Rule 17.4 Allotment of Case

When you file an appeal with the district court, the case gets assigned to a judge through a random process. This is the same random assignment method the court uses for other cases. You don't get to pick which judge hears your appeal, and neither does the other side.

This random system is meant to keep things fair. It stops anyone from trying to steer a case toward a judge they think might favor them. Once your appeal is officially filed and logged with the court, this random assignment happens automatically as part of the process.