S.D. Tex. CrLR 18

A. Division in Which Prosecution and Trial May Occur

1. Unless a statute, other rule, or court order requires otherwise, the

government may prosecute a case in any Division in the District in which the

offense was committed, in whole or in part.

2. The court may fix the venue of a criminal case in any Division in the District,

consistent with Fed.R.Crim.P.18 and this Local Rule.

B. Multiple Offenses

In cases involving multiple offenses joined under Fed.R.Crim.P.8(a), the court may

fix the venue in any Division in the District in which any one of the offenses may be

tried.

C. Multiple Defendants

In cases involving multiple defendants joined under Fed.R.Crim.P.8(b), the court

may fix the venue in any Division in the District in which any one of the defendants

may be tried.

D. Intradistrict Transfer

On a judge’s own motion or on the motion of a party, the judge in whose court the

case was filed may transfer the case to a different Division in the District, if, after

notice to the parties and an opportunity for them to be heard, the judge finds that

the case was not filed in the proper Division or that transfer to a different Division

would be in the interests of justice, based on the convenience of the defendant and

the witnesses and on the prompt administration of justice.

1. If a case is transferred to another Division under Rule 18 and this Local Rule,

the Clerk of Court will assign the case to a judge in the transferee Division in

accordance with the plan for random assignment, unless the transferor

judge orders that he or she will continue to handle the case after transfer.

2. If a case is retained in the Division where it was filed, the judge may direct

the Clerk of Court to assign it to a judge in a Division in which venue would

have been proper under Rule 18 and this Local Rule, in accordance with the

plan for random assignment.