Dustin B. Pead

United States District Court for the District of Utah magistrate 5 signed orders read

How Judge Pead decides

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

Procedural preferences

Standard 10th-Circuit firm-waiver procedure on referral R&Rs: notifies pro se litigants that failing to file a timely objection waives appellate review, and recommends dismissal without prejudice when a litigant fails to comply with court orders.

“Chief Magistrate Judge Dustin B. Pead issued a Report and Recommendation that the court dismiss the plaintiff's action without prejudice for failure to comply with the court's orders. Judge Pead notified the plaintiff that a failure to file a timely objection to the recommendation could waive any objections to it.”

Cautions

On Social Security appeals in this sample, Pead's R&Rs recommended affirming the Commissioner (claimant loses) in both instances; both were adopted de novo. Illustrative only (N=2), not a base rate.

“recommending that the court affirm the Commissioner's decision in this case”

Motion outcomes

Counted from classified signed orders only. Percentages are shown only where the sample is large enough to be meaningful; smaller samples are reported as raw counts.

Social security appeal
N = 2
Denied: 2 counts only
Screening dismissal
N = 1
Granted: 1 counts only
Involuntary dismissal
N = 1
Granted: 1 counts only
In forma pauperis
N = 1
Denied: 1 counts only

A "1 of 1" is one ruling, not a tendency. Treat small samples as illustrative, not predictive.

Signed rulings

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

Pacheco v. Colvin
2:13-cv-197-DN · 2014-03-05
Social security appeal (plaintiff) Denied

“Magistrate Judge Pead's Report and Recommendation ... recommending that the court affirm the ALJ's initial decision and the Commissioner's final decision denying Pacheco's application for disability insurance benefits and social security income. ... adopts the Report and Recommendation in its entirety. The ALJ's initial decision and the Commissioner's final decision are AFFIRMED.”

Joshua W. v. O'Malley
2:23-cv-00557-TC-DBP · 2024-03-04
Social security appeal (plaintiff) Denied

“United States Magistrate Judge Dustin B. Pead issued a Report & Recommendation (R&R) recommending that the court affirm the Commissioner's decision in this case. ... The court has reviewed the matter and the R&R de novo ... the court adopts the R&R (ECF No. 16) in its entirety. The decision of the Commissioner is affirmed.”

Prioleau v. State of Utah
2:22-cv-00227-DBB-DBP · 2022-06-29
Screening dismissal (plaintiff) Granted

“The Report and Recommendation issued by United States Magistrate Judge Dustin B. Pead on June 13, 2022 recommends that the district judge dismiss Plaintiff's action without prejudice. ... the Report and Recommendation is ADOPTED. The action is DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE.”

Libuser v. State of Utah
2:25-cv-00437-TC-JCB · 2025-07-29
In forma pauperis (plaintiff) Denied

“United States Magistrate Judge Dustin B. Pead issued a Report and Recommendation (R&R) recommending that the court deny Plaintiff David Sutherland Libuser's Motion to Proceed in forma pauperis (ECF No. 2) and order Mr. Libuser to pay the full filing fee ... the court adopts the R&R (ECF No. 7) in its entirety. ... The Plaintiff's Motion for Leave to Proceed in forma pauperis (ECF No. 2) is DENIED.”

Larsen v. Larsen
2:24-cv-00004-JNP-DBP · 2025-09-22
Involuntary dismissal (defendant) Granted

“Chief Magistrate Judge Dustin B. Pead issued a Report and Recommendation that the court dismiss the plaintiff's action without prejudice for failure to comply with the court's orders. ... the court ... ADOPTS IN FULL the Report and Recommendation. ... The court DISMISSES this action without prejudice.”

Caseload & timing

From public federal docket records for this judge.

Salt Lake City magistrate (since 2012-08-20). Enumerable assigned_judge slice (2026 pending) is a broad civil mix where he is the assigned magistrate: Social Security disability appeals (Commissioner Bisignano), copyright, trademark, FDCPA consumer-credit, and diversity matters. His referral merits R&Rs (SS affirm/remand, screening dismissals, IFP) are reviewed by the district judges and appear in the reasoning layer. Composition only; not a grant rate.