Article II: Civil Proceedings — Trial Court | PART K. MISCELLANEOUS
Rule Text
The chief judge of each circuit or any circuit judge designated by him or her may assign an associate judge to hear and determine any matters deemed suitable by the chief judge or designated circuit judge, including the trial of criminal cases in which the defendant is charged with an offense punishable by imprisonment for more than one year.
Plain-English Summary (for reference only — not a substitute for the rule text above)
Associate judges can handle almost any type of case in their circuit, but only if a chief judge or an assigned circuit judge gives them the go-ahead. This includes serious criminal cases where a person could face more than one year in prison.
The chief judge is in charge of deciding which cases are suitable for associate judges to handle. This gives the court system flexibility to spread out the workload among judges.
Summary generated April 01, 2026
Committee Notes
No committee notes available for this rule.
Amended June 26, 1970, effective July 1, 1970; amended effective October 7, 1970, April 1, 1971, July 1, 1971, and May 28, 1975; amended June 6, 2019, eff. July 1, 2019.
Disclaimer
The information on this site is for general reference only and is not legal advice.
Rule text may not reflect the most recent amendments. Always verify against official
sources before relying on any rule in a legal matter.
By using this site, you agree to our
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy,
whether or not you click this button.