My question involves court procedures for the state of:
A case recently came to light in civil court where the judge had previously worked and known the defendant through personal connections. The judge wasn't presiding over the actual case but approved a court date set forward by the Plaintiffs. The defendant came forward and countered they knew the judge in question and claimed it was a conflict of interest for the judge to rule on the scheduling date by this particular judge.
If a judge knows the defendant and rules on something related to the case, could this be considered a conflict of interest?

