Cecilia Maria Altonaga
How Judge Altonaga decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
Summary judgment is reserved for cases with no genuine factual dispute; a triable issue on any claim defeats the motion, even where the non-movant's evidence is thin.
“Plaintiff's evidence, although admittedly sparse, creates a triable issue on every claim.”
She will grant defense summary judgment where the claim fails as a matter of law -- here a FCRA report that was accurate and not objectively misleading to a reasonable user.
“Defendant's report was neither inaccurate nor objectively misleading, so Plaintiff's 'case goes no further.'”
On a motion to dismiss she refuses to weigh fact-intensive defenses, routing them to summary judgment or trial.
“these arguments are more appropriate for summary judgment‘ or, where the facts are disputed, at trial.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“Defendant, Experian Information Solutions, Inc.'s Motion for Summary Judgment [ECF No. 36] is GRANTED. Final judgment will issue by separate order.”
“Defendants' Motion to Dismiss [ECF No. 15] is DENIED.”
“Plaintiff's Motion for Leave to Amend the First Amended Complaint [ECF No. 35] is GRANTED.”
“Defendants, John Hasan Ruiz, La Ley Con John H. Ruiz, P.A., and 620 Arvida Holdings LLC's Joint Motion to Dismiss [ECF No. 36] is DENIED in part and GRANTED in part. Counts II, IV, and V are DISMISSED without prejudice.”
“Defendant, Jewish Community Services of South Florida Inc.'s Motion for Summary Judgment [ECF No. 38] and Plaintiff, Lisset Infante's Motion for Partial Summary Judgment [ECF No. 42] are DENIED.”
“Plaintiff, Lisset Infante's Motion for Partial Summary Judgment [ECF No. 42] are DENIED.”
“Plaintiff/Counter-Defendant, 530 Mashta LLC's Motion to Dismiss Maite's Amended Counterclaim [ECF No. 44] is DENIED.”
“Defendant, Public Health Trust of Miami-Dade County's Motion for Summary Judgment [ECF No. 25] is DENIED.”
“Defendant, Millicom International Cellular S.A.'s Motion to Dismiss [ECF No. 17] is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part. Counts II-VII of the Complaint [ECF No. 7-2] are dismissed. Plaintiff, Multiphone Latin America Inc. has until September 10, 2025 to file an amended complaint.”
“Plaintiff's Motion for Leave to File [a] Sur-Reply [ECF No. 22] is DENIED as moot.”
“Defendant, City of Miami’s Motion for Summary Judgment [ECF No. 36] is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part. Summary judgment is granted in favor of Defendant on Count II of the Complaint [ECF No. 1].”
“Defendant, Rockhill Insurance Company’s Motion to Dismiss [ECF No. 23] is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part.”
“Defendants, City of Hialeah, Orlando Amador, Alain Pineiro, and Juan Diaz’s Partial Motion to Dismiss [ECF No. 30] is GRANTED in part. Count VIII is DISMISSED without prejudice.”
“Defendant, Alejandro Guardiola’s Motion to Dismiss . . . [ECF No. 63] is GRANTED. The Second Amended Complaint [ECF No. 26] is dismissed without prejudice as against Guardiola.”
“Plaintiffs, Aroma360 LLC and Hotel Collection LLC’s [Daubert] Motion [ECF No. 66] is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part.”
“Defendant, Scentiment, LLC’s Omnibus Daubert Motion [ECF No. 67] is DENIED.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Median motion-to-ruling time: 33 days (N = 5).
The current reviewed matters include many 2026 alien-detainee habeas petitions arising from immigration detention in South Florida. The reviewed 2021 civil matters include commercial, contract, wage-and-hour, insurance, consumer-reporting, disability-access, and patent cases, many of which settled or were administratively closed. This provides descriptive context rather than a caseload-wide rate.
Put Judge Altonaga's record to work
Ezel drafts and answers grounded in this exact profile: how Judge Altonaga actually rules, not a generic AI guess.
Opens in Ezel Pro. Every answer is grounded in Judge Altonaga's own signed orders and cites them.