Deborah L. Barnes

[Redacted by Ed.] She is in love with her power and loves to berate you endlessly just because she can. She constantly interrupts attorneys when they are trying to make a record. She is also the worst at a settlement conference. She has ZERO skills to settle cases.

Magistrate Barnes is the WORST Judge we have ever encountered. She sanctioned our offices twice because of the defendant's demonstrable lack of cooperation in his own case. Decided we could control the uncontrollable. It was ridiculous. Then she wrote an order suggesting that because *she* had ruled against us, our attorneys must be somehow unethical. Way out of bounds, and bordering on defamation. We know when the rare error has occurred, and this was NOT that. She has no business on the bench.

One of the worst magistrates I have ever encountered: biased (friendly to defense counsel representing sheriff's department; hostile to civil litigators challenging excessive force); ignorant of basic principles of protective orders.

Very ill-informed on law. Inclined to shoot from the hip. Disrespectful to counsel with whom she disagrees. Displays obvious bias toward government and law enforcement.

The Eastern District has long had a collegial bench, including magistrates. With this collegiality came even-handedness, civility, and excellent interactions with counsel and litigants that reflect the centrality of the rule of law in our society. I am disappointed to report that in Magistrate Barnes' case, the District appears to have made a poor choice. While not all magistrate candidates with largely administrative law or agency-related resumes should be excluded from consideration, that type of resume should be the basis for extreme caution in the selection. An administrative resume means little to no actual trial and trial-related experience, meaning poor command of the rules of evidence and procedure, and an even poorer understanding of their application. Trial attorneys gain instincts that age well with experience. By contrast, attorneys with little to no trial experience make for poor judges and magistrates.