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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON
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GENERAL ORDER 01-23
11 IN RE:
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DIVISION OF COURT BUSINESS
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16 Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 137, the active judges of this court will divide the court’s
17 business among themselves as follows:
18 1. Definitions:
19 a. Civil cases include bankruptcy appeals, habeas corpus petitions, and contested
20 miscellaneous matters, but exclude Section 2255 motions and other similar
21 cases described in paragraph 8.
22 b. Criminal cases include appeals from Magistrate Judges and all proceedings
23 under Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure 7, 20, and 40.
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GENERAL ORDER 01-23 - 1
1 2. All civil cases filed in this district will be assigned as follows:
2 Civil cases in the Tacoma division equally and randomly to all the active judges. Civil
3 cases in the Seattle division equally and randomly to all the active judges. Civil cases
4 may also be assigned to a senior judge. Civil cases may also be assigned to a magistrate
5 judge under General Order 11-22, and if all parties consent, the magistrate judge will
6 be the presiding judge in that matter.
7 3. All criminal cases filed in this district will be assigned as follows:
8 Criminal cases in the Tacoma division equally and randomly to all the active judges.
9 Criminal cases in the Seattle division equally and randomly to all the active judges.
10 Criminal cases may also be assigned to a senior judge.
11 4. All naturalization proceedings in the district, including contested petitions, will be
12 handled by Judge Tana Lin and Chief Judge David G. Estudillo.
13 5. Judge John H. Chun will be responsible for all matters related to the functions of grand
14 juries (with authority to delegate specific functions to magistrate judges as necessary)
15 and the review of wiretap applications in the Seattle division. Judge Lauren King will
16 serve as the backup for presentations of wiretap applications in the Seattle division.
17 Chief Judge David G. Estudillo will be responsible for the review of wiretap
18 applications in the Tacoma division. Judge John H. Chun will serve as the backup for
19 presentations of wiretap applications in the Tacoma division.
20 6. Judge Tana Lin will be responsible for all issues involving the jury selection process
21 and the call and qualification of petit jurors in the Seattle division. Chief Judge David
22 G. Estudillo will be responsible for all issues involving the jury selection process and
23 the call and qualification of petit jurors in the Tacoma division.
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1 7. Judge Lauren King will be responsible for all claims for wages and the effects of
2 deceased or deserting seamen, unassigned ex parte matters involving requests for post-
3 judgment execution, and all other miscellaneous matters in the Seattle Division. Chief
4 Judge David G. Estudillo will be responsible for all claims for wages and the effects of
5 deceased or deserting seamen, unassigned ex parte matters involving requests for post-
6 judgment execution, and all other miscellaneous matters in the Tacoma Division.
7 8. Proceedings under Section 2255, Title 28, United States Code, will be assigned to and
8 handled by the judge who imposed the sentence involved.
9 9. If immediate action is necessary in any case or proceeding assigned to a particular
10 judge and that judge is unavailable for any reason, any other judge may hear and
11 dispose of the matter requiring immediate attention, but no such action constitutes
12 reassignment of the case or the proceeding.
13 10. When civil or criminal actions involving common questions of law and fact (but not
14 necessarily the same parties) are assigned to different judges and it appears to any judge
15 of this court that there may be good reason to assign all such actions to one judge, those
16 cases may be assigned to the judge with the case bearing the earliest filing date, at that
17 judge’s option.
18 11. Motions to consolidate civil or criminal actions for trial, or otherwise, will be heard by
19 the judge with the case bearing the earliest filing date; in the event consolidation is
20 ordered, the consolidated cases will be heard by that judge.
21 12. The reassignment of a case necessitated by the disqualification of a judge will be to the
22 judge who would have received the assignment of the case filed; the disqualified judge
23 will be assigned an additional case from the assignment wheel.
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1 13. The assignment of all civil and criminal cases is made subject to changes established by
2 the chief judge for purposes of equalization of case assignments to all active judges of
3 the district.
4 14. The clerk will refer any matter or proceeding not provided under this division of
5 business order to the chief judge for assignment and disposition.
6 15. Notwithstanding the above provisions, each of the judges of this court will perform any
7 acts of authority and duty otherwise conferred by law and will try and dispose of any
8 and all cases, matters, and business of this court when the judge consents to do so.
9 16. This order does not impact General Order 11-22 regarding consent and referrals to
10 magistrate judges.
11 17. All orders concerning the division of this Court’s business previously entered are
12 vacated by this order. This order is effective immediately and remains in force until
13 rescinded.
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15 IT IS SO ORDERED.
16 Dated this 13th day of January, 2023.
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David G. Estudillo
19 Chief United States District Judge
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