The Eastern District of California is pleased to announce it will launch an Opt-Out Civil Consent to Magistrate Judges Program on February 1, 2026.  Designed to relieve court congestion and utilize the breadth of the Eastern District’s Magistrate Judges’ expertise, this Program will continue to assign a portion of the Court’s civil cases upon filing directly to a Magistrate Judge.  The parties will receive a notice of the assignment and be provided an opportunity to opt-out of the program during a limited period of time.  If no timely opt-out form is received, the parties will be deemed to have knowingly and voluntarily consented to the jurisdiction of the Magistrate Judge for all purposes including trial.  The Eastern District joins other district courts in the Ninth Circuit, including the Central District of California, Eastern District of Washington, the Western District of Washington, the District of Idaho, the District of Montana, and the District of Nevada, in adopting an opt-out civil consent to Magistrate Judges program.

This program is to the benefit of lawyers and their clients.  Civil cases participating in the program will see a speedier adjudication before the Court’s talented and capable Magistrate Judges.