UPDATED 16:53 PM EST, December 5, 2012
The case had been assigned to U.S. District Judge Ivan Lemelle, who disclosed last month that his wife owns stock in Halliburton, a cement contractor on the ill-fated drilling project.
The judge didn't immediately recuse himself, but he allowed prosecutors and attorneys for BP well site leaders Robert Kaluza and Donald Vidrine to submit a confidential request for another judge to be assigned to the case.
The case was reassigned Wednesday to U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval Jr. The order doesn't disclose which party or parties sought Lemelle's disqualification.
