Ligeri v. Amazon.com Inc, 2:25-cv-00860

Benjamin Joseph Ligeri is the plaintiff in several actions against Amazon.com Inc., pending before Judge John H. Chun in the Western District of Washington.
Ligeri filed motions to vacate judicial reassignment, arguing Judge Chun should recuse himself due to an alleged risk of impartiality stemming from his affiliation with the American Arbitration Association (AAA).
Ligeri’s recusal request relied on 28 U.S.C. § 455(a), which requires judges to recuse themselves if their impartiality might reasonably be questioned.
Ligeri did not supply an affidavit or evidence showing bias, but asserted general allegations regarding the judge’s prior AAA involvement and perceived partiality.
Judge Chun reviewed the recusal motion as required by local rules and denied it, directing the Clerk to refer the matter to the Chief Judge for further review as per court protocol.

Issue	Plaintiff's Argument	Defendant's Argument	Held
Judicial recusal under 28 U.S.C. § 455(a)	Judge's association with AAA creates a risk to impartiality; prior work biases against plaintiff	No evidence of bias presented	Denied; no reasonable basis to question bias

Taylor v. Regents of Univ. of Cal., 993 F.2d 710 (9th Cir. 1993) (extrajudicial source required for bias/recusal)
United States v. Sibla, 624 F.2d 864 (9th Cir. 1980) (conclusory allegations insufficient for recusal)
In re Complaint of Jud. Misconduct, 584 F.3d 1230 (9th Cir. 2009) (vague accusations do not support recusal)