CLERKS OFFICE US DISTRICT COURT
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT AT ROANOKE, VA
FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA FILED
April 01, 2026
LAURA A. AUSTIN, CLERK
BY: /s/ E. Jones
IN RE: DIVISION OF CASES ) DEPUTY CLERK
AMONG DISTRICT JUDGES ) STANDING ORDER
) No. 2026-8
The Clerk of Court is directed to implement the random assignment of cases and
miscellaneous proceedings as follows:
(1) Abingdon Division. All cases and miscellaneous proceedings are to be assigned on rotation
in the following manner:
a. All civil cases and miscellaneous civil proceedings are to be assigned to Senior
Judge James P. Jones.
b. All criminal cases and miscellaneous criminal proceedings: one case to Judge
Thomas T. Cullen and one case to Judge Robert S. Ballou.
(2) Charlottesville Division. All cases and miscellaneous proceedings are to be assigned to
Judge Jasmine H. Yoon.
(3) Harrisonburg Division. All cases and miscellaneous proceedings are to be assigned on
rotation in the following manner:
a. All civil cases and miscellaneous civil proceedings: one case to Chief Judge
Elizabeth K. Dillon, one case to Judge Thomas T. Cullen, and one case to Judge
Jasmine H. Yoon.
b. All criminal cases and miscellaneous criminal proceedings are assigned to Judge
Jasmine H. Yoon.
(4) Lynchburg Division. All cases and miscellaneous proceedings are to be assigned to Senior
Judge Norman K. Moon.
(5) Roanoke Division. All cases and miscellaneous proceedings are to be assigned on rotation
in the following manner:
a. All prisoner cases, as defined by separate Standing Order of the Court: one case
to Senior Judge James P. Jones, one case to Chief Judge Elizabeth Dillon, one case
to Judge Thomas T. Cullen, one case to Judge Robert S. Ballou, and one case to
Judge Jasmine H. Yoon.
b. All civil cases: one case to Chief Judge Elizabeth K. Dillon, one case to Judge
Thomas T. Cullen, and one case to Judge Robert S. Ballou.
c. All miscellaneous civil proceedings: one case to Chief Judge Elizabeth K. Dillon,
one case to Judge Thomas T. Cullen, and one case to Judge Robert S. Ballou.
d. All criminal cases and miscellaneous criminal proceedings: one case to Chief Judge
Elizabeth K. Dillon, one case to Judge Thomas T. Cullen, and one case to Judge
Robert S. Ballou.
(6) Capital Cases. Criminal cases in which one or more of the defendants is eligible for the
death penalty are to be assigned to the active district judges in the rotation of criminal
cases for the division in which the case arises. If there is more than one active district
judge in the rotation of criminal cases for that division, the case is to be assigned to the
active district judge next in rotation who is not currently assigned a capital case, or who is
currently assigned the least number of capital cases. If there is no active judge in the
rotation for the division, the case is to be assigned to an active district judge by the Chief
Judge, taking into account the desire to balance capital cases among the active district
judges. Habeas cases in which the petitioner is under sentence of death are to be assigned
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to the active district judges in the district in rotation by order of seniority, regardless of
the division in which the case arose.
(7) Miscellaneous—Case Conflicts and Related Cases.
a. Conflicts. Assignment of cases in which a judge has a conflict will be made in the
following manner.
i. Abingdon. Judge Robert S. Ballou will be assigned civil cases in which
Senior Judge James P. Jones has a conflict. Regarding criminal cases, in
the event a judge has a conflict in a case that would have been assigned to
him/her under the rotation, the Clerk shall assign that case to the next
judge in the rotation without a conflict and shall assign the disqualified
judge two cases when he/she is next in the rotation.
ii. Charlottesville. Senior Judge Norman K. Moon will be assigned civil cases
in which Judge Jasmine H. Yoon has a conflict. Judge Thomas T. Cullen
will be assigned criminal cases in which Judge Jasmine H. Yoon has a
conflict.
iii. Harrisonburg. In the event a judge has a conflict in a civil case or
miscellaneous proceeding that would have been assigned him/her under
the rotation, the Clerk shall assign that case to the next judge in the rotation
without a conflict and shall assign the disqualified judge two cases when
he/she is next in the rotation. Regarding criminal cases in which Judge
Jasmine H. Yoon has a conflict, the Clerk shall rotate assignments one case
to Chief Judge Elizabeth K. Dillon and one case to Judge Thomas T.
Cullen.
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iv. Lynchburg. Judge Robert S. Ballou will be assigned civil cases in which
Senior Judge Norman K. Moon has a conflict. Judge Thomas T. Cullen
will be assigned criminal cases in which Senior Judge Norman K. Moon
has a conflict.
v. Roanoke. In the event a judge has a conflict in a case or miscellaneous
proceeding that would have been assigned him/her under the rotation, the
Clerk shall assign that case to the next judge in the rotation without a
conflict and shall assign the disqualified judge two cases when he/she is
next in the rotation.
vi. Chief Judge. If all judges assigned to a division have a conflict or are
unable to hear a given case, the Chief Judge will assign the case.
b. Related Cases. The Clerk shall assign a new case or miscellaneous proceeding that
is related to a pending case or miscellaneous proceeding within the division to the
district judge before whom the related case or miscellaneous proceeding is
pending, and in the event of multiple related filings (five or more related cases),
shall obtain the guidance of the judges within the division before making the
assignment and determining its effect on the rotation within the division.
(8) Nothing in this order shall be construed to prevent any district judge from relinquishing
any case on his/her docket or from reassigning any case on his/her docket to a judge in a rotation
in that division with the consent of the judge to whom the case is reassigned. When a judge
reassigns a case to another judge, an order will be entered transferring that case to the second
judge’s docket. If the assignment is for a limited purpose, the order shall state the limits of the
second judge’s involvement, so that the Clerk’s Office and parties are fully informed.
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(9) This Standing Order supersedes all prior case assignment orders and memoranda of this
Court and shall take effect on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.
It is SO ORDERED.
Entered April 1, 2026.
/s/ Elizabeth K. Dillon
Elizabeth K. Dillon
Chief United States District Judge
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