§ 576 Trial before judge other than one who conducted preliminary examination.

This rule keeps the same judge from handling both the preliminary hearing and the actual trial in a criminal case. If a judge listens to evidence during the preliminary hearing to decide if there's enough proof to move forward with charges, that same judge normally cannot be the one who presides over the trial later.

The only way this can change is if everyone involved agrees to it. That means the prosecutor, the defendant, and their lawyers would all need to consent before the same judge could handle both parts of the case.

The idea behind this rule is fairness. A judge who already heard evidence at the preliminary hearing might form opinions about the case before the trial even starts. Having a different judge for the trial helps make sure the defendant gets a fresh, unbiased look at the evidence and testimony presented in court.