Who assigns cases to judges?

I'm talking about criminal trials, small claims, and federal district court where there is only one judge. Is there actually a person that decides this judge gets this case and this one gets that one? Or do the judges themselves pick them out?

I've always thought it was a random process, but I started thinking just a few minutes ago that that might not be the case. I dont know what made me think that, but I did. Just curious.

2009-01-28T09:55:46Z

That's kinda what I was thinking. That this might be a job of the Clerk of Courts.

Also, I didnt mean having one judge in the county or district. I meant only one in the courtroom. So basically, not an Appeals Court.

Anonymous2009-01-28T12:02:09Z

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It depends. Usually the chief judge of the court has this responsibility. Sometimes the clerk of the court will do it at random, and sometimes it will go by geographic location of where the case originates (in case the court has multiple courthouses). Also, sometimes judges develop a specialty in a particular type of case. Like for example, a county may have one judge who handles all the asbestos litigation.

Elda2016-04-27T03:46:54Z

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Jodie C2009-01-28T09:33:35Z

Usually judges are assigned certain types of cases unless they have a conflict or asked to step down. Then the chief judge re-assigns the case. If it is a very small county or other situation where there is only one judge, then that judge gets all the cases. Again, if they have a conflict or is asked to step down, then the chief judge for the circuit or district would re-assign the case to a different judge.

?2016-10-30T01:17:34Z

you will finally be assigned a decide; it basically in many circumstances takes awhile, besides the fact that I would desire to declare 2 months is an prolonged time. do not you have a criminal professional? If it not at all gets assigned to a decide, the case can't flow forward. it incredibly is powerful for you once you're a criminal defendant or are being sued. undesirable for you of direction once you're a plaintiff or social gathering in a divorce or some thing. in case you elect it to bypass forward, you will desire to the two get a criminal professional or touch the clerk of courts to ask if there is a few sort of action you will desire to report (if I practiced regulation on your state i'd desire to tell you precisely what to do, even nevertheless it is diverse in each and every state and additionally relies upon on what sort of case that's.) My advice - get a criminal professional till you do not choose the case to bypass forward.

Anonymous2009-01-28T09:33:29Z

I think it's random. I remember seeing a movie where they literally had a bunch of paper slips in a rolling cage, like a lottery.