Rule 63 Inability of a Judge to Proceed

If a judge gets sick, retires, or otherwise can't finish a trial or hearing that has already started, another judge can step in and take over. But before doing this, the new judge has to read the case record and be confident that switching judges won't harm either side's case.

If the trial doesn't have a jury and one of the parties asks, the new judge must bring back any witness who gave testimony that really matters and is still in dispute, as long as that witness can testify again without major difficulty. The new judge can also choose to call back other witnesses, even if nobody specifically asked for it.

This rule exists so that a case doesn't have to start completely over just because a judge becomes unavailable partway through. It lets things keep moving while still protecting each side's right to a fair process.