SCR 70.23

(1) The chief justice may assign active or reserve judges, other

than municipal judges, to serve temporarily in any court or branch of a

circuit court for such purposes and period of time as the chief justice

determines to be necessary. The director of state courts may make

interdistrict judicial assignments at the circuit court level.

(2) An active judge who is going to be absent from his or her court

shall obtain approval of the chief judge of his or her judicial

administrative district. The chief judge by order may assign an active

judge of the judicial administrative district to substitute for the absenting

judge. The chief judge by order may also assign an active judge of the

judicial administrative district to relieve congestion, to expedite

disposition of litigation or to assist in any branch of circuit court in the

judicial administrative district. If no active judge of the district is

available for the service, the chief judge shall request the director of state

courts to assign a judge from outside the judicial administrative district

or a reserve judge. The director of state courts may also make a permanent

assignment to a judicial district of a reserve judge who can be assigned

by a chief judge in the same manner as an active circuit judge under this

section.

(3) The chief judge of each judicial administrative district shall

design a plan for the rotation of judicial assignments in multijudge

circuits within the district. The plan for each district shall be on file with

and have the approval of the chief justice or his or her designee and shall

be supervised and maintained by the chief judge as part of the permanent

scheme of judicial administration. In designing a rotation plan, the chief

judge shall do all of the following:

(a) Equalize the workload in an equitable manner considering any

special circumstances in each circuit.

(b) Assure general jurisdiction availability and competence of all

judges in the circuit.

(4) In cases of substitution, mandatory disqualification or

self-disqualification, the judge shall direct the clerk of courts or register

in probate of his or her county promptly to notify the chief judge. The

chief judge shall assign another judge to preside in the case. The

self-disqualification of a judge requires approval by the chief judge but

may be subject to judicial administrative district rules. The chief judge

shall provide for the assignment of another judge from within the judicial

administrative district, except that if the chief judge deems it necessary

the chief judge shall call upon the director of state courts to assign a judge

from outside the judicial administrative district or a reserve judge.