Rule 3.3 Change of Judge for Postjudgment Motion or Proceeding

If you go back to court after a judgment has already been made, like to ask for a change or file a follow-up motion, the same judge who handled your original case will normally handle this too. This keeps things consistent, since that judge already knows the background of your case.

There are a few exceptions to this. If the original judge is not available for any reason, another judge can step in. A different judge can also handle the matter if a specific state law allows it. In cases that are not felonies, another judge can update or enforce a condition that was already part of a judgment or a guilty plea. And in child support cases, a different judge is allowed to change or enforce a child support order without needing the original judge.

In short, you can usually expect the same judge to stay on your case after judgment, but the rules allow some flexibility when that is not possible or when a specific type of case calls for it.