Petition for coordination when cases already ordered coordinated

(a) Assignment of coordination trial judge

If it appears that included actions in a petition for coordination share a common question of law or fact with cases already ordered coordinated, the Chair of the Judicial Council may assign the petition to the coordination trial judge for the existing coordinated cases to decide the petition as a request to coordinate an add-on case under rule 3.544.

(b) Order

The coordination trial judge's order must specify that the request to coordinate an add-on case is either granted or denied.

(c) Filing and service

The petitioner must promptly file the order in each included action, serve it on each party appearing in an included action, and submit a copy to the Chair of the Judicial Council.

(d) Cases added on and right to peremptory challenge

If the coordination trial judge grants the petition, the included actions will be coordinated as add-on cases and the right to file a peremptory challenge under Code of Civil Procedure section 170.6 will be limited by rule 3.516.

(e) Assignment of coordination motion judge if cases not added on

If the coordination trial judge denies the petition as a request to coordinate an add-on case under rule 3.544, the Chair of the Judicial Council must assign a coordination motion judge to determine whether coordination is appropriate under rule 3.524.