{ "id": "epgzfqex5c", "slug": "dena-m-coggins", "title": "Dena M. Coggins", "updated": "2026-09-29", "topic_path": [ { "id": "society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society" }, { "id": "society.law", "label": "Law and justice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law" }, { "id": "society.law.practice", "label": "Courts and legal practice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people", "label": "Legal biographies", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us", "label": "United States judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal", "label": "US federal judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3", "label": "Article III judges (district and appellate)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges", "label": "United States district court judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-c", "label": "Surnames C", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-c" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-c", "label": "United States · 2021 and later: Surnames C", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-c", "path": [ { "id": "geo.us", "label": "United States", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021", "label": "United States · 2021 and later", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law", "label": "Law and justice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice", "label": "Courts and legal practice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people", "label": "Legal biographies", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us", "label": "United States judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal", "label": "US federal judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges", "label": "United States district court judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-c", "label": "Surnames C", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-c" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Dena M. Coggins is an American jurist serving as a United States district judge for the Eastern District of California since 2024, appointed by President Biden.", "snippet": "Dena M. Coggins is an American jurist serving as a United States district judge for the Eastern District of California since 2024, appointed by President Biden.", "node": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-c", "markdown": "# Dena M. Coggins\n\nDena Michaela Coggins (born 1979) is an American jurist serving as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California since 2024.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13761696) She was appointed to the court by President Joseph R. Biden.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13761696) Before joining the federal bench, she served as a judge of the Superior Court of California in Sacramento County, where she was presiding judge of the juvenile court.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13761696)\n\n| Fact | Detail |\n| --- | --- |\n| Court | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13761696) |\n| Appointed by | Joseph R. Biden[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13761696) |\n| Confirmed | May 22, 2024 (Senate voted 50 to 44)[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13761696) • [2](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1180531) |\n| Born | 1979 in Sacramento, California[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13761696) |\n| Education | B.S., California State University, Sacramento, 2003; J.D., University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, 2006[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13761696) |\n\n## Early life and education\n\nCoggins was born in 1979 in [Sacramento, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/sacramento-california).[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13761696) She earned a [Bachelor of Science](https://www.edgepedia.org/bachelor-of-science) degree from [California State University, Sacramento](https://www.edgepedia.org/california-state-university-sacramento) in 2003 and a Juris Doctor from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in 2006.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13761696)\n\n## Legal career\n\nCoggins practiced law in San Francisco from 2007 to 2012 and in Sacramento from 2012 to 2013.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13761696) She then served as a deputy legal affairs secretary to Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. of California from 2013 to 2015.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13761696)\n\nFrom 2015 to 2017, Coggins served as an administrative law judge in the Special Education Division of the California Office of Administrative Hearings.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13761696) From 2017 to 2018, she was a supervising attorney at the California Victim Compensation Board.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13761696) She returned to the Office of Administrative Hearings as an administrative law judge in the General Jurisdiction Division from 2018 to 2021.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13761696)\n\nIn 2021, Coggins became a judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Sacramento.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13761696) She served as presiding judge of the juvenile court from 2023 to 2024.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13761696)\n\n## Federal judicial service\n\nPresident Joseph R. Biden nominated Coggins to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California on February 8, 2024.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13761696) The Senate confirmed her nomination on May 22, 2024, by a vote of 50 to 44.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13761696) • [2](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1180531) She received her commission on September 18, 2024.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13761696)\n\n## Notable cases\n\nBecause Coggins joined the court in September 2024, her caseload has been dominated by a June 2026 surge of immigration-detention habeas petitions, along with inherited prisoner civil-rights cases and general consumer or product disputes, and many of her merits dispositions have involved district-court action on magistrate-judge recommendations.[3](https://ezel.ai/judges/caed/dena-coggins) In one prisoner civil-rights case, a magistrate judge found cognizable Eighth Amendment excessive-force and First Amendment retaliation claims and recommended dismissing the remaining claims without leave to amend because no amended complaint had been filed; with no objections, Coggins adopted the recommendation after de novo review (judge re-examines a case fresh, without deferring). In her order, Coggins wrote: \"1. The findings and recommendations issued on January 28, 2025 (Doc. No. 14) are ADOPTED in full... 3. All other claims... and all other defendants... are dismissed.\"[3](https://ezel.ai/judges/caed/dena-coggins)\n\nIn another matter, Coggins granted a respondent's motion to dismiss a petitioner's mixed habeas petition.[3](https://ezel.ai/judges/caed/dena-coggins) In a separate case, she granted defendants' motion for summary judgment and directed that judgment be entered in favor of the defendants, stating in the order: \"2. Defendants' motion for summary judgment (Doc. No. 57) is granted; 3. Judgment shall be entered in favor of Defendants; and 4. The Clerk of the Court is directed to close this case.\"[3](https://ezel.ai/judges/caed/dena-coggins)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Biographical Directory of Article III Federal Judges: Dena M. Coggins](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13761696)\n2. [Senate Roll Call Vote, May 22, 2024](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1180531)\n3. [Dena M. Coggins — Rulings & How They Decide, Ezel](https://ezel.ai/judges/caed/dena-coggins)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Law and justice › Courts and legal practice › Legal biographies › United States judges › US federal judges › Article III judges (district and appellate) › United States district court judges › Surnames C*\n\n*Initially written Sep 27, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 28, 2026; Sep 29, 2026 · Edited: Sep 28, 2026 · Last review: Sep 29, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/dena-m-coggins", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/dena-m-coggins.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Dena M. Coggins\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/dena-m-coggins. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Dena M. Coggins](https://www.edgepedia.org/dena-m-coggins)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/dena-m-coggins](https://www.edgepedia.org/dena-m-coggins). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Dena M. Coggins\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/dena-m-coggins. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Dena M. Coggins is an American jurist serving as a United States district judge for the Eastern District of California since 2024, appointed by President Biden." }