--- title: "Dennis L. Beck | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/dennis-l-beck-california-us-magistrate" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-08" --- # Dennis L. Beck U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California · U.S. Magistrate Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California - State: California - Role: U.S. Magistrate Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-29 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Retired U.S. Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, serving from March 12, 1990, until his retirement on December 12, 2012 - Notable position: held the role of Chief Magistrate Judge of the Eastern District of California following a 2002 general order - Assistant District Attorney, Fresno District Attorney's Office, 1987–1990 - 1987–1990: Assistant District Attorney, Fresno County - Judge, Superior Court of California, County of Kings, 1983-1985 - 1983–1985: Judge, Kings County Superior Court, Hanford, CA - Deputy District Attorney / Chief Deputy District Attorney, Fresno District Attorney's Office, 1978–1983 - 1972–1978, 1979–1983: Assistant District Attorney, Fresno County, CA - 1980: Chief Deputy District Attorney, Fresno County - Deputy District Attorney, Fresno District Attorney's Office, 1972–1977 - Current role (at retirement): U.S. Magistrate Judge, Eastern District of California ### Education - College of William & Mary — J.D. (1972) - College of William & Mary — B.A. (1969) ### Additional information - Magistrate, District Court, E.D. California, 1990-2012 - Appointed: March 12, 1990, to an 8‐year renewable term - Practitioner, Thomas, Snell, et al., 1985–1987 - 1985–1987: Private practice with Thomas, Snell, et al., Fresno - Practitioner, Crossland, Crossland, et al., 1977–1978 - 1977–1978: Private practice with Crossland, Crossland, et al., Fresno ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### civil remote testimony Scope: courtwide In federal district-court civil proceedings, testimony is ordinarily taken in open court; remote contemporaneous testimony requires good cause in compelling circumstances and appropriate safeguards. Evidence excerpt: For good cause in compelling circumstances and with appropriate safeguards, the court may permit testimony in open court by contemporaneous transmission from a different location. [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### criminal recording and broadcasting Scope: courtwide Federal district courts may not permit courtroom photography or broadcasting during criminal judicial proceedings unless a statute or another federal rule provides an exception. Evidence excerpt: Except as otherwise provided by a statute or these rules, the court must not permit the taking of photographs in the courtroom during judicial proceedings or the broadcasting of judicial proceedings from the courtroom. [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/cjra_na_0331.2026.pdf#page=91) - [Official roster](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/cjra_na_0331.2026.pdf#page=91) - [U.S. Courts judicial profile or roster](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/cjra_na_0331.2026.pdf#page=91) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9942/dennis-l-beck/) - [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) - [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9942/dennis-l-beck/) - [BR/MAG Judge Database: Dennis L. Beck](https://legaldatalab.law.virginia.edu/brmag-judges/brmag-judges.json) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9942/dennis-l-beck/) - [BR/MAG Judge Database: Dennis L. Beck](https://legaldatalab.law.virginia.edu/brmag-judges/brmag-judges.json) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/dennis-l-beck-california-us-magistrate", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/dennis-l-beck-california-us-magistrate", "name": "Dennis L. Beck | KnowJudges", "description": "Dennis L. Beck, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.", "dateModified": "2026-10-08", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/dennis-l-beck-california-us-magistrate#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/dennis-l-beck-california-us-magistrate#judge", "name": "Dennis L. Beck", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/dennis-l-beck-california-us-magistrate", "jobTitle": "U.S. Magistrate Judge", "worksFor": { "@type": "GovernmentOrganization", "name": "U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/cjra_na_0331.2026.pdf#page=91", "https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9942/dennis-l-beck/" ], "alumniOf": [ { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "College of William & Mary" }, { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "College of William & Mary" } ] }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "KnowJudges", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "California", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/state/california" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Dennis L. Beck", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/dennis-l-beck-california-us-magistrate" } ] } ] } ``` ## Federal civil docket activity Dataset updated through 2026-06-30. | Period | Assigned cases | Terminated cases | Median disposition (months) | Median sample | | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | | 1y | 0 | 0 | Not available | 0 | | 2y | 0 | 0 | Not available | 0 | | 5y | 0 | 0 | Not available | 0 | | 10y | 2 | 2 | Not available | 2 | Source: https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/ ## Published courtroom rules ### Shared court rules - [Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-651872d6e45e0d82319ecccc) — Civil actions in United States District Courts; Rule 81 exceptions apply. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-civil-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-8721a344fececced2257fe1d) — Criminal proceedings in United States District Courts; this conservative mapping does not distribute appellate-specific provisions to appellate judges. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.