Lajuana M. Counts
How Judge Counts decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
Every criminal report and recommendation observed here that drew an objection was adopted in full by the assigned district judge on de novo review (Chenyi, Davis, Chenyi's suppress-analog Dudley/Haywood, Reed) -- a signal her recommendations hold up under scrutiny. She holds evidentiary hearings on contested motions (e.g. Candela, Cutchlow, Perry, Kirkendoll) rather than ruling on the papers alone, and will find a challenged factual assertion inaccurate (Reed) while still concluding probable cause survives once it is excised -- a sign of careful, not rubber-stamp, review.
“After an independent, de novo review of the matter pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(C), including a review of the applicable law and Defendant's objections, the Court accepts the findings and recommendations made by Magistrate Judge Lajuana M. Counts in full.”
Procedural preferences
When a defendant amends a suppression motion, Counts recommends denying the superseded original as moot and resolving the operative amended motion on the merits, rather than ruling on both -- keep the live motion clean and current before her.
“ORDERED Defendant's motion to suppress evidence (Doc. #58) is DENIED AS MOOT ... ORDERED Defendant's amended motion to suppress (Doc. #70) is DENIED for the reasons stated in the Report and Recommendation.”
On a civil motion to dismiss she is deciding directly, Counts will grant dismissal on cleanly resolved claims while explicitly deferring on a claim that turns on a disputed factual detail, inviting an amended complaint rather than dismissing outright or denying the whole motion -- a middle path worth knowing when briefing a multi-claim motion before her.
“This Court is unable to make a full determination of whether qualified immunity applies in this matter. This Court will therefore defer ruling on the Motion to Dismiss and afford Plaintiffs an opportunity to provide greater detail by filing an amended complaint.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“ORDERED that the Report and Recommendation of Magistrate Judge Lajuana M. Counts (Doc. 126) is ADOPTED. It is further ORDERED that Defendant's objection (Doc. 129) is OVERRULED. It is further ORDERED that Defendant's Motion to Dismiss Indictment on Counts One and Two (Doc. 108) is DENIED.”
“Judge Counts's Report and Recommendation is adopted in its entirety, and Defendant's Motion to Suppress, (Doc. 23), is DENIED.”
“ORDERED Defendant's amended motion to suppress (Doc. #70) is DENIED for the reasons stated in the Report and Recommendation.”
“ORDERED Defendant's motion to suppress evidence (Doc. #58) is DENIED AS MOOT for the reasons stated in the Report and Recommendation.”
“For the reasons set forth below, it is recommended that defendant Patton's Motion to Dismiss Indictment be denied. ... RECOMMENDED that the Court, after making an independent review of the record and applicable law, enter an order denying defendant Patton's Motion to Dismiss Indictment (Doc. #31).”
“RECOMMENDED that the Court, after making an independent review of the record and applicable law, enter an order denying defendant Candela=s Motion to Suppress (Doc. #110).”
“RECOMMENDED that the Court, after making an independent review of the record and applicable law, enter an order denying defendant Cutchlow's Motion to Suppress Evidence and Statement (Doc. #21).”
“RECOMMENDED that the Court, after making an independent review of the record and applicable law, enter an order denying Defendant Justin Domonique Davis's Motion to Dismiss Indictment With Prejudice (Doc. #169).”
“The Court finds that a joinder of Counts Twenty-Two and Twenty-Three with the other counts of the Superseding Indictment appears to prejudice defendant Davis. The Court further finds that justice requires that Counts Twenty-Two and Twenty-Three be severed for trial. ... ORDERED that defendant Davis's Motion for Severance (Doc. #166) is granted.”
“The Court finds that defendant Reed has not met his burden of establishing that any alleged false statements or omissions were necessary to the probable cause determination. ... RECOMMENDED that the Court, after making an independent review of the record and applicable law, enter an order denying defendant Reed's Motion to Suppress Evidence (Doc. #19).”
“RECOMMENDED that the Court, after making an independent review of the record and applicable law, enter an order denying defendant Perry's Motion to Suppress Evidence (Doc. #23).”
“RECOMMENDED that the Court, after making an independent review of the record and applicable law, enter an order denying as moot Defendant's Motion to Suppress (Doc. #39).”
“ORDERED that Defendant Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners, through its Individual Members Dawn Cramer's, Tom Whittaker's, Madeline Romious's, Scott Boswell, Sr.'s, and Mayor Quinton Lucas's Motion to Dismiss (Doc. #32) is GRANTED.”
“ORDERED that Defendant Kansas City, Missouri Police Department (KCPD) Officer Shamell Slatton's Motion to Dismiss (Doc. #4) is GRANTED;”
“ORDERED that Defendants Kansas City, Missouri Police Department (KCPD) Officers Robbie McLaughlin's and Colton Evans's Motion to Dismiss (Doc. #4) is GRANTED IN PART AND DEFERRED IN PART consistent with this Order.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Median case duration in the sampled dockets: 236.5 days (N = 6).
Median motion-to-ruling time: 1 days (N = 2).
The sampled consent civil docket includes employment and Title VII suits, personal-injury and motor-vehicle cases, civil-rights matters, Social Security appeals, and an alien-detainee habeas petition. Counts also handles search-warrant matters and serves as the referral magistrate on criminal suppression, dismissal, competency, and plea proceedings before the district judges.
Put Judge Counts's record to work
Ezel drafts and answers grounded in this exact profile: how Judge Counts actually rules, not a generic AI guess.
Opens in Ezel Pro. Every answer is grounded in Judge Counts's own signed orders and cites them.