D. Gordon Bryant Jr.
How Judge Bryant rules, drawn from 7 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Judge Bryant no longer sits on this court. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled here.
About Judge Bryant
D. Gordon Bryant Jr. served as a United States Magistrate Judge in the Lubbock Division of the Northern District of Texas beginning in August 2016. The court reassigned his civil cases in August 2024. He earned his undergraduate and law degrees from Baylor University and previously served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the district.
How Judge Bryant decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Procedural preferences
In Bank of New York Mellon Trust v. Hancock, he recommended granting the lender's unopposed default-judgment motion in a foreclosure and trespass-to-try-title action; the district court adopted the recommendation.
“United States Magistrate Judge D. Gordon Bryant made Findings, Conclusions, and a Recommendation (FCR) in this case on May 18, 2020. Dkt. No. 13. No objections to the FCR were filed... the Court accepts the FCR of the United States Magistrate Judge. The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A.'s Motion for Default Judgment, Dkt. No. 10, is granted.”
In Pickett v. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, he recommended partial dismissal with differing prejudice and leave to amend across the plaintiff's claims; the district court adopted the recommendation in part and modified it after objections.
“Judge Bryant recommended that the Court grant in part defendant's motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim and for lack of jurisdiction. In particular, Judge Bryant recommended that the Court (1) dismiss Pickett's failure-to-accommodate claims... and grant leave to amend those claims...; (2) dismiss Pickett's disability-harassment and Section 1983 claims against Dr. Cherry and Dr. Evans in their individual capacities with prejudice; (3) dismiss Pickett's Section 1983 claims for damages against Dr. Cherry and Dr. Evans in their official capacities without prejudice; and (4) deny defendants' request to dismiss all other claims.”
A request for preliminary injunctive relief should address Rule 65's notice requirements and remain tied to the claims and parties already before the court; a request based on new events at a different prison unit was recommended for denial.
“Initially, the Court observes that Jaycox has not provided notice of his request for injunctive relief to the opposing parties. See Mot. 1-5. For this reason alone, his motion should be denied.”
He recommended a temporary stay where a near-term appellate decision was likely to resolve or materially simplify a disputed jurisdictional question and the parties could continue seeking relief in state court.
“Because of the striking similarities between Sentry Insurance and the instant case, and the divergent holdings across different courts on this question, including the Northern District, the undersigned concludes that a stay in this case is appropriate, pending resolution of the appeal in Sentry Insurance.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“United States Magistrate Judge D. Gordon Bryant made Findings, Conclusions, and a Recommendation (FCR) in this case on May 18, 2020. Dkt. No. 13. No objections to the FCR were filed... the Court accepts the FCR of the United States Magistrate Judge. The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A.'s Motion for Default Judgment, Dkt. No. 10, is granted.”
“Judge Bryant recommended that the Court acknowledge the parties' self-executing Amended Joint Stipulation of Dismissal filed pursuant to Rule 41(a)(1)(A)(ii) and direct the Clerk of Court to dismiss all claims with prejudice and terminate the case. Additionally, Judge Bryant recommended that the Court deny Pamela Renee Riley's Joint Motion to Dismiss with Prejudice as moot.”
“Judge Bryant recommended that the Court grant the plaintiff's Motion for Default Judgment, Dkt. No. 11, and enter a default judgment granting Wilmington Trust's requested relief.”
“Judge Bryant recommended that the Court grant in part defendant's motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim and for lack of jurisdiction. In particular, Judge Bryant recommended that the Court (1) dismiss Pickett's failure-to-accommodate claims... and grant leave to amend those claims...; (2) dismiss Pickett's disability-harassment and Section 1983 claims against Dr. Cherry and Dr. Evans in their individual capacities with prejudice; (3) dismiss Pickett's Section 1983 claims for damages against Dr. Cherry and Dr. Evans in their official capacities without prejudice; and (4) deny defendants' request to dismiss all other claims.”
“For the foregoing reasons, the undersigned recommends that the United States District Judge DENY Floyd Junior Jaycox's motion seeking injunctive relief. ECF No. 22.”
“For the foregoing reasons, the undersigned recommends that the United States District Judge STAY the proceedings in this case until the appellate proceedings in Sentry Insurance are concluded.”
Sua sponte screening recommendation under 28 U.S.C. 1915(e)(2)(B) and 1915A. The disposition was: "For these reasons, the undersigned recommends that the United States District Judge dismiss with prejudice the following claims: (1) those against Warden Ivey; and (2) those for deliberate indifference to serious medical needs against NP Odiaka, John Doe CO #1, Jane Doe CO, and NP Sherrill. The undersigned further recommends that the district judge dismiss without prejudice Aguilar's claims against Defendants in their official capacities. Finally, the undersigned recommends that the district judge require John Doe COs #2 and #3, CO Henderson, Nurse Fridlington, and Jane Doe Nurse to answer or otherwise plead as to Aguilar's claims for deliberate indifference to serious medical needs against them in their individual capacities." The district judge adopted the recommendation in full.
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Caseload is illustrative from the dockets read, not a complete enumeration. On a referral-only docket the case remains the district judge's, with the magistrate issuing recommendations; once the parties consent under 28 U.S.C. 636(c), he decides and enters final judgment himself.
Pending matters in the official report
Judge Bryant was last listed in the Civil Justice Reform Act report as of March 31, 2024.
| 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 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 Bryant 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.