FILED
2020 Jan 7
lIN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT CLERK
FOR THE DISTRICT OF UTAH U.S. DISTRICT COURT
FOURTH AMENDED
INRE:
GENERAL ORDER1
ESTABLISHMENT OF SOUTHERN
(January 07, 2020)
REGION OF CENTRAL DIVISION
No. 20-001
Background. The Court has two divisions established by statute. The statute also defines
locations of holding court for each division. 2
A Southern Region of the Central Division has become necessary to fulfill the Court's
mission. Many factors compel this conclusion, including:
• the growing population of Southern Utah;
• the fact that Utah has only one full-service federal court location in Salt Lake City;
• the distance between Salt Lake City and Southern Utah areas;
• the District of Utah's successful handling of bankruptcy, felony, and misdemeanor
cases in St. George for the past 24 years;
• the convenience of parties, witnesses, victims, defendants, and their families;
• the convenience and cost savings for attorneys and staff; and
• the presence of many federal agencies in Southern Utah.
Establishment of the Southern Region. IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the Southern
Region of the Central Division of the District of Utah with locations of holding court in St.
George and Salt Lake City is established effective March 1, 2018. The Clerk of Court shall
assign case numbers to civil and criminal cases arising in the Southern Region of the Central
Division based on the county in which the case arises.
Case Number Counties Current
•Prefixes , ..
Locations.of
Holding Coud.
1. Northern Box Elder, Cache, Davis, Morgan, Rich, and Salt Lake
Weber.
2. Central Carbon, Daggett, Duchesne, Juab, Salt Lake, Salt Lake
Summit, Tooele, Uintah, Utah, and Wasatch. St. George
1 This General Order Amends General Order 18-001, which was entered on May 9, 2018 ..
2 28 u.s.c. § 125.
4. Southern Beaver, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Iron, Kane, Salt Lake
Region Millard, Piute, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, St. George
• Washington, and Wayne.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that until local rules on these subjects are adopted, the
following procedures are established for cases in the Southern Region:
Motion to change location of holding court for civil cases in the Southern Region:
The location of holding court for civil cases in the Southern Region is presumptively St.
George. A party to a civil case assigned to the Southern Region who desires hearings to
be held in Salt Lake City may, after meeting and confening with other counsel, file a
motion identifying the reasons for changing location. Hearings should proceed in the
location most convenient for disposition of the action. Video conferencing is available in
the Salt Lake City and St. George courthouses. A motion for change of location is not
governed by rules and case law for change of venue. A change of judge is not presumed
with a change of location for proceedings.
Motion to change location of holding court for criminal cases in the Southern
.. Region: Criminal cases are assigned a case number on the basis oTthe Place of Offense
as listed in the AO257 form "Defendant Information Relative to a Criminal Action," but
the location of holding court for criminal cases in the Southern Region may be designated
in the "Comments" field of that form, and the location will be entered on the docket.
A defendant in a criminal case arising in the Southern Region who desires hearings to be
held in a different location may, after meeting and confening with the prosecution, file a
motion identifying the reasons for change of location. Fed. R. Crim. P. 18 provides, "The
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."
Considerations such as resources of counsel, investigating agencies, and court facilities
and security may be appropriate. Video conferencing is available in the Salt Lake City
and St. George courthouses. Change of location is not governed by rules and case law for
change of venue. A change of judge is not presumed with a change of location for
proceedings.
2
