Joseph A. Cordova
How Judge Cordova rules, drawn from 29 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Cordova
Joseph A. Cordova has served as a U.S. magistrate judge in the Del Rio Division of the Western District of Texas since 2023. He earned a law degree from Oklahoma City University School of Law and previously worked as an assistant federal public defender in Texas. He succeeded Magistrate Judge Collis White in Del Rio.
Judge Cordova's practices and standing orders
The court's website lists no individual practices or standing orders of Judge Cordova's own (checked October 8, 2026), so the court's local rules and general orders are the place to look (court page ↗).
Standing orders for every case in this court
Orders the court applies to all of its cases, whichever judge has them, as published on the court's website (checked October 8, 2026).
- Standing Order Regarding Joint or Unopposed Request to Change Deadlines ↗
- Order Regarding Procedures for the Filing, Service and Management of Highly Sensitive Documents ↗
- General Order Regarding Electronic Filing of Transcripts ↗
- Standing Order Regarding Attorney Admissions and CLE Requirements ↗
- Privacy Policy and Public Access to Electronic Files ↗
- Standing Order Regarding the Electronic Submission of Sealed Civil Documents ↗
How Judge Cordova decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Cautions
In Valdez, Cordova recommended dismissing a defendant without prejudice after finding that the company lacked sufficient contacts with Texas for personal jurisdiction.
“lacks minimum contacts with the State of Texas”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
With the defendant's consent, Cordova conducted the Rule 11 colloquy and recommended accepting a guilty plea to illegal reentry without a plea agreement. Sentencing remained for Chief Judge Alia Moses. The recommendation did not resolve a contested motion.
Cordova conducted the consent plea colloquy and recommended accepting a guilty plea to illegal reentry without a plea agreement. Sentencing remained for Chief Judge Alia Moses, and the recommendation did not resolve a contested motion.
“the undersigned RECOMMENDS that Plaintiff's application be DENIED and his complaint DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE.”
“dismiss be GRANTED and the claims against Malex be DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE.”
“It is therefore the recommendation of the undersigned that the Defendant's guilty plea be ACCEPTED and that a judgment of guilt be entered against the Defendant.”
“It is therefore the recommendation of the undersigned that the Defendant's guilty plea be ACCEPTED and that a judgment of guilt be entered against the Defendant.”
“It is therefore the recommendation of the undersigned that the Defendant's guilty plea be ACCEPTED and that a judgment of guilt be entered against the Defendant.”
“It is therefore the recommendation of the undersigned that the Defendant's guilty plea be ACCEPTED and that a judgment of guilt be entered against the Defendant.”
“It is therefore the recommendation of the undersigned that the Defendant's guilty plea be ACCEPTED and that a judgment of guilt be entered against the Defendant.”
“It is therefore the recommendation of the undersigned that the Defendant's guilty plea be ACCEPTED and that a judgment of guilt be entered against the Defendant.”
“It is therefore the recommendation of the undersigned that the Defendant's guilty plea be ACCEPTED and that a judgment of guilt be entered against the Defendant.”
“It is therefore the recommendation of the undersigned that the Defendant's guilty plea be ACCEPTED and that a judgment of guilt be entered against the Defendant.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
The selected matters include nine criminal duty dockets and one civil referral. They show hearing continuances, detention and bond decisions, substitution of counsel, and routine civil case management; they are not a 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 |
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.
How long civil cases take in this court
For the whole of U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, not for Judge Cordova: median time from filing to disposition of the civil cases the court closed in the 12 months ending September 30, 2025, as reported by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
| Cases | Median time | |
|---|---|---|
| All civil cases closed | 3,691 | 7.7 months |
| Closed with no court action | 1,171 | 5.5 months |
| Closed before pretrial | 2,115 | 7.5 months |
| Closed during or after pretrial | 366 | 14 months |
| Closed during trial | 39 | 30.6 months |
| 12 months ending | Cases closed | Median time |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 3,691 | 7.7 months |
| Sep 2024 | 3,440 | 7.8 months |
| Sep 2023 | 3,823 | 7.2 months |
| Sep 2022 | 3,633 | 8.3 months |
| Sep 2021 | 3,178 | 8 months |
| Sep 2020 | 2,990 | 6.4 months |
| Sep 2019 | 2,854 | 7.1 months |
The table leaves out prisoner petitions, land condemnations, deportation reviews, recovery of overpayments and enforcement of judgments, and reports no median for fewer than 10 cases. A district that closed a large multidistrict litigation in the period shows very large counts and long medians for that year. Source: Table C-5, U.S. District Courts (spreadsheet).
Draft for Judge Cordova with the record in hand
Ezel grounds your drafting and research in this profile: what has persuaded Judge Cordova, and what has not, cited to the signed orders.
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