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8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
9 CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
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11 IN THE MATTER OF ) GENERAL ORDER NO. 25-04
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12 DIRECT ASSIGNMENT OF ) (Supersedes General Order No. 24-05)
CIVIL CASES TO )
13 MAGISTRATE JUDGES )
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General Order No. 24-05 regarding the direct assignment of civil cases to
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Magistrate Judges is amended as follows:
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17 1. Every full-time Magistrate Judge who has completed 12 months of service and
18 maintains his or her regular caseload as determined by the Chief District Judge and Chief
19 Magistrate Judge in consultation with one another shall be included in the pool of judicial
20 officers available for random selection as the assigned judge for all civil cases. Except in
21 the categories of cases described below, each eligible Magistrate Judge shall be randomly
22 assigned 15 civil cases each month to preside over for all purposes.
23 2. Cases Excluded. The following categories of cases are excluded from direct
24 assignment to Magistrate Judges: death penalty habeas corpus petitions, bankruptcy
25 appeals or bankruptcy withdrawal of reference cases, and cases where an application for
26 a temporary restraining order accompanies the initiating complaint.
27 3. Clerk’s Notice and Declination of Consent Form. When a case is assigned
28 initially to a Magistrate Judge, the Clerk shall provide a Notice of Assignment to a U.S.
General Order No. 25-04
1 Magistrate Judge (“Notice”) and a Declination of Consent Form to the initiating party.
2 The initiating party must serve the Notice and Declination of Consent Form (“Form”) on
3 each newly served party or party added to the case (e.g., intervention) at the time of service
4 of the summons and complaint or other initiating document (e.g., Notice of Removal).
5 The Notice will advise each party that: (1) the case has been assigned to a Magistrate
6 Judge for all purposes, including trial and entry of judgment; and (2) that any party may
7 decline to consent to having the Magistrate Judge preside over the case by signing and
8 returning the Form within fourteen (14) calendar days of the date of service of the Notice
9 either by issuance from the Clerk’s Office or when served with the Notice by the initiating
10 party. Incarcerated plaintiffs who are proceeding pro se may decline to consent to having
11 the Magistrate Judge preside over the case by signing and returning the Form within
12 twenty-one (21) calendar days from the date of service of the Notice. The period to decline
13 consent shall begin upon service of the Notice and Declination of Consent Form, either
14 by issuance from the Clerk’s Office or when served with the Notice and Form by the
15 initiating party.
16 4. Declination of Consent Form. If a party submits a timely Declination of
17 Consent Form, the case will be randomly assigned to a District Judge to preside over the
18 case for all purposes and randomly assigned to a new Magistrate Judge to preside over
19 discovery. However, if a party fails to submit a Declination of Consent Form within the
20 specified time, it will be deemed as the party’s consent to proceed for all purposes before
21 the assigned Magistrate Judge, including trial and entry of final judgment under 28 U.S.C.
22 § 636(c) and Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 73. Appeal from a final judgment entered
23 at a Magistrate Judge’s direction may be taken to the court of appeals as any other appeal
24 from a judgment entered by a District Judge.
25 5. If, prior to a declination of consent being submitted, a Magistrate Judge has issued
26 an order to show cause why the case should not be dismissed or remanded, and the time
27 for response to the Order to Show Cause has expired, the determination of whether the
28 case should be dismissed or remanded shall be made by the Chief District Judge or, in his
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General Order No. 25-04
1 or her discretion, be randomly assigned to another District Judge for resolution. If the
2 District Judge does not dismiss or remand the case, the case shall remain with the
3 Magistrate Judge for all further proceedings consistent with this General Order and the
4 Local Rules.
5 6. This General Order shall become effective on July 1, 2025.
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7 IT IS SO ORDERED.
8 ________________________________________
9 CHIEF UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
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11 Date of Approval by the Court: June 12, 2025
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13 Date of Filing by the Clerk: June 16, 2025
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