President Trump’s Justice Department faced repeated setbacks when federal judges in Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, and Seattle rejected demands for hospital records on transgender care for children. Undeterred, the department turned to the Northern District of Texas, filing in Fort Worth where cases go directly to Reed O’Connor or Mark T. Pittman, a Trump appointee.

Despite no Texas hospitals offering the care, Judge O’Connor allowed a subpoena of Rhode Island Hospital, citing the nationwide investigation’s Northern District venue. The district’s unique case-assignment system enables judge shopping, with most courthouses assigning all cases to a single Trump-appointed judge. Of nine active judges, eight were named by Republicans, six by Trump.

This contrasts with most districts using random assignment. Conservative groups and the Texas attorney general have long used Northern Texas for favorable rulings. Now, the Justice Department joins them, leveraging O’Connor’s courtroom.

He recently struck down Biden-era ghost gun and immigration court rules and issued orders enabling broad settlements with ideologically aligned opponents. Legal scholars note Democratic administrations also use friendly districts, but Northern Texas’ direct judge assignment is unusual.