Opinion
Opinion Delivered April 21, 2011
Today, we adopt an amendment to Administrative Order No. 14(3)(a)(2), effective immediately, and republish it as set out below. This amendment addresses the assignment of subject-matter cases to judges, which may affect administrative plans that are required to be submitted to the supreme court by July 1, 2011. (This change is illustrated by reference to the end note.)
Administrative Order No. 14 — Administration of Circuit Courts
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3. Administrative Plan.
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a. Case Assignment and Allocation.
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(2) Cases in a subject-matter division may be exclusively assigned to particular judges, but such assignment shall not preclude judges from hearing cases of any other subject-matter division.
End Note
(2) Cases in the criminal division, the juvenile division, or the domestic relations division may be exclusively assigned to particular judges, but such assignment shall not preclude them from hearing cases from any subject-matter division of circuit court. Except for the exclusive assignment of criminal, juvenile, and domestic relations division cases, cases in other subject-matter divisions should not be exclusively assigned to particular judges absent extraordinary reasons which must be set out in the circuit's administrative plan.