The Honorable Matthew A. Stinnett
United States Magistrate Judge
US District Court
101 Barr Street
Lexington, KY 40507

Phone: (859) 300-8120
Email: Stinnett_Chambers@kyed.uscourts.gov

FAQs

1. District Judge Assignments
   
   1. Per the General Orders, Judge Stinnett is assigned to 80% of Lexington civil cases, 70% of Frankfort and Lexington criminal cases, and 25% of district wide habeas cases.
   2. Judge Stinnett manages scheduling, discovery, and pretrial motion practice in Judge Boom’s civil cases, Judge Weir’s civil cases, consent cases, and habeas and pro se cases as assigned.
   3. Judge Stinnett handles discovery disputes in all civil cases he is assigned to.
   4. District Judges often refer specific motions or disputes to Judge Stinnett for ruling or management, on a case-by-case basis. 
       
2. Correspondence with the Court
   
   1. Counsel may contact chambers via email or telephone regarding scheduling or administrative matters.  Pro se parties may only communicate via email. 
       
3. Scheduling
   
   1. Judge Stinnett prefers to hold both criminal and civil court on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.  Court is typically held in Courtroom C on the fourth floor, at the opposite end of the hallway from the elevators.
   2. Counsel in civil cases must file a motion to modify the date or time of a hearing.  Judge Stinnett prefers the parties to have conferred and agreed upon a new date and time prior to the filing of the motion.
   3. Counsel in criminal cases should file a motion to modify the date or time of a hearing; however, in limited, exigent circumstances, Judge Stinnett accepts scheduling requests via email or telephone. Counsel must confirm that they have contacted opposing counsel prior to making such a request.
   4. Judge Stinnett cannot modify the hearing or trial calendar of any district judge. 
       
4. Criminal Matters
   
   1. Petty Offense (Federal Tickets and Violations):
      1. Petty offense matters (federal violation notices and tickets) are heard at a docket call on the third Thursday of February, April, June, August, October, and December, at 1:00 p.m.  Please arrive at 12:30 p.m. if you wish to speak to the prosecutor or contest your violation.  If you wish to pay your fine in advance, please click here.
   2. Search Warrants and Similar Matters:
      1. If a person or party is seeking a copy of an executed search warrant or other magistrate judge matter, those matters are available via the Court’s Case Management/Electronic Case Filing ("CM/ECF") system to the extent they are not sealed from public access.
          
5. Civil Matters
   
   1. Consenting to Judge Stinnett’s Jurisdiction for Trial
      1. Judge Stinnett encourages parties to consent to his jurisdiction so that he may preside over the entirety of the case, including ruling on dispositive motions and presiding over any trial.  Because Judge Stinnett does not handle felony criminal cases, he generally is able to accommodate the requests of counsel for secure trial dates.  Parties are encouraged to read 28 U.S.C. § 636 and Fed. R. Civ. P. 73 regarding trial by consent and discuss this option with their clients and opposing counsel.  Please utilize the form for Consent to Proceed Before a Magistrate Judge in a Civil Matter.
   2. Discovery Process
      1. In cases in which Judge Stinnett manages discovery, (Judge Boom’s civil cases, Judge Wier’s civil cases, and consent cases), other than pro se cases, he will hold a teleconference for counsel prior to the close of discovery to check in on the status of the case and approaching deadlines.
   3. Discovery Disputes
      1. Generally, discovery disputes are resolved as directed by the scheduling order propounded by the district court judge.  In most cases, the parties shall contact chambers, either at Stinnett_Chambers@kyed.uscourts.gov or (859) 300-8120, to notify Judge Stinnett of a pending discovery dispute.  Detailed instructions for how to contact Judge Stinnett regarding a discovery dispute and the general dispute process are found here.  Generally, after scheduling, the parties must each complete and submit by email to Judge Stinnett’s the Civil Discovery Dispute Worksheet.  Counsel shall copy opposing counsel. 
      2. In advance of the call and as a predicate to the call, the parties shall confer to reach an agreed resolution.
      3. Following the hearing, Judge Stinnett will quickly issue a succinct, provisional ruling that resolves the pending dispute, subject to any later order.  Either party will then have leave to file a formal motion with full briefing to seek relief as to the dispute keeping in mind Local Rule 37.1.  Judge Stinnett, upon completion of briefing, will issue an opinion that will be appealable to the sitting district court judge.
   4. Protective Orders and Motions to Seal
      1. Judge Stinnett will approve Agreed Protective Orders, Confidentiality Agreements, and Motions to Seal consistent with applicable case law and Local Rules.
   5. Settlement Conferences
      1. The parties shall jointly request a settlement conference via formal motion or email (Stinnett_Chambers@kyed.uscourts.gov), except in cases presided over by Judge Reeves or Judge Stinnett by consent.  Judge Reeves’s scheduling order does not permit the magistrate judge to conduct a settlement conference without his prior approval.  For a settlement conference in a consent case, the parties should direct the request to Magistrate Judge Atkins.
      2. The parties must engage in good faith settlement negotiations prior to the submission of the written conference summary.
      3. All parties and their representatives must appear at the settlement conference in person, unless they have obtained specific permission otherwise at least one week prior to the settlement conference.  If a party is appearing via videoconference for an in-person settlement conference, it is counsel’s responsibility to coordinate the necessary technology. 
      4. The parties may request, either directly through chambers or through motion practice, that the settlement conference be conducted entirely by videoconferencing.  If approved, Judge Stinnett will provide meeting invites via Microsoft Teams with a virtual, private room created for each party as well a virtual room created for all parties.  The video settlement conference will begin in the joint virtual room with the parties breaking out into their respective private, virtual rooms.
      5. If the case is not resolved at the settlement conference, Judge Stinnett will continue to work with counsel after the conference to resolve the matter when appropriate.
          
6. General
   
   1. Recordings and Transcripts
      1. Judge Stinnett’s hearings are generally recorded using Electronic Court Reporting.  The only means to obtain a copy of the audio recording is to file the relevant form in the case of record.  To obtain a certified transcript of a hearing, whether originally recorded using Electronic Court Reporting or a court reporter, you must file the relevant form in the case of record and the court reporter will contact you.  If you have any questions about obtaining a transcript, please call (859) 514-2252.
   2. Law Clerk Hiring
      1. The next available term law clerk position will open in August of 2026.  Judge Stinnett is currently open to applications for that position.  Judge Stinnett prefers to hire term clerks for two years but will consider one-year terms.  Applications should be sent via PDF format to Stinnett_Applications@kyed.uscourts.gov.  The application should include a cover letter, a resume (including grade point average and class rank), and a writing sample.  Letters of recommendation are not necessary. 
   3. CM/ECF and Filing Questions
      1. Counsel and pro se parties should contact the Clerk’s Office with any questions concerning general filing, CM/ECF docketing mechanics, or case specific questions.  Counsel may contact the CM/ECF Help Desk with questions concerning electronic filing.  The telephone numbers for each Court location is available here.  Help Desk can be reached at (866) 485-6349, Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. ET.

Common Documents & Forms