Gabriel A. Fuentes
How Judge Fuentes decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
On consent Social Security review his remands turn on a specific, identifiable analytical gap — a missing 'logical bridge', cherry-picked evidence, an ignored line of evidence (e.g. school records), or an inadequately-explained Step Five vocational-expert methodology. He affirms where the ALJ's decision is supported by substantial evidence. A claimant should pin the challenge to a concrete evidentiary or methodological omission rather than re-arguing the weight of the evidence.
“we grant Plaintiff's motion to remand ... and deny Defendant's motion to affirm.”
Procedural preferences
On referred civil discovery he draws careful, reasoned lines on confidentiality designations and document control: he compelled business/logistical contract terms wrongly withheld as work product while preserving an Attorneys'-Eyes-Only designation for genuinely competitively-sensitive royalty data, and he held a party 'controls' responsive documents for Rule 34 purposes even when an individual defendant personally possesses them. Frame discovery disputes precisely around what is truly privileged/competitive vs. ordinary business information.
“the Court grants Plaintiffs' First Motion to Compel (D.E. 158) in full”
Cautions
Fuentes addressed constitutional questions even before formal charges, holding in one reviewed matter that an investigation target's Sixth Amendment right to counsel had attached during plea negotiations and appointing counsel. His written work also reflects close scrutiny of Fourth Amendment particularity and probable-cause issues in geofence-warrant applications.
“For the foregoing reasons, the Motion is granted.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“the Court grants Plaintiff's request for remand and denies the Commissioner's motion to affirm.”
“we grant Plaintiff's request for remand (D.E. 13) and deny the Commissioner's motion to affirm (D.E. 18).”
“Plaintiff's motion for summary judgment is granted”
“the Court denies Plaintiff's motion to remand ... and grants the Commissioner's motion ... to affirm the ALJ opinion.”
“The Court GRANTS the Plaintiff's memorandum seeking remand of the decision (D.E. 19).”
“we grant Plaintiff's motion to remand ... and deny Defendant's motion to affirm.”
“C&C's motion to compel and to bar the AEO designation ... is partially granted and partially denied”
“the Court grants Plaintiffs' First Motion to Compel (D.E. 158) in full”
“For the foregoing reasons, the Motion is granted.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Judge Fuentes's docket includes duty-magistrate matters such as sealed warrant and grand-jury applications, as well as criminal assignments. His reviewed civil work consists primarily of Social Security appeals decided by consent under 28 U.S.C. 636(c) and referred discovery disputes, including motions to compel.
Put Judge Fuentes's record to work
Ezel drafts and answers grounded in this exact profile: how Judge Fuentes actually rules, not a generic AI guess.
Opens in Ezel Pro. Every answer is grounded in Judge Fuentes's own signed orders and cites them.