Matthew A. Stinnett
How Judge Stinnett decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
On Rule 12(b)(6) of a Kentucky insurance bad-faith (KUCSPA) claim, applies the Wittmer v. Jones three-element test element-by-element and dismisses where the complaint fails any element.
“explaining the three-element test set forth in Wittmer v. Jones ... Magistrate Judge Stinnett goes on to explain why Plaintiff's allegations fail to satisfy each of the three essential elements”
On traffic-stop suppression, objective probable cause for the traffic violation governs regardless of the officer's subjective motive; an ongoing equipment violation (window tint) supports the stop, the Rodriguez 'extension' question turns on the stop's mission, and a K9 alert justifies the search once reliability is shown by training evidence.
“Jackson's tint strip was an ongoing violation of KRS 189.110(9) for which he could be lawfully stopped without infringing on his Fourth Amendment rights, regardless of Officer Gabriel's subjective motives ... the K9 ... is a well-trained and reliable narcotics-detection K9”
On ineffective-assistance-of-counsel Section 2255 claims, treats a defendant's plea-colloquy admissions and rearraignment testimony as strong, hard-to-overcome evidence of what counsel actually explained, so a claim that counsel gave incorrect advice needs contemporaneous evidence, not just a post hoc affidavit.
“Rebmann's claim of prejudice based on conversations he had with counsel fails because those statements are the equivalent of 'merely telling the court now that [he] would have gone to trial if [he] had gotten different advice.'”
Procedural preferences
Holds evidentiary hearings on contested suppression motions before recommending a disposition.
“Judge Stinnett held a hearing on the matter on November 19, 2025. ... Judge Stinnett then prepared a Report & Recommendation recommending that Defendant Jackson's Motion be denied.”
Will recommend denying a motion without prejudice when it is procedurally underdeveloped (e.g. a motion to dismiss that does not address the effect of a co-defendant's bankruptcy on the plaintiff's claims), giving the movant a chance to cure the defect rather than deciding the merits on an incomplete record.
“Magistrate Judge Stinnett found the motion to contain procedural defects which impeded the Court's clear understanding of the position of the parties. ... it was recommended that motion be denied without prejudice”
Cautions
On sec.2254 habeas, even where Kentucky's framework opens the Martinez/Trevino door to excuse a procedural default via ineffective post-conviction counsel, the underlying Strickland trial-IAC claim must still be 'substantial' on the merits; conclusory IAC grounds contradicted by the plea-colloquy record fail.
“even if Stacy can establish that his post-conviction counsel was constitutionally ineffective ... he has not established that his underlying claims alleging ineffective assistance of trial counsel are 'substantial' or have 'some merit'”
Pro se prisoner plaintiffs who go silent lose their case: after a plaintiff stops responding to court orders and returned mail shows he cannot be reached, recommends dismissal for failure to prosecute rather than letting the case sit indefinitely.
“Given Lawson's extended lack of participation in the case, Judge Stinnett now recommends that the Court grant Fuson and Halloway's motion and dismiss Lawson's claims without prejudice pursuant to Rule 41(b) and LR 5.3.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“Defendant Union Insurance Company's Motion to Dismiss, [R. 19], is GRANTED. Count II of Plaintiff's Amended Complaint, [R. 15], is DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE.”
“The Petition for a Writ of Habeas Corpus [R. 1] is DENIED with prejudice. The Magistrate Judge's Report and Recommendation [R. 33] is ADOPTED”
“Defendant Jackson's Motion to Suppress [R. 44] is DENIED.”
“Defendant Myles Gregory Burdette's Motion to Suppress Evidence [R. 46] is DENIED”
“Magistrate Judge Stinnett recommends that this Court grant in part and deny in part Hernandez-Cano's Motion to Suppress”
“Rebmann's petition for relief under Section 2255 is DENIED and the Court declines to grant an evidentiary hearing or issue a certificate of appealability.”
“Defendant Turner's Motion to Vacate under 28 U.S.C. Section 2255 (Doc. # 309) is hereby DENIED WITH PREJUDICE”
“Defendant Barnett's Motion to Vacate, Set Aside, or Correct a Sentence [DE 211], is GRANTED”
“Defendant Barnett's Motion to Vacate [DE 208] is DENIED AS MOOT”
“The defendants' motion for summary judgment [Record No. 158] is GRANTED.”
“the Court ADOPTS DE 20, GRANTS DE 16, DISMISSES DE 1 WITH PREJUDICE, and DENIES a certificate of appealability”
“Gribben's Motion to Suppress and to Dismiss Charges, [R. 15], is DENIED”
Put Judge Stinnett's record to work
Ezel drafts and answers grounded in this exact profile: how Judge Stinnett actually rules, not a generic AI guess.
Opens in Ezel Pro. Every answer is grounded in Judge Stinnett's own signed orders and cites them.