Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. An administrative judge of a court or division may designate a person who may enter a request for the assignment of a judge in the Interactive Generator of Online Requests (IGOR). The contact person should enter her or his name, email address, and phone number as part of the request.

The administrative judge, assigned judge, and contact person will receive an email notification whether the assignment was granted or denied. If the request was granted, the email will include information about the request and a certificate of assignment.

Yes. Article IV, Section 5(A)(3) of the Ohio Constitution provides, “The chief justice or acting chief justice, as necessity arises, shall assign any judge of a court of common pleas or a division thereof temporarily to sit or hold court on any other court of common pleas or division thereof or any court of appeals or shall assign any judge of a court of appeals temporarily to sit or hold court on any other court of appeals or any court of common pleas or division thereof and upon such assignment said judge shall serve in such assigned capacity until the termination of the assignment.” 

This provision has been interpreted to mean that the assigned judge is stepping into the shoes of the sitting judge, and the assigned judge can avail herself or himself of the resources of the court. The assignment grants the assigned judge full judicial power to hear a case. Therefore, if a magistrate has already heard the case, and the order needs the signature of a judge, the assigned judge steps in the case at that stage. If the matter is not set for a hearing and the matter typically proceeds before a magistrate, the assigned judge has a choice, (1) allow the magistrate to hear the case and the judge hears any objections and signs the order, or (2) try the case herself or himself.

No. A certificate of assignment is specific. It permits the assigned judge to hear only those matters on the docket to which she or he was assigned. The requesting court has no authority to assign other matters to the assigned judge beyond the scope of the certificate of assignment.

Yes. If a conflict of interest abates, the sitting judge may request rescission of the certificate of assignment.  For more information regarding an entry of rescission, please refer to Guideline 6.12.

Yes. If two or more judges want to enter a reciprocal agreement, one judge may submit a request for a reciprocal agreement of multiple judges. See Guidelines 2.03 and 6.08.  

*When entering a new request for a reciprocal agreement in IGOR, the requesting judge may not rely on a prior agreement. The requesting judge must verify that each judge remains willing to continue the reciprocal agreement.

When a judge sits under a reciprocal agreement, the requesting court is responsible for all actual and necessary travel expenses. See R.C. 1901.122(B), 1901.123, 1907.142(B), and 1907.143; Sup.R 17(C) and (D); State ex rel. Winn v. Galvin, 39 Ohio St. 2d 58 (1974).

Yes. Gov.Jud.R. VII(1)(A) and (B) outline the actions that must be taken if a sitting judge is leaving office before the end of her or his term.

Sup.R. 36.018(B) provides, “Upon taking office, an appointed or elected successor judge shall assume all cases previously assigned to the predecessor judge. If the terms of two or more successor judges commence simultaneously and there is no identified predecessor judge for each successor judge, the administrative judge of the court or division shall randomly designate the predecessor judge for each successor judge.”

Yes. The form was designed by the court administrators of the courts of appeals and provides substantive information that other court of appeals judges need to determine if she or he can hear the case. Guideline 6.01(A) also requires the attachment of a file stamped recusal entry for the judge or judges recusing from the case.

Nothing. The assignment of an appellate judge to hear a case at the Supreme Court is at the discretion of the Chief Justice and proceeds on a rotating basis. Court of appeals judges are eligible after serving one full year as an appellate judge.

When an on-call assignment has been used, the sitting judge must enter each date or range of dates the assigned judge presided in IGOR pursuant to Guideline 6.05(B). 

The retired assigned judge will not be able to request compensation in the Judicial Assignment Payment System (JASPAY) without the requested information being entered.

No. Guideline 6.01(C) provides, “In the event of the recusal of a sitting judge in a single-judge court or division, the administrative judge shall request the Chief Justice to assign a sitting or retired judge as an assigned judge to the court or division.”

No. See Sup.R. 3.01 and Guidelines 6.01(D) and 6.10(C).

Yes. A reciprocal agreement is not necessary for internal reassignments. See Guidelines 6.01(D) and 6.10(C).

Yes. Sup.R. 36.019 provides, “Following the recusal of a judge in a multi-judge court or division, the administrative judge shall randomly assign the case among the remaining judges of the court or division who are able to hear the case.” 

*Please note that if the administrative judge is exercising her or his authority under Sup.R. 36.019(B), the administrative judge has the responsibility to speak with all judges of the court or division prior to submitting a request into IGOR pursuant to Guideline 6.01(D). The Supreme Court of Ohio has had to rescind certificates of assignment when sitting judges have called the Court and denied having a conflict of interest.

Sup.R. 36.019 provides, “Following the recusal of a judge in a multi-judge court or division, the administrative judge shall randomly assign the case among the remaining judges of the court or division who are able to hear the case.”  

In a two-judge court or division, the case will be assigned to the remaining judge by default. If both judges of the court of division have a conflict, a request must be made in IGOR pursuant to Guideline 6.01(D). The request must include recusal entries from both judges in the two-judge court or division.