§ 850. Designation of judicial hearing officers. 1. Subject to the
provisions of subdivision three of this section and to rules of the
chief administrator of the courts, any person who has served as a judge
or justice of a court of record of the unified court system or of a city
court which is not a court of record, but who no longer holds judicial
office, may, upon his application, be designated by the chief
administrator as a judicial hearing officer upon a determination by the
chief administrator (a) that the former judge has the mental and
physical capacity to perform the duties of such office and (b) that the
services of that former judge are necessary to expedite the business of
the courts.

2. The term of service of a judicial hearing officer shall be fixed by
the chief administrator.

3. No person who has been removed from a judicial position pursuant to
section twenty-two of article six of the constitution may be designated
as a judicial hearing officer.

4. Each person, upon designation as a judicial hearing officer as
provided herein, shall file with the chief administrator a sworn
statement that such person will faithfully and fairly do such acts and
make such determinations and reports as may be required by the
designation as a judicial hearing officer.