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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON
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In Re:
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CONSENT TO MAGISTRATE JUDGES AMENDED GENERAL
9 ORDER NO. 05-17
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The Judges of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington
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12 have approved new procedures for consent to U.S. Magistrate Judges. The goal of this new
13 procedure is to increase the percentage of consent cases.
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This Court currently direct assigns approximately 12% of all civil cases to its U.S.
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Magistrate Judges. Consent to a Magistrate Judge is voluntary. When a case is direct assigned
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to a Magistrate Judge, all parties are provided with a consent form. Any party may decline
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18 consent by signing and returning the consent form to the Court.
19 Effective as of the date of this Order, each party will be deemed to have knowingly
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and voluntarily consented to proceed before the assigned Magistrate Judge, if the consent
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form is not returned by the date stated on the form.
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If a party declines consent, the identity of the party declining consent will not be
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by random selection.
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Amended Order Re: Consent to Magistrate Judges - 1
This General Order supersedes both the Court’s Local Magistrate Judge Rule 13 to the
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2 extent that Rule provides that failing to return the form will be deemed as a non-consent, and
3 Amended General Order 01-15, paragraph 4 to the extent that paragraph provides the same.
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This new procedure shall apply to all civil cases filed after the effective date of this Order
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that have been automatically assigned to a U.S. Magistrate Judge.
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IT IS SO ORDERED.
8 DATED this 29th day of June, 2017.
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A
RICARDO S. MARTINEZ
CHIEF UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
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Amended Order Re: Consent to Magistrate Judges - 2
