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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON
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11 IN RE: GENERAL ORDER 03-25
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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 cases
21 described in paragraph 8.
22 b. Criminal cases include appeals from Magistrate Judges and all proceedings under
23 Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure 7, 20, and 40.
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GENERAL ORDER 03-25 - 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 12-24, and if all parties consent, the magistrate judge will be
6 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 Kymberly K. Evanson will be responsible for all matters related to the functions of
14 grand juries (with authority to delegate specific functions to magistrate judges as
15 necessary) and the review of wiretap applications in the Seattle division. Judge Tana
16 Lin will serve as the backup for presentations of wiretap applications in the Seattle
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18 Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright will be responsible for the review of wiretap applications
19 in the Tacoma division. C h i e f Judge David G. Estudillo will serve as the backup for
20 presentations of wiretap applications in the Tacoma division.
21 6. Judge Jamal N. Whitehead will be responsible for all issues involving the jury selection
22 process and the call and qualification of petit jurors in the Seattle division. Chief Judge
23 David G. Estudillo will be responsible for all issues involving the jury selection process
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GENERAL ORDER 03-25 - 2
1 and the call and qualification of petit jurors in the Tacoma division.
2 7. All active judges of the Seattle Division except the judge assigned to review wiretap
3 applications (i.e., Judge Kymberly K. Evanson ) will be responsible for all claims for
4 wages and the effects of deceased or deserting seamen, unassigned ex parte matters
5 involving requests or post-judgment execution, and all other miscellaneous matters in
6 the Seattle Division. These cases will be assigned equally and randomly.
7 All active judges of the Tacoma Division will be responsible for all claims for wages
8 and the effects of deceased or deserting seamen, unassigned ex parte matters
9 involving requests for post-judgment execution, and all other miscellaneous matters in
10 the Tacoma Division. These cases will be assigned equally and randomly.
11 8. All reciprocal discipline cases filed in the district will be assigned to Chief Judge
12 David G. Estudillo.
13 9. Proceedings under Section 2255, Title 28, United States Code, will be assigned to and
14 handled by the judge who imposed the sentence involved.
15 10. If immediate action is necessary in any case or proceeding assigned to a particular
16 judge and that judge is unavailable for any reason, any other judge may hear and
17 dispose of the matter requiring immediate attention, but no such action constitutes
18 reassignment of the case or the proceeding.
19 11. When civil or criminal actions involving common questions of law and fact (but not
20 necessarily the same parties) are assigned to different judges and it appears to any judge
21 of this court that there may be good reason to assign all such actions to one judge, those
22 cases may be assigned to the judge with the case bearing the earliest filing date, at that
23 judge’s option.
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1 12. Motions to consolidate civil or criminal actions for trial, or otherwise, will be heard by
2 the judge with the case bearing the earliest filing date; in the event consolidation is
3 ordered, the consolidated cases will be heard by that judge.
4 13. The reassignment of a case necessitated by the disqualification of a judge will be to the
5 judge who would have received the assignment of the case filed; the disqualified judge
6 will be assigned an additional case from the assignment wheel.
7 14. The assignment of all civil and criminal cases is made subject to changes established by
8 the chief judge for purposes of equalization of case assignments to all active judges of
9 the district.
10 15. The clerk will refer any matter or proceeding not provided under this division of
11 business order to the chief judge for assignment and disposition.
12 16. Notwithstanding the above provisions, each of the judges of this court will perform any
13 acts of authority and duty otherwise conferred by law and will try and dispose of any
14 and all cases, matters, and business of this court when the judge consents to do so.
15 17. This order does not impact General Order 12-24 regarding consent and referrals to
16 magistrate judges.
17 18. All orders concerning the division of this Court’s business previously entered are
18 vacated by this order. This order is effective immediately and remains in force until
19 rescinded.
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GENERAL ORDER 03-25 - 4
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2 IT IS SO ORDERED.
3 Dated this 13th day of January, 2025.
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David G. Estudillo
6 Chief United States District Judge
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GENERAL ORDER 03-25 - 5
