Rule 57 Disqualified or Not Participating

When a Supreme Court Justice cannot take part in a case, either because they have a conflict of interest or for another reason, someone else steps in to take their place. That replacement can be a senior appellate judge, a Court of Appeals judge, or a superior court judge.

This happens automatically when the court needs enough judges present to legally hear a case, which is called a quorum. The other participating Justices can also vote to bring in a replacement judge whenever they think it is needed, even if the court already has enough members to proceed.