Case assigned to magistrate judge for all purposes including trial and appeal

The case has been assigned to a United States magistrate judge for all purposes, including trial, final judgment, and direct appeal to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. This assignment occurred through a random selection process.

The parties must decide whether to consent to the magistrate judge's jurisdiction by signing and returning a declination of consent form within the deadline set by the court. If a party fails to return the form, the court will treat that as voluntary consent to proceed before the magistrate judge.

The plaintiff or the party who removed the case to federal court must serve this notice on all other parties. The case remains active, but no district judge has been assigned yet. The magistrate judge will handle all aspects of the case unless a party timely opts out by returning the declination form.

This procedure allows the magistrate judge to conduct the trial and enter final judgment, which the Tenth Circuit will review directly on appeal. The notice was entered on May 11, 2026, signaling the start of the consent or declination period.

The next procedural steps hinge on whether the parties return the declination forms or proceed under the magistrate judge’s jurisdiction.