IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT-~: D
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DIST,<.!CT OF WYOMI NG
FOR THE DISTRICT OF WYOMING
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Direct Assignment of Civil Cases to Administrative General Order 2014-03
Magistrate Judges
Order
The Judicial Conference Committee on the Administration of the Magistrate
Judges System has promulgated Suggestions for Utilization of Magistrate Judges (2012).
In terms of basic suggestions, the Committee recommends each court establish a
preference for assigning magistrate judges entire cases or entire phases of cases, rather
than individual duties. This recommendation is intended to encourage and facilitate
parties ' consent to magistrate judges' decisional authority in civil cases. This
recommendation is also based on the view that this method better utilizes judicial time
and resources and allows the court to manage the civil docket more effectively. As an
example, in instances where only discovery or procedural motions are referred to a
magistrate judge, both the magistrate judge and the referring district judge must become
familiar with the core legal and factual issues raised in the case and monitor the case's
progress. This duplication of judicial resources is not ideal.
A practice adopted by a number of federal district courts to facilitate consent is to
include magistrate judges on the civil case assignment wheel for direct assignment of
cases upon filing, subject to subsequent consent of the parties to full adjudication of the
case by the magistrate judge. As examples in the Tenth Circuit, New Mexico, Colorado
and Utah have direct assignment of civil cases to magistrate judges.
Therefore, in consideration of the Committee' s suggestions and observations,
effective September 1, 2014, the Court will randomly assign civil cases to a full-time
Magistrate Judge as the trial judge to preside over all non-dispositive and dispositive
motions, evidentiary hearings and trial. These random assignments will exclude prisoner
cases, cases seeking injunctive relief, and bankruptcy appeals. The Court will determine
the percentage of civil cases to be assigned to each trial Magistrate Judge.
In those civil cases fully assigned to a Magistrate Judge, each party shall execute
and mail to the Clerk' s Office within fourteen (14) days from the filing of an answer or
other responsive filing (i.e. a motion to dismiss) either a written consent to the exercise of
authority by the full-time Magistrate Judge under 28 U.S.C. § 636(c), or a written
election to have the action reassigned to a district judge.
Consent to a full-time Magistrate Judge ' s authority does not constitute a waiver of
any jurisdictional defense unrelated to the grant of authority under 28 U.S.C. § 636(c).
Dated this '2..h_ day of August, 2014.
. FREUDENTHAL
ITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
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