Opinion ID: 1246954
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: waiver of right to disqualify judge for bias

Text: 3. In the instant case defendant went to trial without taking any affirmative action whatever to disqualify the substituted judge for bias, and she is now in no position to complain. It is the duty of the lawyer as an officer of the court to act in a timely manner in asserting his client's right to disqualify a judge for bias to the end that there may be no unnecessary delay in the orderly administration of justice. [6] A litigant who, in the absence of fraud or other controlling circumstance, elects to go to trial without taking timely and appropriate action to disqualify a judge for bias waives his right to assert such bias. [7] Whether a mistrial may ever be declared for actual bias we need not here determine since the record herein fails to disclose such bias.