2024 California Rules of Court
Rule 3.872. Disqualification from subsequently serving as an adjudicator
A person who has participated in a complaint proceeding or otherwise received information about the substance of a complaint, other than information that is publicly disclosed under rule 3.871(d), must not subsequently hear or determine any contested issue of law, fact, or procedure concerning the dispute that was the subject of the underlying mediation or any other dispute that arises from the mediation as a judge, an arbitrator, a referee, or a juror, or in any other adjudicative capacity, in any court action or proceeding.
Rule 3.872 amended and renumbered effective July 1, 2009, effective date extended to January 1, 2010; adopted as rule 1622.3 effective January 1, 2006; previously amended and renumbered as rule 3.868 effective January 1, 2007.
Advisory Committee Comment
Persons who participated in a complaint proceeding are prohibited from subsequently adjudicating the dispute that was the subject of the underlying mediation or any other dispute that arises from the mediation because they may have learned of confidential mediation communications that were disclosed in the complaint proceeding or may have been influenced by what transpired in that proceeding. Because the information that can be disclosed publicly under rule 3.871(d) is limited and excludes mediation communications, it is unnecessary to disqualify persons who received only publicly disclosed information from subsequently adjudicating the dispute.