-written and legally sound Report and Recommendation, recommending that the motion for summary judgment be granted in part and denied in part. ... the Motion for Summary Judgment is GRANTED as to Plaintiff's Title VII national origin discrimination claim and DENIED as to Plaintiff's Title VII retaliation claim.”
“On January 30, 2017, Magistrate Judge Barbara D. Holmes issued a Report and Recommendation regarding a Motion to Dismiss filed by all the defendants. ... The Court adopted that Report and Recommendation, granted the motion to dismiss with respect to all of the individual defendants but denied the motion to dismiss with respect to Plaintiff's Title VII and ADEA claims against TSU”
“Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes has issued a Report and Recommendation (‘R&R’) (Doc. No. 25), recommending that the court grant the Motion to Dismiss (Doc. No. 13) filed by defendant Asurion ... the defendant's Motion to Dismiss (Doc. No. 13) is GRANTED, and this case is DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE.”
“it is respectfully RECOMMENDED that Plaintiff's motion to dismiss (Docket Entry No. 13) the counterclaims brought by Defendant be GRANTED and that Defendant's counterclaims be DISMISSED.”
“Defendant Kay Griffin Evans PLLC's motion to dismiss (Docket No. 18) be GRANTED IN PART and Defendant Kay Griffin Evans PLLC be DISMISSED as a party from this lawsuit”
“Defendant Lancer Insurance Company's motion to dismiss (Docket No. 19) be GRANTED and Defendants Lancer Insurance Company and Lancer Management Company be DISMISSED as parties from this lawsuit”
“Defendant Richard L. Grant's motion to dismiss (Docket No. 23) be GRANTED and Defendant Richard L. Grant be DISMISSED as a party from this lawsuit”
“it is respectfully RECOMMENDED that Plaintiffs' motion for class certification (Docket Entry No. 3) be DENIED”
“that Plaintiffs' petition for a writ of mandamus (Docket Entry No. 4) be DENIED”
“Defendant Jessica Reed's motion to stay discovery (Docket No. 57) is GRANTED, and Defendants Melissa Colvin and Williamson County, Tennessee's motion to stay discovery (Docket No. 58) is GRANTED”
“it is respectfully RECOMMENDED that Plaintiff's motion for emergency injunctive relief (Docket Entry No. 13) be DENIED”
“the motion (Docket Entry No. 29) of Defendant Tennessee Department of Children's Services to partially dismiss the third amended complaint be GRANTED”
“The decision is therefore REVERSED and Plaintiff's motion for judgment on the administrative record (Docket No. 15) is GRANTED. This matter is REMANDED to the Social Security Administration for further administrative proceedings”
“it is respectfully RECOMMENDED that Plaintiff's motion for summary judgment (Docket Entry No. 57) be DENIED”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Median case duration in the sampled dockets: 250.5 days (N = 2).
Holmes decides consent Social Security appeals, handles criminal-duty matters, and issues recommendations in civil cases referred by district judges. The sampled referred docket is weighted toward self-represented prisoner civil-rights cases and initial screening matters.
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 | 0 |
| 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 | 0 |
| Report | Motions over six months | Cases over three years |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2022 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 2022 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2021 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 2021 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2020 | 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.
A historical record
Judge Holmes 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.