Eastern District of Kentucky
FILED
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT Feb 1 2025
EASTERN DISTRICT OF KENTUCKY
Robert R. Carr
GENERAL ORDER NO. 25- Clerk, U.S. District Court
CASE ASSIGNMENT AND RECUSAL ORDER
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The undersigned being sufficiently advised, it is hereby
ORDERED that, effective February 3, 2025, all newly-filed cases shall be assigned
and/or reassigned in the following manner:
1. (Death Penalty Cases) All death penalty cases shall be assigned as outlined in
General Order No. 18-13, which is incorporated here by reference.
2. (28 U.S.C. § 2254 Petitions) All petitions seeking a writ of habeas corpus filed
pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254, regardless of the docket on which they are filed, shall be
randomly and equally assigned from the pool of all active district judges. Should the judge
assigned to the case recuse, the matter shall be reassigned by random draw to another judge
from the pool of all active district judges.
3. Subject to paragraphs 1 and 2 above, all remaining cases shall be assigned and/or
reassigned in the following manner:
A. Northern Division at Ashland
Civil cases are assigned to Chief United States District Judge David L. Bunning
(100%). Should Judge Bunning recuse, the matter shall be reassigned to United States
District Judge Danny C. Reeves.
Criminal cases are assigned to Judge Bunning (100%). Should Judge Bunning recuse,
the matter shall be reassigned to United States District Judge Karen K. Caldwell.
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B. Northern Division at Covington
Civil cases are assigned to Judge Bunning (50%) and Judge Reeves (50%). Should
Judge Bunning recuse, the matter shall be reassigned to Judge Reeves. Should Judge Reeves
recuse, the matter shall be reassigned to Judge Bunning.
Criminal cases are assigned to Judge Bunning (100%). Should Judge Bunning recuse,
the matter shall be reassigned to Judge Caldwell.
C. Central Division at Frankfort
Civil cases are assigned to United States District Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove.
(100%). Should Judge Van Tatenhove recuse, the matter shall be reassigned to Judge
Caldwell.
Criminal cases are assigned to Judge Van Tatenhove (100%). Should Judge Van
Tatenhove recuse, the matter shall be assigned to Judge Caldwell.
D. Central Division at Lexington
Civil cases are assigned to Judge Reeves (33%), Judge Caldwell (33%), Judge Van
Tatenhove (24%), United States District Judge Claria H. Boom (5%), and United States
District Judge Robert E. Wier (5%). Should the district judge assigned to the case recuse, the
matter shall be reassigned by random draw to another district judge assigned to accept civil
cases on this docket.
Criminal cases are assigned to Judge Caldwell (50%), and Judge Van Tatenhove
(30%), Judge Boom (10%), and Judge Wier (10%). Should the district judge assigned to the
case recuse, the matter shall be reassigned by random draw to another district judge assigned
to accept criminal cases on this docket.
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E. Southern Division at London
Civil cases are assigned to Judge Wier (30%), Judge Boom (30%), Judge Caldwell
(20%), and Judge Van Tatenhove (20%). Should the district judge assigned to the case recuse,
the matter shall be reassigned by random draw to another district judge assigned to accept
criminal cases on this docket.
Criminal cases are assigned to Judge Wier (67%) and Judge Boom (33%). Should
Judge Wier recuse, the matter shall be reassigned to Judge Boom. Should Judge Boom recuse,
the matter shall be reassigned to Judge Wier.
F. Southern Division at Pikeville
Civil cases are assigned to Judge Wier (80%) and Judge Caldwell (20%). Should Judge
Wier recuse, the matter shall be reassigned to Judge Caldwell. Should Judge Caldwell recuse,
the matter shall be reassigned to Judge Wier.
Criminal cases are assigned to Judge Bunning (50%) and Judge Caldwell (50%).
Should Judge Bunning recuse, the matter shall be reassigned to Judge Caldwell. Should Judge
Caldwell recuse, the matter shall be reassigned to Judge Bunning.
4. Should all district judges assigned civil cases on a particular docket recuse, the
matter shall be referred to Judge Bunning for reassignment to another district judge willing to
accept the assignment.
5. Should all district judges assigned criminal cases on a particular docket recuse,
the matter shall be referred to Judge Bunning for reassignment to another district judge
willing to accept the assignment.
6. Any district judge is authorized to reassign a case to another district judge
willing to accept the assignment.
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7. If all district judges recuse from a case or are unwilling or unable to accept the
assignment, the matter shall be referred to the Chief Judge of the United States Court of
Appeals for the Sixth Circuit for reassignment.
8. The Clerk of the Court is directed to reassign by random draw any civil or
criminal case and related proceeding assigned to (or which would ordinarily be assigned to) a
United States District Judge who is no longer in active status to another district judge assigned
to accept cases on the respective docket of the matter.
9. Effective February 3, 2025, this General Order supersedes General Order No. 22-
19.
This 1st day of February, 2025.
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