HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 2314

BYRepresentatives R. Meyers, Schmidt, Vekich, Zellinsky, Pruitt and Sayan

Creating new superior court positions for Kitsap county.

House Committe on Judiciary

Majority Report:  Do pass.  (18)

      Signed by Representatives Appelwick, Chair; Crane, Vice Chair; Padden, Ranking Republican Member; Belcher, Brough, Dellwo, Forner, Hargrove, Inslee, P. King, R. Meyers, Moyer, H. Myers, Schmidt, Scott, D. Sommers, Tate and Wineberry.

House Staff:Bill Perry (786-7123)

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY JANUARY 23, 1990

BACKGROUND:

By statute, the state legislature determines the number of superior court judges in each county.  Currently, Kitsap County has five judges.

Retirement system benefits and one half of the salary of a superior court judge are paid by the state.  The other half of the judge's salary and all other costs associated with a judicial position, such as capital and support staff costs, are borne by the county.  A statute also requires that the county hire a court reporter for each superior court judge.

Periodically, the office of the administrator for the courts conducts a "weighted caseload" study of the superior courts in the state to determine the relative need for additional judges in the counties.

SUMMARY:

The number of superior court judges in Kitsap County is increased from five to seven.  One of the new positions takes effect July 1, 1990, and the other not later than January 1, 1994.

The creation of the new positions is dependent upon the acceptance by the county legislative authority of the responsibility of paying for the county's share of the costs of the positions.

Fiscal Note:      Available.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Mary McQueen, Office of the Administrator for the Courts; Bob Freudenstein, Kitsap County Clerk; Leonard Kruse, Kitsap County Superior Court.

House Committee - Testified Against:      No one.

House Committee - Testimony For:    The weighted caseload analysis shows that Kitsap County is badly in need of additional judges.  General population growth, and an unusually high number of time-consuming asbestos cases have created this need.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None.