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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON
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GENERAL ORDER 08-23
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 08-23 - 1
1 2. All civil cases filed in this district will be assigned as follows:
2 Civil cases filed in the Tacoma division will be assigned equally and randomly to the
3 Tacoma active judges. Civil cases filed in the Tacoma division may be assigned to a
4 Tacoma senior judge. Civil cases filed in the Tacoma division may also be assigned
5 to a magistrate judge in Tacoma under General Order 11-22, and if all parties consent,
6 the magistrate judge will be the presiding judge in that matter.
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Civil cases filed in the Seattle division will be assigned equally and randomly to the
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Seattle active judges. Civil cases filed in the Seattle division may be assigned to a
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Seattle senior judge. Civil cases filed in the Seattle division may also be assigned to a
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magistrate judge in Seattle under General Order 11-22, and if all parties consent, the
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magistrate judge will be the presiding judge in that matter.
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3. All criminal cases filed in this district will be assigned as follows:
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Criminal cases filed in the Tacoma division will be assigned equally and randomly to
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the Tacoma active judges. Criminal cases filed in the Tacoma division may be
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assigned to a Tacoma senior judge.
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Criminal cases filed in the Seattle division will be assigned equally and randomly to
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the Seattle active judges. Criminal cases filed in the Seattle division may be assigned
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to a Seattle senior judge.
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4. All naturalization proceedings in the district, including contested petitions, will be
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handled by Judge Tana Lin and Chief Judge David G. Estudillo.
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5. Judge John H. Chun will be responsible for all matters related to the functions of grand
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juries (with authority to delegate specific functions to magistrate judges as necessary)
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and the review of wiretap applications in the Seattle division. Judge Lauren King will
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GENERAL ORDER 08-23 - 2
1 serve as the backup for presentations of wiretap applications in the Seattle division.
2 Chief Judge David G. Estudillo will be responsible for the review of wiretap
3 applications in the Tacoma division. Judge John H. Chun will serve as the backup for
4 presentations of wiretap applications in the Tacoma division.
5 6. Judge Tana Lin will be responsible for all issues involving the jury selection process
6 and the call and qualification of petit jurors in the Seattle division. Chief Judge David
7 G. Estudillo will be responsible for all issues involving the jury selection process and
8 the call and qualification of petit jurors in the Tacoma division.
9 7. Judge Lauren King will be responsible for all claims for wages and the effects of
10 deceased or deserting seamen, unassigned ex parte matters involving requests for post-
11 judgment execution, and all other miscellaneous matters in the Seattle Division. Chief
12 Judge David G. Estudillo will be responsible for all claims for wages and the effects of
13 deceased or deserting seamen, unassigned ex parte matters involving requests for post-
14 judgment execution, and all other miscellaneous matters in the Tacoma Division.
15 8. Proceedings under Section 2255, Title 28, United States Code, will be assigned to and
16 handled by the judge who imposed the sentence involved.
17 9. If immediate action is necessary in any case or proceeding assigned to a particular
18 judge and that judge is unavailable for any reason, any other judge may hear and
19 dispose of the matter requiring immediate attention, but no such action constitutes
20 reassignment of the case or the proceeding.
21 10. When civil or criminal actions involving common questions of law and fact (but not
22 necessarily the same parties) are assigned to different judges and it appears to any judge
23 of this court that there may be good reason to assign all such actions to one judge, those
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1 cases may be assigned to the judge with the case bearing the earliest filing date, at that
2 judge’s option.
3 11. Motions to consolidate civil or criminal actions for trial, or otherwise, will be heard by
4 the judge with the case bearing the earliest filing date; in the event consolidation is
5 ordered, the consolidated cases will be heard by that judge.
6 12. The reassignment of a case necessitated by the disqualification of a judge will be to the
7 judge who would have received the assignment of the case filed; the disqualified judge
8 will be assigned an additional case from the assignment wheel.
9 13. The assignment of all civil and criminal cases is made subject to changes established by
10 the chief judge for purposes of equalization of case assignments to all active judges of
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12 14. The clerk will refer any matter or proceeding not provided under this division of
13 business order to the chief judge for assignment and disposition.
14 15. Notwithstanding the above provisions, each of the judges of this court will perform any
15 acts of authority and duty otherwise conferred by law and will try and dispose of any
16 and all cases, matters, and business of this court when the judge consents to do so.
17 16. This order does not impact General Order 11-22 regarding consent and referrals to
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19 17. All orders concerning the division of this Court’s business previously entered are
20 vacated by this order. This order is effective immediately and remains in force until
21 rescinded.
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23 IT IS SO ORDERED.
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GENERAL ORDER 08-23 - 4
1 Dated this 27th day of September, 2023.
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David G. Estudillo
4 Chief United States District Judge
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GENERAL ORDER 08-23 - 5
