---
title: "Scott Wesley Skavdahl | KnowJudges"
canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/scott-w-skavdahl"
page_type: "judge_profile"
updated: "2026-10-09"
---

# Scott Wesley Skavdahl

U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming · Judge

## Profile

- Court: U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming
- State: Wyoming
- Role: Judge
- Service status: active
- Last verified: 2026-07-25

## Summary

Official judge-specific and circuitwide procedural guidance has been located for this profile.

## Biography

### Professional career

- Judge, District Court, D. Wyoming, 2011-present
- U.S. Magistrate Judge, U.S. District Court, District of Wyoming, 2001-present
- Scott Wesley Skavdahl is a United States district judge for the District of Wyoming, appointed by President Barack Obama in 2011 and confirmed by the Senate in a 96–0 vote
- State judicial service: Judge, Wyoming Seventh Judicial District Court, Casper, WY (2003–2011)
- Previous federal roles: U.S. Magistrate Judge, District of Wyoming (part-time, 2001–2003; full-time 2011)
- Law clerk: Chief Judge William F. Downes, U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming, 1994–1997
- Private practice: Brown & Drew (now Brown, Drew & Massey), 1992–1994

### Education

- in, University of Wyoming College of Law — J.D. (1992)
- University of Wyoming — B.S. (1989)

### Additional information

- Chief Judge: held the role of Chief Judge from June 1, 2018, to June 1, 2025
- Presidential appointment with Senate confirmation; appointing authority: Barack Obama; from 2011-11-07
- 16, 2011, by President Obama
- 3, 2011, 96–0 vote
- Private practice, Casper, WY, 1997-2003
- Williams, Porter, Day & Neville, 1997–2003
- Private practice, Casper, WY, 1992-1994
- Born 1966 in Lincoln, Nebraska.
- Date of birth: 1966-01-01
- Nomination: Feb.
- Senate confirmation: Nov.
- Commission: Nov.
- Birth place: Lincoln, NE

## Before you appear

- Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed.
- Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance.
- Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding.

## Courtroom Rules

### courtroom technology

Scope: judge specific

Judge-specific source

Evidence excerpt: Requests for realtime and daily copy or other services should be made at least seven ( 7 ) business days prior to trial. (g) JURY EVIDENCE RECORDING SYSTEM (JERS): The Court is implementing a new system for electronic submission of exhibits to the Court. Attorneys should provide their trial exhibits in electronic format on a…

[swsfpt-jury.docx](https://www.wyd.uscourts.gov/sites/wyd/files/swsfpt-jury.docx)
Source checked: 2026-07-24

### courtroom technology

Scope: judge specific

Judge-specific source

Evidence excerpt: Requests for realtime and daily copy or other services should be made at least seven (7 ) business days prior to trial. (g) JURY EVIDENCE RECORDING SYSTEM (JERS): The Court is implementing a new system for electronic submission of exhibits to the Court. Attorneys should provide their trial exhibits in electronic format on a USB…

[swsfpt-bench.docx](https://www.wyd.uscourts.gov/sites/wyd/files/swsfpt-bench.docx)
Source checked: 2026-07-24

### civil remote testimony

Scope: courtwide

In federal district-court civil proceedings, testimony is ordinarily taken in open court; remote contemporaneous testimony requires good cause in compelling circumstances and appropriate safeguards.

Evidence excerpt: For good cause in compelling circumstances and with appropriate safeguards, the court may permit testimony in open court by contemporaneous transmission from a different location.

[Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure)
Source checked: 2026-07-26

### criminal recording and broadcasting

Scope: courtwide

Federal district courts may not permit courtroom photography or broadcasting during criminal judicial proceedings unless a statute or another federal rule provides an exception.

Evidence excerpt: Except as otherwise provided by a statute or these rules, the court must not permit the taking of photographs in the courtroom during judicial proceedings or the broadcasting of judicial proceedings from the courtroom.

[Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts)
Source checked: 2026-07-26


## Sources

- [Official profile](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393841)
- [Official roster](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393841)
- [Federal Judicial Center biography](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393841)
- [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/2986/scott-wesley-skavdahl/)
- [swsfpt-jury.docx](https://www.wyd.uscourts.gov/sites/wyd/files/swsfpt-jury.docx)
- [swsfpt-bench.docx](https://www.wyd.uscourts.gov/sites/wyd/files/swsfpt-bench.docx)
- [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure)
- [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts)
- [Federal Judicial Center biography](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393841)
- [swsfpt-jury.docx](https://www.wyd.uscourts.gov/sites/wyd/files/swsfpt-jury.docx)
- [swsfpt-bench.docx](https://www.wyd.uscourts.gov/sites/wyd/files/swsfpt-bench.docx)
- [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure)
- [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts)
- [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/2986/scott-wesley-skavdahl/)
- [Wikidata: Scott W. Skavdahl](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7437450)
- [Skavdahl, Scott Wesley | Federal Judicial Center](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393841)
- [Official Wyoming judicial source](https://www.wyd.uscourts.gov/judges-info/judge-example)
- [Official Wyoming judicial source](https://www.wyd.uscourts.gov/court-info)
- [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/2986/scott-wesley-skavdahl/)
- [Wikidata: Scott W. Skavdahl](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7437450)
- [Skavdahl, Scott Wesley | Federal Judicial Center](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393841)

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## Federal civil docket activity

Dataset updated through 2026-06-30.

| Period | Assigned cases | Terminated cases | Median disposition (months) | Median sample |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| 1y | 93 | 14 | 0.9 | 14 |
| 2y | 196 | 61 | 2 | 61 |
| 5y | 473 | 310 | 5.5 | 310 |
| 10y | 835 | 670 | 6.5 | 670 |

Source: https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/


## Published courtroom rules

### Shared court rules

- [Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-651872d6e45e0d82319ecccc) — Civil actions in United States District Courts; Rule 81 exceptions apply. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-civil-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.
- [Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-8721a344fececced2257fe1d) — Criminal proceedings in United States District Courts; this conservative mapping does not distribute appellate-specific provisions to appellate judges. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.
