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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 GENERAL ORDER NO. 05-17
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12 The Judges of the United States District Court for the Western District of
13 Washington have approved new procedures for consent to U.S. Magistrate Judges. The
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goal of these new procedures is to increase the percentage of consent cases.
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16 This Court direct assigns a percentage of all civil cases to its U.S. Magistrate
17 Judges. Consent to a Magistrate Judge is voluntary. When a case is direct assigned to a
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Magistrate Judge, all parties are provided with a consent form. Any party may decline
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consent by signing and returning the consent form to the Court.
21 Effective as of the date of this Order, each party will be deemed to have
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knowingly, and voluntarily, consented to proceed before the assigned Magistrate
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Judge if the consent form is not returned by the date stated on the form.
25 If a party declines consent, the identity of the party declining consent will not be
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communicated to any judge, and the clerk will immediately reassign the case to a
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district judge by random selection.
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Order Re: Consent to Magistrate Judges - 1
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This General Order supersedes the Court’s Local Magistrate Judge Rule 13 to the
2 extent that Rule provides that failing to return the form will be deemed as a non-
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consent.
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This new procedure shall apply to all civil cases filed after June 1, 2017, that
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6 have been randomly assigned to a U.S. Magistrate Judge.
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The new consent procedures and forms are available on the Court’s web site,
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http://www.wawd.uscourts.gov/attorneys/civil-consent-procedures
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11 IT IS SO ORDERED this 19th day of May, 2017.
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RICARDO S. MARTINEZ
16 CHIEF UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
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Order Re: Consent to Magistrate Judges - 2
