Washington Cnty. C.P. Local Rules of Civil Procedure (Updated August 1, 2025) Rule 200.1

(1) The President Judge annually shall assign civil case types to the judges of the Court by

Administrative Regulation. The Administrative Regulations shall be available by hard copy

in the Office of the Court Administrator and at www.washingtoncourts.us.

(a) The Court Administrator shall assign cases to judges according to the method

that the President Judge orders from time to time.

i. All proceedings in a case after its assignment, including trial, will be

scheduled and conducted by the assigned judge unless otherwise ordered by

the Court.

(b) The President Judge or the Court Administrator shall have the authority to

assign or reassign a case to a judge in the interest of the efficient administration of

justice.

(c) The assignment process is to facilitate administrative control and to manage the

flow of cases. All judges may hear any matter that properly comes before the Court.

(2) No one in the office of the Court Administrator may reveal to any person, other than a

judge, the sequence in which cases are assigned, if such cases are assigned randomly, unless

necessary to administer the case management system or as authorized by the Court.

(3) The Court may punish a person for contempt if the person causes or attempts to cause

an employee of the Court to reveal the sequence in which cases are randomly assigned or

to assign a case inconsistent with the direction of the Court.

(4) Recusal

(a) A judge who intends to recuse on a matter must submit a recusal form to the

President Judge.

(b) Upon approval of the recusal, the President Judge shall reassign the case to

another judge in consultation with the Court Administrator.

(c) If the President Judge is the recusing judge, the commissioned judge with the

greatest seniority as determined by Pa.R.J.A. 705 shall reassign the case in

consultation with the Court Administrator.

(d) In the instance of a full bench recusal, the President Judge will request

assignment of a judge in accordance with Pa.R.J.A. 701(C).

(5) Related Cases. Consolidation.

(a) When a determination is made that two cases are related, the case filed later will

be assigned to the judge handling the lowest numbered (earlier filed) case, unless a

determination is made that the efficient administration of justice requires otherwise

(b) When cases involving common questions of law or fact are pending before

different judges, a party may file a motion to consolidate the cases. The motion

shall be filed in each case which the movant seeks to consolidate. The motion must

be presented to and ruled upon by the judge assigned to the lowest numbered case.

If cases assigned to different judges are consolidated, all cases will be assigned to

the judge having the lowest numbered cases. Nothing shall prohibit the Court from

consolidating a case on its own motion.

(6) Remand. A remanded case shall be assigned to the judge who previously presided over

the case unless:

(a) the remand order directs otherwise; or

(b) the President Judge reassigns the case.