a. Criminal Cases. A district court judge may assign any pre-trial felony case
proceeding or misdemeanor case to a magistrate judge consistent with LR 72.1.
b. Civil Cases. A district court judge may assign any civil matter to a magistrate judge
consistent with LR 72.1. The Clerk’s Office will schedule all settlement
conferences and all non-dispositive matters before a magistrate judge in cases
assigned to designated judges unless the designated judge directs otherwise. Where
the parties consent to the trial and disposition of a case by a magistrate judge, such
case will be reassigned to a magistrate judge for the conduct of all further
proceedings and the entry of judgment.
c. Reservation of Proceedings by Judges. Nothing in these rules precludes a district
judge from reserving any proceeding for conduct by a district judge, rather than
by a magistrate judge.
