Ronald G. Morgan
How Judge Morgan rules, drawn from 6 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Judge Morgan no longer sits on this court. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled here.
About Judge Morgan
Ronald G. Morgan served as a United States Magistrate Judge in the Brownsville Division of the Southern District of Texas from 2009 to 2023. A graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and the Dickinson School of Law, he previously worked as an Assistant United States Attorney in Brownsville.
How Judge Morgan decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
Does not grant unopposed dispositive motions by default — independently reviews the merits before recommending a grant, even when the non-movant files no response.
“The Court, however, may not simply grant a dispositive motion as unopposed; it must consider the merits of the motion.”
Procedural preferences
In Fuller's school-district suit, Morgan found that a summary-judgment response did not comply with the presiding judge's civil procedures and gave Fuller a deadline to file an amended response.
“Plaintiffs filing does not comport with Judge Hanens Civil Procedures. The Plaintiff may file an amended response to the motion for summary judgment no later than March 7, 2016.”
In Fuller v. Brownsville Independent School District, he granted a motion extending the plaintiff's deadline to respond to summary-judgment motions. A later order in the same case required the plaintiff to amend a response that did not comply with the presiding judge's civil procedures.
“ORDER granting 72 Motion for Extension of Time. The motion for an extension of time is GRANTED. Fuller shall file his response to the motions for summary judgment no later than December 14, 2015.”
Cautions
In Lopez v. Davis, he acknowledged the liberal construction owed to a pro se habeas petition while explaining that pro se status did not excuse compliance with procedural and substantive rules. He recommended dismissal as moot after the petitioner's release.
“allegations by pro se litigants must be afforded liberal construction ... That latitude, however, ‘does not exempt a party from compliance with relevant rules of procedural and substantive law.’”
In Munoz-Munoz's section 2255 case, Morgan recommended dismissal because the petitioner had waived the right to bring that collateral attack in his plea agreement.
“the Court RECOMMENDS that Munoz-Munoz’s petition be DISMISSED, because he waived his right to file the instant petition.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“It is RECOMMENDED that Jose Luis Lopez’s petition for writ of habeas corpus by a person in state custody pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254 be DISMISSED without prejudice for lack of jurisdiction.”
“It is further recommended that the motion for summary judgment filed by Lorie Davis be denied as moot.”
“It is recommended that the Defendants’ motion for summary judgment be granted.”
“It is recommended that the partial motion for summary judgment filed by Gallegos Roman and Gonzales be granted.”
“the Court RECOMMENDS that Munoz-Munoz’s petition be DISMISSED, because he waived his right to file the instant petition. Furthermore, if Munoz-Munoz’s petition is not dismissed, it should be DENIED, because it is legally and substantively meritless.”
“It is recommended that the motion for attorney’s fees and costs filed by G.C. Development be granted.”
“WHEREFORE it is RECOMMENDED that the motions for summary judgment filed by Brownsville Independent School District, Catalina Presas-Garcia, Lucy Longoria, Christina Saavedra, Enrique Escobedo, Sylvia Atkinson, and Carl Montoya be granted.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Median case duration in the sampled dockets: 749 days (N = 4).
- Cohort nature-of-suit (4 analyzed dockets, all Brownsville Division before Morgan as the referral magistrate): APA/immigration mandamus, diversity personal-injury, breach of contract, 1983 civil rights.
- His broader record is dominated by criminal recommendations (felony guilty-plea Rule 11 allocutions, illegal-reentry) plus 2254/2255 habeas: typical of a border-division magistrate.
- Not a complete caseload census.
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 Morgan 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.