Rule 2-536.Disability of judge

Cases sometimes outlast the judge assigned to them. A judge might leave office, be absent, die, fall sick, or otherwise become unable to finish an act or duty in a pending action. Rule 2-536 lets any other judge authorized to sit in that court step in and complete the unfinished business — but only if that judge is satisfied it can be done properly. Some acts are ministerial enough that a substitute judge can complete them without having presided over the case firsthand, such as entering judgment on a verdict the jury already returned.

When the substitute judge isn't satisfied that finishing the act is proper — often because the remaining step depends on having watched testimony or weighed credibility in person — the rule doesn't leave the case stuck. The substitute judge instead grants a new trial or whatever other relief justice requires. That gives the court flexibility to pick a proportionate fix rather than defaulting to a full redo every time a judge becomes unavailable.