IN RE: ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER 1999-5 -- ASSIGNMENT OF GUILTY PLEA JUDGE
ORDER OF COURT
AND NOW, this 25th day of May, 1999, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED:
1. Upon receipt of a court case file from a District Justice, the Clerk of Courts - Criminal Division - shall notify the Court Administrator of the caption of the case and the file number.
2. The President Judge shall then assign a judge to hear any guilty plea which may be tendered. Any guilty plea shall be heard only by the assigned judge, who shall then have the sentencing responsibility.
3. The assignment of the guilty plea judge may be changed only by the President Judge upon good cause shown.
4. The assignment of a guilty plea judge for a case does not preclude any other proceeding in the case, including trial, from being heard by another judge.
5. A “court case” is a case in which one or more of the offenses charged is a misdemeanor or felony. This order does not apply to cases wherein defendant is charged with any degree of murder or voluntary manslaughter.
6. The effective date of this order is August 1, 1999. Guilty pleas in cases filed prior to that date shall be submitted to the judge designated by the Criminal Court Administrative Judge.
BY THE COURT,
Robert A. Freedberg, P.J.