New York Codes, Rules and Regulations › Title 22 - JUDICIARY › Subtitle A - JUDICIAL ADMINISTRATION › Chapter II - UNIFORM RULES FOR THE NEW YORK STATE TRIAL COURTS › Part 202 - Uniform Civil Rules for the Supreme Court and the County Court › Section 202.3 - Individual assignment system; structure

Current through Register
				  Vol. 46, No. 28, July 10, 2024
(a) General. There shall be established
				  for all civil actions and proceedings heard in the Supreme Court and County
				  Court an individual assignment system which provides for the continuous
				  supervision of each action and proceeding by a single judge. Except as
				  otherwise may be authorized by the Chief Administrator or by these rules, every
				  action and proceeding shall be assigned and heard pursuant to the individual
				  assignment system.
(b)
				  Assignments. Actions and proceedings shall be assigned to the judges of the
				  court upon the filing with the court of a request for judicial intervention
				  pursuant to section
				  202.6 of this Part. Assignments
				  shall be made by the clerk of the court pursuant to a method of random
				  selection authorized by the Chief Administrator. The judge thereby assigned
				  shall be known as the "assigned judge" with respect to that matter and, except
				  as otherwise provided in subdivision (c) of this section, shall conduct all
				  further proceedings therein.
(c) Exceptions.
(1) Where the requirements of matters
				  already assigned to a judge are such as to limit the ability of that judge to
				  handle additional cases, the Chief Administrator may authorize that new
				  assignments to that judge be suspended until the judge is able to handle
				  additional cases.
(2)
				  The Chief Administrator may authorize the establishment in any court of special
				  categories of actions and proceedings, including but not limited to matrimonial
				  actions, medical malpractice actions, tax assessment review proceedings,
				  condemnation actions and actions requiring protracted consideration, for
				  assignment to judges specially assigned to hear such actions or proceedings.
				  Where more than one judge is specially assigned to hear a particular category
				  of action or proceeding, the assignment of such actions or proceedings to the
				  judges so assigned shall be at random.
(3) The Chief Administrator may authorize
				  the assignment of one or more special reserve trial judges. Such judges may be
				  assigned matters for trial in exceptional circumstances where the needs of the
				  courts require such assignment.
(4) Matters requiring immediate
				  disposition may be assigned to a judge designated to hear such matters when the
				  assigned judge is not available.
(5) The Chief Administrator may authorize
				  the transfer of any action or proceeding and any matter relating to an action
				  or proceeding from one judge to another in accordance with the needs of the
				  court.
(6) The Chief
				  Administrator may authorize the establishment in any court or county or
				  judicial district of a dual track system of assignment. Under such system each
				  action and proceeding shall be supervised continuously by the individually
				  assigned judge until the note of issue and certificate of readiness have been
				  filed and the pretrial conference, if one is ordered, has been held. The action
				  or proceeding then may be assigned to another judge for trial in a manner
				  prescribed by the Chief Administrator.