Assignment of circuit judges

(1) The chief justice may assign active or reserve judges, other than municipal judges, to serve temporarily in any court or branch of a circuit court for such purposes and period of time as the chief justice determines to be necessary. The director of state courts may make interdistrict judicial assignments at the circuit court level. (2) An active judge who is going to be absent from his or her court shall obtain approval of the chief judge of his or her judicial administrative district. The chief judge by order may assign an active judge of the judicial administrative district to substitute for the absenting judge. The chief judge by order may also assign an active judge of the judicial administrative district to relieve congestion, to expedite disposition of litigation or to assist in any branch of circuit court in the judicial administrative district. If no active judge of the district is available for the service, the chief judge shall request the director of state courts to assign a judge from outside the judicial administrative district or a reserve judge. The director of state courts may also make a permanent assignment to a judicial district of a reserve judge who can be assigned by a chief judge in the same manner as an active circuit judge under this 282 section. (3) The chief judge of each judicial administrative district shall design a plan for the rotation of judicial assignments in multijudge circuits within the district. The plan for each district shall be on file with and have the approval of the chief justice or his or her designee and shall be supervised and maintained by the chief judge as part of the permanent scheme of judicial administration. In designing a rotation plan, the chief judge shall do all of the following: (a) Equalize the workload in an equitable manner considering any special circumstances in each circuit. (b) Assure general jurisdiction availability and competence of all judges in the circuit. (4) In cases of substitution, mandatory disqualification or self-disqualification, the judge shall direct the clerk of courts or register in probate of his or her county promptly to notify the chief judge. The chief judge shall assign another judge to preside in the case. The self-disqualification of a judge requires approval by the chief judge but may be subject to judicial administrative district rules. The chief judge shall provide for the assignment of another judge from within the judicial administrative district, except that if the chief judge deems it necessary the chief judge shall call upon the director of state courts to assign a judge from outside the judicial administrative district or a reserve judge.