U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington
15 judges profiled from their own signed orders: how each rules on motions, with the orders quoted. Court-wide standing orders ↓
Rosanna Malouf PetersonNo longer serving
District judge, appointed by Barack Obama (Democratic)
Edward F. SheaSenior status
District judge, appointed by Bill Clinton (Democratic)
Lonny R. SukoSenior status
District judge, appointed by George W. Bush (Republican)
Salvador Mendoza Jr.Elevated to Ninth Cir. 2022
District judge, appointed by Barack Obama (Democratic)
Robert H. WhaleySenior status
District judge, appointed by Bill Clinton (Democratic)
Thomas O. Rice
District judge, appointed by Barack Obama (Democratic)
Stanley A. Bastian
District judge, appointed by Barack Obama (Democratic)
James A. Goeke
Magistrate judge
William Fremming NielsenNo longer serving
District judge, appointed by George H. W. Bush (Republican)
Justin Lowe QuackenbushDeceased
District judge, appointed by Jimmy Carter (Democratic)
Frederick Leforest Van SickleDeceased
District judge, appointed by George H. W. Bush (Republican)
Alexander C. Ekstrom
Magistrate judge
John T. RodgersLeft this court 2021
Magistrate judge
Mary K. Dimke
District judge, appointed by Joe Biden (Democratic)
James P. HuttonLeft this court 2022
Magistrate judge
Standing orders for every case in this court
Orders the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington applies to all of its cases, whichever judge has them, as published on the court's website (checked October 9, 2026). Courts revise these, so confirm the current version before you file. The court's local rules ↗
- Amended General Order No. 2025-13: Procedures for the Filing of Sealed Documents ↗
- ECF Administrative Procedures ↗
Filing
A document over 100 pages, including exhibits, requires a three-hole-punched, tabbed paper courtesy copy for the judge.
“For documents, including exhibits, over 100 pages in length, a courtesy paper copy for the judge must be filed with the Clerk. The courtesy copy shall be clearly marked, ‘Judge’s Courtesy Copy of Electronic Filing,’ and must be three-hole punched and tabbed (if applicable).”
Filing
Proposed orders must be attached to the motion and separately emailed as Word files to the assigned judge.
“Electronically submitted proposed orders shall be filed with the motion as an attachment and named ‘Proposed Order’ on the system. This will provide service of the proposed order to all registered parties. All proposed orders must be conspicuously labeled ‘Proposed.’ If the judge decides to use the proposed order, s/he will remove the ‘Proposed’ language. A proposed order shall also be attached as a Word file to an Internet e-mail sent to the e-mail address of the assigned judge.”
Sealing
Registered CM/ECF users must submit sealed and ex parte documents through the court’s WAEDocument Portal.
“Registered users of the Court’s CM/ECF system shall submit all sealed and ex parte documents to be filed in the Eastern District of Washington’s criminal and civil cases to the clerk’s office via the Court’s public website’s WAEDocument Portal, a FISMA compliant secure file transfer protocol vehicle.”
Sealing
Unregistered pro se litigants must file sealed and ex parte documents in paper at a courthouse intake counter.
“Pro se litigants who are not registered users of the Court’s CM/ECF system shall continue to file all sealed and ex parte documents in the Eastern District of Washington’s criminal and civil cases in paper format at the clerk’s office filing/intake counters in the Richland, Spokane or Yakima United States Courthouses.”
Sealing
All filers must serve sealed documents under the conventional paper-filing service requirements.
“the service requirements of conventional paper filings in Rule 5 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure shall apply to all filers.”