Alaska R. Admin. 24

(a) Assignments Within Judicial Districts. Assignment

of a judicial officer from the court location of the judicial

officer’s residence to locations within the same judicial district

shall be made by the presiding judge of the judicial district or

by the presiding judge’s designee. In making such

assignments, due regard shall be had of the status of

accumulated calendars of the courts in the district to the end

that judicial officers are assigned to such courts as needed in

order to keep the calendars current.

(b) Temporary Assignments in Other Judicial Districts.

(1) When the volume of judicial business in the superior

or district court in any judicial district warrants the temporary

assignment thereto of one or more judicial officers from

another judicial district, the presiding judge in the judicial

district requiring such temporary assignment shall so advise

the administrative director, giving details as to the reasons for

the assignment, the length of time and the location of the

temporary assignment.

(2) The administrative director shall thereupon determine

the availability of judicial officers in other judicial districts and

make such assignments as may be necessary.

(c) Assignment of Appellate Judicial Officers.

(1) The chief justice may assign an individual justice of

the supreme court or a judge of the court of appeals, with the

consent of the justice or judge, to serve pro tempore as a judge

of the superior court or a district court in any judicial district of

the state under the same circumstances as the administrative

director may assign a judge under paragraph (b) of this rule.

(2) Death or Incapacity.

(A) If the chief justice dies, or is incapacitated, the most

senior member of the supreme court becomes acting chief

justice.

(B) If all members of the supreme court die or are

incapacitated, the chief judge of the court of appeals becomes

the acting chief justice and may appoint up to four justices to

serve pro tempore to create a functioning supreme court of not

more than five members.

(C) If the chief judge of the court of appeals is unable to

act as chief justice within the meaning of subpart (B), the next

most senior member of the court of appeals becomes the chief

justice for purposes of that subpart. If no member of the court

of appeals is able to act as chief justice, the most senior

presiding judge who is also a superior court judge becomes the

acting chief justice for the purposes of subpart (B).

(d) Assignments of Active Judges for Pro Tempore

Appellate Service. The chief justice, or another justice whom

the chief justice designates, may assign an individual justice of

the supreme court or an individual judge of the superior or

district court to serve pro tempore as a judge of the court of

appeals. The chief justice, or another justice whom the chief

justice designates, may assign an individual judge of the court

of appeals, the superior court or the district court to serve pro

tempore as a justice of the supreme court.

(e) Assignments of Active Judges for Other Pro

Tempore Service. The chief justice, another justice whom the

chief justice designates, or the presiding judge upon entry of an

order of delegation by the chief justice, may assign an

individual judge of the district court to serve pro tempore as a

judge of the superior court. When a superior court judge hears

a matter that is pending in the district court, that judge sits as a

district court judge, and a specific assignment to the district

court is not required.

(f) Scope and Duration of Assignment.

(1) A temporary assignment of an individual justice or

judge under this rule shall be for specific cases or types of

cases or proceedings; for general caseloads in a specific

geographic location as necessary to ensure completion of a

travel calendar; and for general caseloads as necessary to

ensure continued judicial service during either the extended

absence of a sitting judge or a judicial vacancy.

(2) A temporary assignment may not exceed 180 days in

duration absent specific authorization by the chief justice;

however a judge who is assigned pro tem on a specific case

may continue to preside in that case beyond the expiration of

the temporary assignment order.

(3) A single temporary assignment of a judicial officer to

another judicial district may not exceed 90 days, unless the

judicial officer consents to the additional assignment.

Assignments in excess of 90 days or any assignment made

without the consent of the assigned judicial officer may be

made only by special order of the chief justice.

(g) Recommendations. The administrative director and

the presiding judge in each judicial district shall, after

consideration of the state of the superior and district court

dockets from time to time, submit joint recommendations to

the supreme court as to methods of improving the

administration of justice in such courts.

(h) Definitions. In this rule, “judicial officer” means a

superior court judge, district court judge, or magistrate judge.