Rosanna Malouf Peterson
How Judge Peterson decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
At the motion-to-dismiss stage, contemporaneous statements by senior administration officials -- not just the named decisionmaker -- can support an inference of discriminatory purpose sufficient to let an equal-protection claim survive, even against a facially neutral rule.
“The Court finds that all of these statements, made by high-level officials in the Administration contemporaneous with DHS's finalizing the Public Charge Rule, can reasonably be interpreted as supporting an animus toward nonwhite immigrants.”
On preliminary injunctions, she applies the Winter factors strictly and is unmoved by claims of harm that are speculative or ultimately reducible to money damages.
“Rather, the irreparable harm that Defendant alleges is speculative and generally of a nature that can be reduced to monetary damages should Defendant prevail on the merits.”
In a multistate case, she weighs whether narrower geographic relief would leave other plaintiffs unprotected as part of the equitable calculus for how broad an injunction should be.
“a Ninth Circuit-only injunction would deprive eleven of the fourteen Plaintiff States any relief at all... and would derive no protection from irreparable injury from relief limited to jurisdictions within the Ninth Circuit.”
Procedural preferences
She expects strict compliance with the court's local summary-judgment rules (separately stated facts with citations) before she will consider the substance of a motion.
“Plaintiff failed to provide in the motion any of the information required by Local Rule 7.1, such as 'supporting factual assertions and legal authority,' and failed to comply with Local Rule 56.1”
On a government motion to dismiss an indictment without prejudice, she looks for a specific showing that the timing or circumstances prejudice the defendant before she will second-guess the prosecution's charging discretion.
“The Court finds no basis to conclude that the Defendants are prejudiced or that the Government's actions violate the Defendants' due process rights or rise to a level of harassment.”
Before dismissing a pro se prisoner complaint for failure to state a claim, she first gives a fixed window to amend or voluntarily dismiss, with the consequence of a dismissal and a 'strike' spelled out up front.
“Plaintiff may file within 60 days of the date of this order an amended complaint or attached motion to voluntarily dismiss complaint or risk dismissal and a 'strike' under 28 USC 1915(g).”
Cautions
She will hear a represented defendant's pro se argument when the substance warrants it, but has limited patience for repetitive or oversized pro se filings once a case is underway, and will impose page limits with a strike-the-filing consequence.
“Plaintiff shall limit any future motion to five pages, with only one supporting document which shall not exceed twenty pages. If Plaintiff exceeds these limitations, without express written permission from this Court, his documents will be stricken.”
A section 2255 motion filed after the statute of limitations gets no equitable tolling absent a genuine showing of diligence, even when the movant points to a lockdown or other disruption.
“Defendant fails to show that he diligently pursued his rights before the statute of limitations expired, and he was able to file his motion for prospective equitable tolling during the alleged prison lockdown period.”
She treats qualified immunity as an independent ground for summary judgment, resolving it even where she also finds a genuine burden on the plaintiff's underlying right.
“Regardless of the legitimacy of this penological interest, Defendant also is entitled to qualified immunity from monetary damages because Plaintiff fails to demonstrate that his free exercise right was "clearly established" under the novel context presented in this case.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“The Government's oral motion to dismiss the indictment is GRANTED.”
“The Government's Motion to Dismiss Indictment without Prejudice, ECF No. 82, and Motion to Expedite, ECF No. 83, are GRANTED.”
“the Court has no basis for granting Defendants' motion to dismiss with prejudice pursuant to Fed. R. Crim. P. 48(b).”
“Defendant's Motion to Dismiss and for Immediate Release from Custody, ECF No. 146, is GRANTED.”
“Defendant's pro se Motion to Dismiss, ECF No. 95, is DENIED”
“The Government's Motion in Limine re: Self-Authenticating Documents, ECF No. 75, is DENIED AS MOOT.”
“Defendant's Motion to Dismiss the Indictment (Ct. Rec. 82) is GRANTED... The indictment is hereby DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE.”
“Plaintiff's Motion for Approval of Voluntary Dismissal, ECF No. 92, is DENIED.”
“Defendant's Motion to Dismiss Complaint with Prejudice, ECF No. 82, is DENIED.”
“The Court now grants Sims's Motion for Partial Summary Judgment and dismisses Bow Jax's disparagement claim.”
“Plaintiff's Motion for Default Judgment, ECF No. 14 is GRANTED.”
“Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment, ECF No. 13, is GRANTED IN PART... Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment, ECF No. 14, is... denied... This case is REMANDED for a de novo hearing before the Social Security Administration.”
“Defendant's Motion for a Preliminary Injunction, ECF No. 21, is DENIED.”
“Plaintiff's "Motion to Order Show Cause for an [sic] Preliminary Injunction @ a Temporary Restraining Order," ECF No. 11, is DENIED.”
“Plaintiff's Motion for Temporary Restraining Order and Preliminary Injunction, ECF No. 2, is DENIED.”
“Plaintiff's Motion for Appointment of Counsel, ECF No. 12, is DENIED.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Median case duration in the sampled dockets: 300 days (N = 7).
Median motion-to-ruling time: 183 days (N = 5).
Put Judge Peterson's record to work
Ezel drafts and answers grounded in this exact profile: how Judge Peterson actually rules, not a generic AI guess.
Opens in Ezel Pro. Every answer is grounded in Judge Peterson's own signed orders and cites them.