Baltimore Circuit Judge Stuart R. Berger will no longer be in charge of the criminal docket after Jan. 6, when he relinquishes his duties for health reasons, Administrative Law Judge Ellen M. Heller announced yesterday.

Berger, 43, will focus on trials and will be replaced by Judge John M. Glynn, Heller said. Berger's health concern was not specified.

Glynn will have help from three judges Heller has appointed to oversee specific aspects of the docket: Thomas E. Noel, Lynn K. Stewart, and John Philip Miller.

Noel will coordinate drug treatment court and substance abuse programs; Stewart will oversee the processing of miscellaneous matters, including juvenile waivers and not-criminally-responsible waivers; and Miller will run misdemeanor trial court.

Berger has been handling the docket without assistance.

"Judge Berger has done an outstanding job with the myriad responsibilities as judge-in-charge of the criminal docket as well as chair of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council," Heller said in a prepared statement. "In a very short time, he has reorganized the way we manage cases and made the Circuit Court much more efficient.

"We now have a computerized system for receiving statistical information that has improved the management of the criminal docket. We have streamlined the process of handling motions to transfer cases to juvenile court. And Judge Berger has instituted a weekly review of older cases in order to reduce the backlog and reduce time to trial."

Now the courts must expand on Berger's accomplishments, Heller said. She described Glynn, 56, who has been an associate judge in Baltimore Circuit Court since February last year, as "a capable and experienced jurist."

"Moreover, his strong background in criminal law will be invaluable in this new assignment," Heller said.

Before coming to Circuit Court, Glynn handled civil and criminal dockets as a District Court judge for seven years. He has served as the chairman of the Executive Committee of the Statewide Judicial Conference. Before his appointment to the bench, the Baltimore native and Vietnam veteran was people's counsel for nine years.

He will serve as chairman of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, a city-based court reform group.

"I look forward to building on Judge Berger's accomplishments," Glynn said in a prepared statement.