Can a judge be assigned to a trial department under a master calendar exception?

The master calendar exception envisions that the parties' attorneys are personally before the court when the assignment is made. It requires the challenge be made immediately upon the assignment in order to permit the "judge in the master calendar department to make an immediate assignment to another department and immediately to utilize the challenged judge for some other pending case." (People v. Escobedo (1973) 35 Cal.App.3d 32, 38, 110 Cal.Rptr. 550.) However, when a master calendar department assigns a [52 Cal.App.4th 60] case to a trial department well in advance of the trial date, the rationale of the master calendar rule does not apply. (People v. Superior Court (Lavi), supra, 4 Cal.4th 1164, 1175-1176, 17 Cal.Rptr.2d 815, 847 P.2d 1031.)