FILED
2025 JULY 8
CLERK
U.S. DISTRICT COURT
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
DISTRICT OF UTAH
GENERAL ORDER
IN THE MATTER OF
THE ASSIGNMENT OF No. 25-002
SOUTHERN REGION CASES
Amends General Order 20-001
The District of Utah has two statutory divisions—a Northern Division and a
Central Division. 1 On March 1, 2018, the District of Utah created a Southern Region of
the Central Division (“Southern Region”). 2 This General Order amends General Order
No. 20-001, addressing the establishment of the Southern Region. If there is any
inconsistency between this General Order and General Order No. 20-001, this Order
governs.
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the Clerk of Court shall assign numbers to civil
and criminal cases arising in the Southern Region based on the county in which the
case arises. 3
1 28 U.S.C. §125.
2 See General Order No. 20-001, entered on January 7, 2020, amending General Order No. 18-001,
which was entered on May 9, 2018. Although the Southern Region is not a statutory division, it is a
statistical unit and jury division under the district jury plan.
3 A map depicting the physical boundaries of the Southern Region and the Utah counties within the
Southern Region is included on page five of this General Order.
Presumptive
Case-Number
Division or Region Counties Location for Court
Prefixes
Proceedings
1: Box Elder, Cache, Davis, Morgan,
Northern Division Salt Lake
(1:24-cv-001) Rich, and Weber
Central Division 2: Carbon, Daggett, Duchesne, Juab, Salt Lake,
Salt Lake
(Excluding So. Region) (2:24-cv-001) Summit, Tooele, Uintah, Utah, and Wasatch
Beaver, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Iron, Kane,
Southern Region 4:
Millard, Piute, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, St. George
of Central Division (4:24-cv-001)
Washington, and Wayne
Southern Region cases will receive a case number beginning with a “4” prefix
(e.g., 4:xx-xx-xxx). St. George is the presumptive location for court proceedings for all
Southern Region cases. 4
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED THAT until local rules on these subjects are
adopted, the following procedures are established related to the Southern Region.
1. Judge Assignment in Southern Region Cases
Southern Region cases will be randomly assigned to a judge who resides in the
Southern Region and is assigned to St. George or to a judge in Salt Lake City who has
agreed to accept case assignments in St. George.
Consistent with the principles of the court’s random case assignment system and
Judicial Conference policy, the court is committed to ensuring the availability of more
than one district judge in the Southern Region for both civil and criminal cases.
4
Although St. George is the presumptive court location for Southern Region cases, due to current
budgetary restraints, limited personnel, and transportation issues, the United States Attorney’s Office for
the District of Utah (“USAO”), the Federal Public Defender’s Office for the District of Utah, and the court
have agreed that until further notice the USAO may, on a case-by-case basis, designate SLC as the
location for court proceedings for Southern Region cases brought under 18 U.S.C. §§ 1152 and 1153
(Indian country cases). Southern Region Indian country cases designated to be heard in SLC will be
randomly assigned to a judge who resides in the Southern Region and is assigned to St. George or to a
judge who has agreed to accept criminal case assignments in St. George.
2
In Southern Region cases, referrals to a magistrate judge will be made to a
magistrate judge who resides in the Southern Region and is assigned to St. George, but
in the event of a conflict or disqualification, the case may be referred, in coordination
with the chief magistrate judge, to a magistrate judge in Salt Lake City who has agreed
to accept case assignments in St. George.
2. Motions to Change Location
In the District of Utah, the presumptive location for court proceedings, whether
Salt Lake City or St. George, may be changed by motion or by the court on reasonable
notice. A change of location will generally not result in a change of judge.
A. To Change Location for a Particular Hearing
In a civil or criminal case, relevant considerations for a motion to change location
for a particular hearing include the convenience of witnesses, parties, counsel, the
public, and the court.
After meeting and conferring with other counsel who have appeared, a party to a
case may file a motion requesting that a particular hearing be moved from St. George to
Salt Lake City (or Salt Lake City to St. George) and identifying the reasons for changing
the location of the particular hearing.
B. To Change Location for All Court Proceedings
In a civil or criminal case, a motion to change the location for all court
proceedings is not governed by rules and case law for change of venue. To change the
location for all court proceedings, appropriate considerations include resources, location
of investigating agencies, court facilities, security, and any other relevant
considerations.
3
In criminal cases, the court will also consider Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure
18 which requires that “[t]he court must set the place of trial within the district with due
regard for the convenience of the defendant, any victim, and the witnesses, and the
prompt administration of justice.” Fed. R. Crim. P. 18.
After meeting and conferring with other counsel who have appeared, a party to a
case may file a motion requesting to change the location of all court proceedings from
St. George to Salt Lake City (or Salt Lake City to St. George) and identifying the
reasons for changing the location for all court proceedings.
It is SO ORDERED this 8th day of July, 2025.
BY THE COURT
____________________________________
ROBERT J. SHELBY
Chief United States District Judge
4
The District of Utah
Northern Division, Central Division,
and the Southern Region of the Central Division
5
