Rule 4 - Designation or Election of Administrative Judge(A) Single-judge courts and divisionsThe judge of the following courts and divisions shall serve as the administrative judge of that court or division: (1) A single-judge court of common pleas;(2) A single-judge division of a court of common pleas;(3) A single-judge municipal court;(4) A single-judge division of a municipal court; (5) A single-judge county court.
(B) Multi-judge courts and divisions(1) The judges of the following courts and divisions shall elect by a majority vote of the judges of that court or division an administrative judge of the court or division: (b) A multi-judge court of common pleas with no divisions; (c) A multi-judge division of a court of common pleas; (d) A multi-judge municipal court with no divisions;(e) A multi-judge division of a municipal court; (f) A multi-judge county court.(2) If the judges of a court or division are unable to elect an administrative judge of the court or division pursuant to division (B)(1) of this rule, the administrative judge shall be determined as follows:(a) The judge of the court or division having the longest total service on the court or in the division shall serve as the administrative judge; (b) If two or more judges have equal periods of total service on the court or in the division, the judge of the court or division having the longest total service as an Ohio judge shall serve as the administrative judge;(c) If two or more judges have equal periods of total service as an Ohio judge, the judge of the court or division having the earliest date of admittance to the practice of law in Ohio shall serve as the administrative judge;(d) If two or more judges were admitted to the practice of law in Ohio on the same date, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, for courts of appeals or multijudge municipal and county courts, or the presiding judge of the court of common pleas, for multi-judge divisions of courts of common pleas, shall designate one of the judges of the court or division to serve as the administrative judge. (C) Term The term of an administrative judge of a court or division shall be one year, provided that a court or division may establish by local rule of that court or division a term of not less than one year and not more than three years. The term of an administrative judge shall begin on January 1st of the year immediately following the designation or election of the administrative judge. An administrative judge may serve consecutive terms.
(D) Designation or election date The designation or election of an administrative judge of a court or division shall occur on or before December 31st of the year preceding the term.
(E) Notice of designation or election An administrative judge of a court or division shall notify the Administrative Director of the Supreme Court of the judge's designation or election as the administrative judge by January 15th of the year of the term.
Amended October 23, 2012, effective 12/1/2012;8/1/2017;8/1/2018.