What the panel ordered
Petition for removal dismissed as premature; matter returned to presiding WCJp. 1
Applicant filed a Petition for Judicial Reassignment requesting reassignment to a different WCJ on grounds of prejudice and bias; the Appeals Board treated it as a petition for removal.
What was disputed, and how it came out
Each issue the panel decided, with the reasoning it gave. An outcome is what this panel did on this record — not a rule, and not a prediction.
Presiding WCJ has not yet ruled on the request.
From the decision · page 1Because the presiding WCJ has not yet ruled on applicant’s request for judicial reassignment, it is premature to seek relief from the Appeals Board.
No order has issued and the issue must first be decided by the presiding WCJ.
From the decision · page 1Upon review, we will treat the petition as one for removal and dismiss applicant’s petition as premature, as no order has issued.