Eldon Brooks Mahon
How Judge Mahon rules, drawn from 12 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Judge Mahon no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled here.
About Judge Mahon
Eldon Brooks Mahon was a judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Appointed by President Richard M. Nixon, Judge Mahon received a commission on July 3, 1972. Judge Mahon assumed senior status on October 1, 1989 and served until death on December 3, 2005.
How Judge Mahon decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In Texas Steel's discovery dispute over an OSHA rulemaking challenge, Judge Mahon denied a motion to compel without prejudice. He required a showing that the administrative record was incomplete before allowing discovery beyond it.
“Plaintiff does not have to show that the agency acted in ‘bad faith,’ before such discovery will be allowed, plaintiff merely has to produce reasonable evidence so that the Court may determine whether the ‘whole’ record has been filed.”
In the government's Medicare overpayment suit against Home Health Agency, Judge Mahon held that limitations ran from the intermediary's final reimbursement determination, rather than its earlier demand letter.
“After considering the arguments by the parties on the subject, the Court is convinced that the government’s contention is correct and the statute of limitations began to run on September 30,1985, the date of the Intermediary’s final determination and issuance of the NPR to Home Health.”
Procedural preferences
In Parker v. Bell Helicopter, Judge Mahon chose separate liability and remedy trials under Rule 23(c)(4)(A) for a proposed employment-discrimination class because of potential conflicts among the plaintiffs.
“This Court feels that under the circumstances the best way to handle this complex litigation is to bifurcate the action under Fed.R.Civ.P. 23(c)(4)(A) into separate trials of liability and remedy rather than simply dividing plaintiffs into subclasses under Fed.R.Civ.P. 23(c)(4)(B).”
In Ladd's insurance-discrimination suit, Mahon certified a class for injunctive and declaratory relief but conditionally certified equitable restitution pending further discovery and trial evidence about who was entitled to that remedy.
“The Court will therefore, conditionally certify the class as to the issue of equitable restitution and await the outcome of further discovery and the trial on the merits to determine whether such equitable restitution is feasible and justified.”
Cautions
In the Home Health Agency overpayment suit, Judge Mahon held that the provider's failure to use the required administrative appeal process barred it from contesting the overpayment determination in the government's recovery action.
“Thus in this case, Home Health’s failure to exhaust the administrative appellate procedure precludes it from challenging the overpayment determination which the government seeks to recover.”
In the class certification dispute, Mahon considered counsel’s workload but found counsel’s prior capable representation outweighed his concern about capacity.
“The Court has some doubt as to his capacity, as far as time is concerned, in handling this case. ... The Court finds that this latter factor, at least at this point, outweighs any doubts the Court has about quality of representation which would be provided to the class members.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“the Government's Motion for Summary Judgment is hereby GRANTED.”
“Learjet's motion for summary judgment as to the Plaintiffs' Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act (‘DTPA’) claims (Count V of the Plaintiffs' Second Amended Complaint) must be GRANTED. The Plaintiffs' TDPA claims are DISMISSED with prejudice.”
“the Court finds that Defendant's motion for judgment not withstanding the verdict is DENIED on its argument that Plaintiff has the burden of apportioning damages between the parties.”
“the Court hereby ORDERS that plaintiff's complaint be DISMISSED with prejudice for such suit is barred by the Eleventh Amendment.”
“the Court hereby ORDERS that defendants' motion to dismiss be GRANTED and that this case be DISMISSED.”
A non-tenured instructor's First and Fourteenth Amendment suit over the non-renewal of her teaching contract after she questioned administrators at a faculty meeting and later threatened legal action when criticized in a private evaluation conference. Following trial, the judge found her contract was not renewed because of her manner in that later conference, not because of her original questions, and entered judgment for the college.
“Learjet's motion for summary judgment is GRANTED. The Plaintiffs' claims of negligence, negligence per se, negligent misrepresentation, breach of warranty, and DTPA violations (raised in their second amended complaint) are DISMISSED with prejudice.”
“The Court hereby CERTIFIES the following Rule 23(b)(2) Claim... All Blacks who have been discriminated against because of their race by defendant... subject to the following limitations.”
“the Court remands the case to the Secretary for a hearing consistent with the standard of review for terminating disability benefits as enunciated in Buckley v. Heckler.”
“the Court ORDERS that plaintiff's motion to compel is DENIED without prejudice to refile the motion in compliance with this Order.”
“this consolidated action be, and hereby is, certified as a class action with the class defined as follows... Class certification against the unions should be denied on the ground that failure to even attempt to seek certification indicates plaintiffs would not be an adequate representative of class claims against the unions.”
“Defendant Gallagher's motion to suppress the evidence identified in the indictment is GRANTED.”
Pending matters in the official report
Judge Mahon was last listed in the Civil Justice Reform Act report as of September 30, 2020.
| 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 |
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 Mahon no longer hears cases. 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.