Aaron E. Goodstein

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin magistrate Retired 2010 3 signed orders read

Judge Goodstein no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.

How Judge Goodstein decides

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

What persuades

At the pleading stage he applies Twombly/Iqbal contextually -- a routine employment-discrimination claim needs far less factual detail than an antitrust claim -- and sustains a complaint whose specific factual subparts (here, concrete instances of disparate treatment) lift it above a formulaic recitation of the elements.

“the defendant's motion to dismiss, (Docket No. 8), is denied”

Procedural preferences

Much of his written output comes from cases the parties consented under 28 U.S.C. 636(c) to have a magistrate judge decide through final judgment, so his dispositive rulings are final dispositions, not recommendations.

“DECISION AND ORDER GRANTING WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS”

Cautions

On cross-motions for summary judgment he readily denies both sides where a genuine, fact-rich dispute remains for trial (here, whether the employee's leave notice was adequate or as soon as practicable) rather than forcing an all-or-nothing resolution.

“the defendant's motion for summary judgment, (Docket No. 23), is denied”

Signed rulings

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

EEOC v. Universal Brixius, LLC
· 2009-10-15
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Denied

“the defendant's motion to dismiss, (Docket No. 8), is denied”

Webster v. Milwaukee County
· 2010-07-21
Summary judgment (defendant) Denied

“the defendant's motion for summary judgment, (Docket No. 23), is denied”

Summary judgment (plaintiff) Denied

“the plaintiffs motion for summary judgment, (Docket No. 26), is denied”

Motions to strike (plaintiff) Moot / procedural

“the plaintiffs motion to strike, (Docket No. 55), is denied as moot”

Fischer v. Ozaukee County Circuit Court
· 2011-01-07
Habeas petition (petitioner) Granted

“DECISION AND ORDER GRANTING WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS”

A historical record

Judge Goodstein no longer hears cases. This profile stays available as a record of how they ruled. If you're preparing for a matter, start from the court's current bench.