The following principles generally govern the assignment of cases:

Automated, random assignment

The Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Alabama uses CM/ECF programming to randomize judicial case assignments in chapter 7, 11, 12, and 13 cases. The programming ensures that each judge maintains an equal allocation of assigned cases.

Manual assignment

Chapter 9. Chapter 9 cases will be assigned by the Chief Judge of the Eleventh Circuit, as provided in 11 U.S.C. §921(b).

Chapter 15. Chapter 15 cases are manually assigned, typically to the Chief Bankruptcy Judge.

Miscellaneous Proceedings. Miscellaneous proceedings are manually assigned, typically to the Chief Bankruptcy Judge.

Exceptions to automated, random assignment

Related cases. In the interest of judicial efficiency, cases involving affiliated debtors or closely related legal or factual issues may be reassigned to a single judge.

Conflicts. Cases in which the assigned judge has a financial or other conflict of interest with the debtor, a creditor, or other party in a case or proceeding may be manually reassigned to a different judge.

Geographical considerations. A single judge may be assigned all chapter 7, 11, 12, and 13 cases filed in the Selma division. 

Lastly, special circumstances may require the court, acting in the manner provided by 28 U.S.C. §158(a), to deviate from these principles and make or limit assignments based on other factors.