James Boone Baxter

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas magistrate 24 signed orders read

How Judge Baxter decides

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

What persuades

On an inmate medical-care claim, disagreement with the treatment provided is not deliberate indifference -- a plaintiff must show the treatment was so deficient as to amount to a refusal to treat. Plead facts of a complete denial, not a dispute over the chosen course.

“Disagreement about the recommended medical treatment is generally not sufficient to show deliberate indifference.”

Procedural preferences

Resolves PLRA exhaustion (raised on summary judgment) together with a Rule 12 merits attack in one R&R and recommends dismissing the whole action without prejudice when both succeed.

“the motion for summary judgment ... and the motion to dismiss ... be granted and that the above-styled civil action be dismissed without prejudice.”

Signed rulings

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

Monk v. Turn Key Medical, et al.
5:21-cv-00146-RWS-JBB
Summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“It is accordingly recommended that the motion for summary judgment of the Defendants Bennett, McGhee, Neal, and Ponder (Dkt. No. 37) ... be granted and that the above-styled civil action be dismissed without prejudice.”

Motions to dismiss (defendant) Granted

“the motion to dismiss of the Defendants Ebey, Hillhouse, McFaul, Owenby, and Phipps (Dkt. No. 54) be granted and that the above-styled civil action be dismissed without prejudice.”

United States v. Joe Francisco Rodriguez
5:23-cr-00010-RWS-JBB

In a criminal-duty Rule 11 guilty-plea proceeding, Baxter conducted the plea colloquy and recommended that the court accept the guilty plea, conditionally approve the plea agreement, and adjudge the defendant guilty of Count One under 21 U.S.C. 846 for conspiracy to possess with intent to manufacture or distribute a controlled substance. District Judge Schroeder adopted the R&R in full and entered a judgment of guilty.

United States v. Timothy Earl Norris
5:25-cr-00032-RWS-JBB

In a criminal-duty Rule 11 guilty-plea proceeding, Baxter recommended accepting the plea and adjudging the defendant guilty of Count One under 18 U.S.C. 2250(a) for failure to register under SORNA. District Judge Schroeder adopted the recommendation in full.

United States v. Nickie Jo Mattison
5:22-cr-00002-RWS-JBB

In a criminal-duty Rule 11 guilty-plea proceeding, Baxter recommended accepting the plea and adjudging the defendant guilty of Count One of the First Superseding Indictment under 21 U.S.C. 846 for drug-distribution conspiracy. District Judge Schroeder adopted the recommendation in full.

Greig v. Texas A&M University Texarkana
5:23-cv-00030-JRG-JBB · 2025-03-21
Summary judgment (plaintiff) Denied

“recommending Plaintiff’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment (Dkt. No. 32) and Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment (Dkt. No. 33) be denied. ... ORDERED that Plaintiff’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment (Dkt. No. 32) and Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment (Dkt. No. 33) are DENIED.”

Summary judgment (defendant) Denied
McBroom v. Lively Transportation, LLC
5:23-cv-00023-RWS-JBB · 2024-02-08
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Granted

“The Court, having reviewed the relevant briefing, recommends the Rule 12(b)(1) motion be GRANTED and that Plaintiffs’ above-entitled and numbered cause of action be DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE for lack of subject matter jurisdiction.”

Banks v. Equifax Information Services LLC
5:25-cv-00111-JRG-JBB · 2026-03-04
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Denied

“The Magistrate Judge recommends the motion be denied. ... ORDERED that Defendant Equifax Information Services, LLC’s Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff’s Complaint (Docket No. 7) is DENIED.”

Coppock, et al. v. Doug's Corner, Inc. (Nivel Parts & Manufacturing Co., LLC, fourth-party defendant)
5:21-cv-00043-RWS-JBB · 2022-08-31
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Denied

“RECOMMENDED that Fourth-Party Defendant Nivel Parts & Manufacturing Co., LLC’s Motion to Dismiss Under Rule 12(b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Supporting Brief (Dkt. No. 64) be DENIED.”

Patterson v. Oakes, et al.
5:19-cv-00055-JBB · 2022-08-25
Summary judgment (defendant) Denied

“It is accordingly recommended the Defendants’ second amended motion for summary judgment (Dkt. No. 105) be denied.”

Williams v. First National Bank of Omaha, et al.
5:24-cv-00001-RWS-JBB · 2025-02-21
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Denied

“the Magistrate Judge recommended that FNBO’s motion to dismiss be denied without prejudice to refiling and that Plaintiff be given leave to file a second amended complaint with sufficient allegations to state a claim against Defendants. ... ORDERED that Defendant FNBO’s Motion to Dismiss pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) (Docket No. 24) is DENIED WITHOUT PREJUDICE TO REFILING.”

Mann v. Nations, et al.
5:22-cv-00027-RWS-JBB · 2022-08-29
Preliminary injunction (plaintiff) Denied

“It is accordingly recommended that the Plaintiff’s motions for injunctive relief (Docket Nos. 7, 9), and his motion to compel the Court to act on his motions for injunctive relief (Docket No. 12) be denied.”

Texar Federal Credit Union v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
5:23-cv-00056-RWS-JBB · 2023-11-08
Motions to remand (plaintiff) Denied

“the undersigned concludes the amount in controversy requirement is met, diversity jurisdiction is established, and removal is proper, and therefore, recommends denying Plaintiff’s motion to remand. ... RECOMMENDED that Plaintiff’s Motion to Remand and Brief in Support of Motion (Dkt. No. 6) be DENIED.”

Put Judge Baxter's record to work

Ezel drafts and answers grounded in this exact profile: how Judge Baxter actually rules, not a generic AI guess.

Opens in Ezel Pro. Every answer is grounded in Judge Baxter's own signed orders and cites them.