UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ALABAMA
IN RE: OPERATION OF THE UNITED }
STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE } GENERAL ORDER
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ALABAMA }
IN THE ABSENCE OF FUNDING } 2025 - 1
AUTHORITY BY THE UNITED }
STATES CONGRESS AND/OR THE }
PRESIDENT }
In the event that appropriate funding for the operation of the United States Courts is not
made available by the United States Congress or the President, this order shall become effective.
The prompt and efficient adjudication of cases filed in this court and the effective conduct
of court business is an essential part of the functioning of our federal government. For this reason,
all chambers employees of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama,
Magistrate Judges, the Bankruptcy Judges, and all of the court support unit employees, including
offices of the District Clerk, the Bankruptcy Clerk, the United States Probation Office, the Federal
Defender’s Office and the United States Marshal, are necessary and essential and are hereby
designated as essential employees.
Accordingly, the Court ORDERS that all employees of the United States District Court
and United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Alabama, the Probation Office,
the Federal Defender’s Office and all support unit employees are ordered to report to work for
their regularly scheduled hours, and to continue all normal operations of the Court with the
following exceptions:
1. Travel, other than that necessary to hear cases and conduct the essential
work of the court, shall be avoided. Travel by chambers’ staff must be
approved in advance by the presiding Judge. Travel by Clerk’s Office Staff
must be approved in advance by the Clerk of Court. Probation travel must
be approved in advance by the Chief Probation Officer. Non-judicial travel
on and after October 1, 2025 will be paid after the lapse in appropriations
ends.
2. No new personnel shall be hired and no new obligations or expenditures
shall be made unless absolutely essential to the resolution of cases and
controversies, emergency maintenance of equipment or unless expressly
authorized by the Chief Judge.
The Court FURTHER ORDERS that the Clerk of Court, as manager of the Delegation
for the Hugo L. Black Building, and the General Services Administration, as manager of the other
courthouses in the Northern District of Alabama, provide the level of services and building
maintenance normally provided, and the United States Marshals Service shall maintain all
functions necessary for the appropriate security of all judges and court employees and for the safe
use of all court facilities in the Northern District of Alabama.1
DONE and ORDERED this October 16, 2025.
_________________________________
R. DAVID PROCTOR
CHIEF U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE
1
In the event of an extended lapse in funding for the judiciary, the level of necessary staff and operations
will be reviewed on a periodic basis and may be subject to further order.
2
