Rule 5.040 Motions to Be Determined by the Presiding Judge or Designee

Any judge handling a case, or someone the presiding judge picks to fill in, can hear and decide motions filed in that case. This means you don't have to wait for one specific judge to rule on your motion. The presiding judge of the court can assign this job to another judge if needed.

This rule keeps cases moving forward. If the usual judge is busy, sick, or unavailable, another qualified judge can step in and make decisions on motions without delay. This helps prevent cases from getting stuck just because one particular judge isn't available.