This summary is not the rule. The rule text controls.
If your case is set for a mini-trial, it doesn't get pulled off the court's normal schedule. It stays on the regular docket and keeps its place on the trial calendar, just like any other case moving toward trial.
This means the judge is still involved while you get ready for the mini-trial. If you and the other side run into problems with discovery (exchanging evidence and information) or need the court to decide on any pre-mini-trial motion, the judge is available to step in and handle it.
So think of the mini-trial process as running alongside the regular case, not replacing it. You still have access to the court for help with disputes that come up before the mini-trial happens, and your case doesn't lose its scheduled trial date just because a mini-trial has been set up.
