James A. Goeke
How Judge Goeke decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In consented Social Security appeals, when an ALJ discounts a claimant's testimony about disabling mental-health symptoms without specific, clear, and convincing reasons -- for example treating ordinary daily activities as inconsistent with disabling symptoms, or dismissing cyclical improvement as evidence of full recovery -- that alone is enough to warrant a remand.
“The ALJ erred for two reasons. First, these are not legitimate inconsistencies. Plaintiff's performance on mental status examinations and during consultative examinations ... is not reasonably inconsistent with Plaintiff's testimony concerning, among other things, periods of high anxiety and panic, thoughts of self-harm, and suicidal ideation.”
On the 'official restraint' defense to illegal entry, treats even lengthy government surveillance as broken -- and thus not a bar to prosecution -- once there is any real gap (a matter of minutes) during which agents lose visual contact with the defendant.
“The Court's review of the video evidence demonstrates that Defendant was not under constant surveillance because Defendant and her companions were not visible to Agent Padilla ... for approximately five minutes when they entered a wooded area and there is no evidence Defendant and her companions were under surveillance by any other governmental actor.”
Procedural preferences
In petty-offense and misdemeanor matters within his own trial jurisdiction, resolves post-trial motions (new trial, judgment of acquittal) and any other pending ancillary motions together in a single written order issued around the time of sentencing.
“A motion and sentencing hearing was held on October 31, 2024. ... The Court addressed Defendant's pending motions and imposed a sentence. The imposition of sentence and judgment is filed in a separate document; this order memorializes and decides the pending motions.”
Cautions
Even when the government no longer opposes loosening a defendant's pretrial-release conditions, will keep GPS monitoring and home detention in place if the government's changed position is unexplained and the underlying safety and appearance concerns from the original detention hearing remain unaddressed.
“The Government's current position to be entirely at odds and incongruent with its prior strenuous advocacy in this case. ... it does not then follow that the electronic monitoring condition and home detention condition are therefore wholly unnecessary and superfluous.”
A defendant's clean compliance record on electronic monitoring, by itself, is not treated as grounds to remove that condition -- he views it as an ongoing check on behavior and reassurance to victims regardless of past compliance.
“It still does not then follow that the electronic monitoring condition is therefore now unnecessary or superfluous. As the Court has previously stated, the Court continues to view the electronic location monitoring condition as an essential pretrial release condition.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“IT IS HEREBY RECOMMENDED Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment, ECF No. 13, be DENIED; Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment, ECF No. 14, be GRANTED; and the District Court Executive enter Judgment in favor of Defendant.”
“The Court GRANTS Plaintiff's motion to reverse the decision of the Commissioner, DENIES Defendant's motion to affirm, and REMANDS the matter for further proceedings under sentence four of 42 U.S.C. § 405(g).”
“Defendant's Motion to Dismiss for Improper Venue or to Transfer Venue to Arizona, filed January 27, 2023, ECF No. 3, is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part. Venue shall be transferred to the District of Arizona.”
“Plaintiff's Motion to Remand Stay Notice an Appeal Petition, ECF No. 6, is DENIED.”
“The Defendant's Motion to Modify Conditions of Release, ECF No. 74, is DENIED. Defendant shall be held in detention pending disposition of this case or until further order of the court.”
“Defendant's Motion to Modify Conditions of Release, ECF No. 26, is DENIED for the reasons stated in this Order.”
“The Court finding good cause, IT IS ORDERED Defendant's Motion to Modify Conditions, ECF No. 88, is GRANTED.”
“Defendant's Motion for New Trial Under Rule 33 and to Take Additional Testimony, ECF No. 63, is DENIED.”
“Defendant's Motion for Judgment of Acquittal Pursuant to Rule 29, ECF No. 66, is DENIED.”
“Defendant's renewed oral motion, and pending Motions for Release of Property, ECF Nos. 18 & 33, are GRANTED. The Government shall return Defendant's confiscated property.”
“Defendant's Motion to Modify Conditions of Release at ECF No. 77, is DENIED IN PART and GRANTED IN PART as follows: Condition 28 at ECF No. 31 is now REPLACED with Condition 28 as follows: HOME CONFINEMENT/ELECTRONIC/GPS MONITORING ... AND Curfew.”
“The Court DENIES Defendant's oral motion to dismiss the case, ECF No. 14 for the reasons stated during the hearing and in this Order.”
“The Court therefore GRANTS the United States' motion for detention, ECF No. 6.”
“Defendant's motion for reconsideration is DENIED. ... the Court DENIES Defendant's motion at ECF No. 20 for reconsideration of the Court's denial of Defendant's prior motion to dismiss.”
“Following a colloquy with Defendant the Court finds Defendant is competent; her guilty plea is knowing, voluntary and intelligently given ... The Court accepts the Defendant's guilty plea to Improper Entry by Alien in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1325(a)(1).”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
The Social Security appeal docket is his largest caseload category by volume and the only motion-type bucket in this record with enough classified motions (N=15) to clear the rate-display threshold. A substantial number of 2025-2026 filings, both Social Security appeals and general civil removals, were still pending at last check and are not yet reflected in the motion-outcome counts below.
Put Judge Goeke's record to work
Ezel drafts and answers grounded in this exact profile: how Judge Goeke actually rules, not a generic AI guess.
Opens in Ezel Pro. Every answer is grounded in Judge Goeke's own signed orders and cites them.