Rule 24 - Assignment of Judicial Officers(a)Assignments Within Judicial Districts. Assignment of a judicial officer from the court location of the judicial officer's residence to locations within the same judicial district shall be made by the presiding judge of the judicial district or by the presiding judge's designee. In making such assignments, due regard shall be had of the status of accumulated calendars of the courts in the district to the end that judicial officers are assigned to such courts as needed in order to keep the calendars current.(b)Temporary Assignments in Other Judicial Districts.(1) When the volume of judicial business in the superior or district court in any judicial district warrants the temporary assignment thereto of one or more judicial officers from another judicial district, the presiding judge in the judicial district requiring such temporary assignment shall so advise the administrative director, giving details as to the reasons for the assignment, the length of time and the location of the temporary assignment.(2) The administrative director shall thereupon determine the availability of judicial officers in other judicial districts and make such assignments as may be necessary.(c)Assignment of Appellate Judicial Officers. (1) The chief justice may assign an individual justice of the supreme court or a judge of the court of appeals, with the consent of the justice or judge, to serve pro tempore as a judge of the superior court or a district court in any judicial district of the state under the same circumstances as the administrative director may assign a judge under paragraph (b) of this rule.(2) Death or Incapacity. (A) If the chief justice dies, or is incapacitated, the most senior member of the supreme court becomes acting chief justice.(B) If all members of the supreme court die or are incapacitated, the chief judge of the court of appeals becomes the acting chief justice and may appoint up to four justices to serve pro tempore to create a functioning supreme court of not more than five members.(C) If the chief judge of the court of appeals is unable to act as chief justice within the meaning of subpart (B), the next most senior member of the court of appeals becomes the chief justice for purposes of that subpart. If no member of the court of appeals is able to act as chief justice, the most senior presiding judge who is also a superior court judge becomes the acting chief justice for the purposes of subpart (B).(d)Assignments of Active Judges for Pro Tempore Appellate Service. The chief justice, or another justice whom the chief justice designates, may assign an individual justice of the supreme court or an individual judge of the superior or district court to serve pro tempore as a judge of the court of appeals. The chief justice, or another justice whom the chief justice designates, may assign an individual judge of the court of appeals, the superior court or the district court to serve pro tempore as a justice of the supreme court.(e)Assignments of Active Judges for Other Pro Tempore Service. The chief justice, another justice whom the chief justice designates, or the presiding judge upon entry of an order of delegation by the chief justice, may assign an individual judge of the district court to serve pro tempore as a judge of the superior court. When a superior court judge hears a matter that is pending in the district court, that judge sits as a district court judge, and a specific assignment to the district court is not required.(f)Scope and Duration of Assignment. (1) A temporary assignment of an individual justice or judge under this rule shall be for specific cases or types of cases or proceedings; for general caseloads in a specific geographic location as necessary to ensure completion of a travel calendar; and for general caseloads as necessary to ensure continued judicial service during either the extended absence of a sitting judge or a judicial vacancy.(2) A temporary assignment may not exceed 180 days in duration absent specific authorization by the chief justice; however a judge who is assigned pro tem on a specific case may continue to preside in that case beyond the expiration of the temporary assignment order.(3) A single temporary assignment of a judicial officer to another judicial district may not exceed 90 days, unless the judicial officer consents to the additional assignment. Assignments in excess of 90 days or any assignment made without the consent of the assigned judicial officer may be made only by special order of the chief justice.(g) Recommendations. The administrative director and the presiding judge in each judicial district shall, after consideration of the state of the superior and district court dockets from time to time, submit joint recommendations to the supreme court as to methods of improving the administration of justice in such courts.(h)Definitions. In this rule, "judicial officer" means a superior court judge, district court judge, or magistrate judge.Adopted by SCO 412 effective 7/1/1980; amended by SCO 443 effective 11/13/1980; by SCO 891 effective 7/15/1988; by SCO 1153 effective 7/15/1994; by SCO 1231 effective 4/12/1996; by SCO 1463 effective 10/15/2002; and by SCO 1499 effective 4/15/2003; amended by SCO 1829 effective 10/15/2014.