Opinion ID: 2506556
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Superior Court Properly Denied the Peremptory Challenge of Judge Olsen.

Text: The Irbys also appeal Presiding Superior Court Judge Steinkruger's denial of their motion to peremptorily challenge Judge Olsen. They assert that the hearing on the motion for stay was not a hearing on the merits that waived their rights under Alaska Civil Rule 42(c) because no factual issues were presented and decided by Judge Olsen. Alaska Civil Rule 42(c)(4) provides: A party waives the right to change as a matter of right a judge who has been permanently assigned to the case by knowingly participating before that judge in: (i) Any judicial proceeding which concerns the merits of the action and involves the consideration of evidence or of affidavits.. . . We hold that the Irbys' participation in the September 26 hearing on the stay motion waived their right to peremptorily challenge Judge Olsen. The Irbys argued the merits of the case extensively in their opposition and filed many merits-related exhibits with their opposition. Presumably the superior court considered the exhibits in deciding the motion. A motion for stay in a workers' compensation case is similar to a motion for a preliminary injunction, [39] and it necessarily involves some consideration of the merits of a case. Participation in a hearing must also be knowing for waiver to occur. [40] Here, even though counsel did not actually receive notice of the permanent assignment until after the hearing, he is deemed to have been on notice of the assignment. [41] The case was reassigned to Judge Olsen before the contested hearing. The Irbys' attorney had every reason to know in advance that issues of substance would be considered at the hearing; he had filed a lengthy and detailed opposition to the stay motion and knew that the hearing would not involve routine or uncontested matters. He traveled from Anchorage to Fairbanks to participate in the hearing. Under these circumstances, counsel potentially interested in challenging the judge who will be presiding over a scheduled hearing has ample reason to determine by inquiring of court staff or reviewing the court file before the hearing whether a permanent assignment has already been made; if he does not, he is presumed to have known of the assignment. Because the Irbys knowingly participated in a hearing before Judge Olsen that required some consideration of the merits of the action and the hearing involved the consideration of evidence, Judge Steinkruger did not err in denying the Irbys' peremptory challenge of Judge Olsen.