§ 14. Disqualification of judge by reason of interest or
consanguinity. A judge shall not sit as such in, or take any part in
the decision of, an action, claim, matter, motion or proceeding to which
he is a party, or in which he has been attorney or counsel, or in which
he is interested, or if he is related by consanguinity or affinity to
any party to the controversy within the sixth degree. The degree shall
be ascertained by ascending from the judge to the common ancestor,
descending to the party, counting a degree for each person in both
lines, including the judge and party, and excluding the common ancestor.
But no judge of a court of record shall be disqualified in any action,
claim, matter, motion or proceeding in which an insurance company is a
party or is interested by reason of his being a policy holder therein.
No judge shall be deemed disqualified from passing upon any litigation
before him because of his ownership of shares of stock or other
securities of a corporate litigant, provided that the parties, by their
attorneys, in writing, or in open court upon the record, waive any claim
as to disqualification of the judge.