In addition to the trial of such cases as he or she may undertake and other duties provided by
these Rules, the Chief Judge shall:
(a) hear and determine requests for excuse from service on grand and petit juries;
(b) empanel the grand jury and hear and determine all matters relating to proceedings
before the grand jury;
(c) consider applications for allowance under the Criminal Justice Act in a case not
already assigned;
(d) dispose of matters requiring immediate action in criminal cases already assigned to
any district judge if that judge is unavailable or otherwise unable to hear the matters;
(e) hear and determine requests for review of rulings by magistrate judges in criminal
matters not already assigned to a district judge;
(f) hear and determine the following motions in any case not already assigned:
motion to seal the complaint and motion to file a pseudonymous complaint; and
(g) consider requests for exemptions by academicians, researchers and other non-
litigants from the user access fees for the Public Access to Court Electronic
Records (“PACER”) service. PACER fee exemption requests by litigants shall be
made to and considered by the judge assigned to the litigant’s case; and
(h) issue executive orders relating to court administration and take such other
administrative actions, after consultation with appropriate committees of the
Court, as in his or her judgment are necessary to assure the just, speedy and
inexpensive determination of cases, and are not inconsistent with these Rules; and
The Chief Judge may, from time to time, reassign any of the foregoing duties to an active judge
for a reasonable period.
