24-516. Judge; interchange; vacancy, disqualification, absence, or temporary incapacity; Chief Justice; temporary appointment; appointment of district judge to act; when; effect.

(1) The county judges may interchange and hold each other's court. Whenever requested by a county judge of another county judge district or it appears by affidavit, to the satisfaction of any county judge in the state, that the judge of any other county judge district is unable to act, on account of sickness, interest, or absence from the county judge district or from any other cause, the judge to whom application is made shall have power to make any order or do any act relative to any suit, judicial matter, or proceeding or to any special matter arising within the county judge district where such vacancy or disability exists which the judge of such county court could make or do. The order or act shall have the same effect as if made or done by the judge of such county judge district.

(2) In addition to subsection (1) of this section, in the event of a vacancy in the office of county judge or the disqualification, absence, or the temporary incapacity of a county judge, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court may designate a county judge from another county judge district to temporarily perform the duties of the office. The Chief Justice also may assign a county judge to temporarily perform duties in another county judge district when in his or her opinion such assignment would be beneficial to the administration of justice.

(3) A county judge may appoint by order a consenting district judge residing in the county judge district to act as county judge in specific instances on any matter over which the county court has determined that it has jurisdiction over the parties and subject matter. The appointed district judge shall have power to make any order or do any act relative to any suit, judicial matter, or proceeding or to any special matter which the county judge of such county judge district could make or do. Any such order or act shall have the same effect as if made or done by the county judge of such county judge district. A district judge shall not hear any appeals of matters in which he or she acted as a county judge. A copy of the order of appointment shall be filed in each action in which a district judge acts as a county judge.

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