Theodore David Chuang
How Judge Chuang decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In FDCPA cases he denies a debt collector summary judgment where a genuine dispute exists over vicarious (principal-agent) liability for a subcontractor's collection conduct.
“JTM's Motion for Summary Judgment will be DENIED. ... there is, at a minimum, a genuine issue of material fact whether JTM, in fact, had principal-agent relationships with Weinberg and RAM that subject it to vicarious liability.”
Cautions
He enforces the Fourth Circuit's strict IDEA administrative-exhaustion prerequisite, dismissing a special-education suit filed before the state administrative due-process decision issued.
“MCPS's Motion to Dismiss, ECF No. 12, is GRANTED, and the Complaint is DISMISSED. The Clerk is directed to CLOSE the case.”
He applies AEDPA's one-year limitations strictly, dismissing an untimely 28 U.S.C. 2254 habeas petition as time-barred and declining a certificate of appealability.
“For the foregoing reasons, the Petition will be DISMISSED as time-barred. The Court declines to issue a certificate of appealability.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“MCPS's Motion to Dismiss, ECF No. 12, is GRANTED, and the Complaint is DISMISSED. The Clerk is directed to CLOSE the case.”
“the Motion for a Default Judgment will be DENIED, and the Petition will be DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE. The Court declines to issue a certificate of appealability.”
“the Motion for a Default Judgment will be DENIED ... Respondents' Answer, filed on August 20, 2020, was timely filed.”
“JTM's Motion for Summary Judgment will be DENIED. ... there is, at a minimum, a genuine issue of material fact whether JTM, in fact, had principal-agent relationships with Weinberg and RAM that subject it to vicarious liability.”
“JTM's Interim Motion to Seal will be GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART”
“Commerce's Motion for Summary Judgment will be GRANTED. ... Fletcher has not provided sufficient evidence to establish a genuine issue of material fact warranting a trial.”
“HHS's Motion to Dismiss or for Summary Judgment, construed as a Motion to Dismiss, will be GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART. The Motion will be granted as to the claim of religious discrimination in Count I of the Amended Complaint and otherwise denied.”
“For the foregoing reasons, Defendants' Motions to,Dismiss are GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART.”
“Defendants' Motion to Dismiss or, in the Alternative, Motion for Summary Judgment, will be GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART. The Motion will be granted as to any claims against Defendants Snyder and Gang in their official capacities, which will be dismissed. The Motion will be otherwise denied.”
“For the foregoing reasons, the Petition will be DISMISSED as time-barred. The Court declines to issue a certificate of appealability.”
“the Motion to Dismiss is GRANTED as to Bullock's claims for unjust enrichment and negligence. The Motion, construed as a Motion for Summary Judgment, is DENIED as to Bullock's claim for breach of contract.”
“Because Bullock has not had the opportunity to discover information essential to her opposition, Chase's Motion for Summary Judgment is denied.”
“For the foregoing reasons, Defendants' Motion to Dismiss will be DENIED. A separate Order shall issue.”
“For the foregoing reasons, Defendants' Motions to Dismiss will be GRANTED. A separate Order shall issue.”
“it is hereby ORDERED that Plaintiffs' Motion for a Preliminary Injunction, ECF No. 17, is GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART. The Motion is granted in that the Court grants and issues the accompanying Preliminary Injunction. The Motion is otherwise denied.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Median case duration in the sampled dockets: 799 days (N = 5).
A sample of cases filed in 2018 shows a broad civil and criminal mix: prisoner civil-rights (42:1983pr), employment civil-rights (442), contract/diversity removals, copyright (Malibu Media), motor-vehicle PI, arbitration-confirmation, mortgage/consumer, and federal criminal dockets (e.g. US v. Transport Logistics Int'l; US v. Lambert). Sits in the Southern Division (Greenbelt). 2025 docket includes high-profile separation-of-powers/administrative-law cases against the federal government (USAID/DOGE).
Put Judge Chuang's record to work
Ezel drafts and answers grounded in this exact profile: how Judge Chuang actually rules, not a generic AI guess.
Opens in Ezel Pro. Every answer is grounded in Judge Chuang's own signed orders and cites them.