WSR 08-21-020

RULES OF COURT

STATE SUPREME COURT


[ October 3, 2008 ]

IN THE MATTER OF THE ADOPTION OF NEW RAP 18.13A - ACCELERATED REVIEW OF JUVENILE DEPENDENCY DISPOSITION ORDERS AND ORDERS TERMINATING PARENTAL RIGHTS, AMENDMENT TO RAP 13.5A - MOTIONS FOR DISCRETIONARY REVIEW OF SPECIFIED FINAL DECISIONS AND AMENDMENT TO RAP 18.13 - ACCELERATED REVIEW OF DISPOSITIONS IN JUVENILE OFFENSE PROCEEDINGS )

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ORDER

NO. 25700-A-901


     The Washington Supreme Court Commission on Foster Care and the Washington State Bar Association having recommended the adoption of proposed New RAP 18.13A - Accelerated Review of Juvenile Dependency Disposition Orders and Orders Terminating Parental Rights, Amendment to RAP 13.5A - Motions for Discretionary Review of Specified Final Decisions and Amendment to RAP 18.13 - Accelerated Review of Dispositions in Juvenile Offense Proceedings, and the Court having determined that the proposed amendment will aid in the prompt and orderly administration of justice and further determined that an emergency exists which necessitates an early adoption;

     Now, therefore, it is hereby

     ORDERED:

     (a) That the amendment as attached hereto is adopted.

     (b) That pursuant to the emergency provisions of GR 9 (j)(1), the amendments will be published expeditiously and become effective upon publication.

     DATED at Olympia, Washington this 3rd day of October, 2008.
     Alexander, C. J.


     C. Johnson, J.


     Owens, J.


     Madsen, J.


     Fairhurst, J.


     Sanders, J.


     J. M. Johnson, J.


     Chambers, J.


     Stephens, J.



RULES OF APPELLATE PROCEDURE (RAP)


NEW RULE 18.13A. ACCELERATED REVIEW OF JUVENILE DEPENDENCY DISPOSITION ORDERS AND ORDERS TERMINATING PARENTAL RIGHTS



     (a) Generally. Juvenile dependency disposition orders and orders terminating parental rights may be reviewed by a commissioner on the merits by accelerated review as provided in this rule. Review from other orders entered in juvenile dependency and termination actions are not subject to this rule. The provisions of this rule supersede all other provisions of the Rules of Appellate Procedure to the contrary, and this rule shall be construed so that appeals from juvenile dependency disposition orders and orders terminating parental rights shall be heard as expeditiously as possible.

     (b) Notice of Appeal - Filing with Appellate Court. The notice of appeal must be filed with the trial court in compliance with Title 5 of these rules. Notwithstanding the other provisions of this rule, a timely notice of appeal shall be accepted for filing. A copy of the notice of appeal with proof of service should be filed with the appellate court by the appellant at the time it is filed with the trial court.

     (c) Motion for Order of Indigency. Parties seeking review at public expense must file a motion for order of indigency in the trial court. Any order of indigency should be filed contemporaneously with the notice of appeal.

     (d) Consolidation. When one or more appellants seek review of more than one dependency dispositional order or order terminating parental rights arising from cases tried together, each appellant may file a single statement of arrangements and a single designation of clerk's papers under the lowest trial court cause number. The appellate court normally will consolidate the appeals for purposes of review.

     (e) Statement of Arrangements. A statement of arrangements should be filed contemporaneously with the notice of appeal. The party seeking review should arrange for the transcription of an original and one copy of the verbatim report of proceedings. If the proceeding being reviewed was recorded electronically, transcription of the recordings shall be completed by a court-approved transcriber in accordance with the procedures developed by the Administrative Office of the Courts. An indigent party should provide the court reporter, transcriber, or court administrator a copy of the order of indigency. A non-indigent party should arrange for payment for the transcription of the report.

     The party seeking review must file with the trial and appellate courts and serve the statement of arrangements on all parties of record and all named court reporters and file proof of service with the appellate court. The party must indicate the date that the report of proceedings was ordered, the financial arrangements which have been made for payment of transcription costs, the name of each court reporter or other person authorized to prepare the report of proceedings who will be preparing a transcript, the hearing dates, and the trial court judge. If the party seeking review does not intend to provide a report of proceedings, a statement to that effect should be filed in lieu of a statement of arrangements and served on all parties of record.

See Form 15B


     (f) Report of Proceedings. The preparation and filing of reports of proceedings in appeals under this rule take precedence over all other appeal records. The format of the verbatim report of proceedings is governed by rule 9.2 (e) and (f). The filing and service of the report of proceedings is governed by rule 9.5, except that any motion for extension of time to file the report of proceedings must be accompanied by an affidavit from the court reporter or other person authorized to prepare the report of proceedings demonstrating exceptional circumstances. Extensions otherwise will be denied and sanctions may be imposed.

     (g) Designation and Filing of Clerk's Papers. The party seeking review should file a designation of clerk's papers with the trial and appellate courts contemporaneously with the notice of appeal. In appeals under this rule, the entire trial court file shall be designated as clerk's papers to be transmitted to the appellate court. All of the exhibits filed in the trial court shall also be designated and transmitted to the appellate court. In cases appropriate for consolidation under subsection (d) of this rule, a designation of clerk's papers need only request the preparation of a single trial court file. The clerk shall prepare and transmit the clerk's papers as set forth in rules 9.7 and 9.8, except that a copy of the clerk's papers and the exhibits shall be provided to appellate counsel. The clerk should give priority to the preparation and filing of clerk's papers in appeals under this rule.

See Form 15C


     (h) Briefing. Parties shall file briefs in compliance with rules 10.3 and 10.4.

     (i) Time for Filing Briefs.

     (1) Brief of Appellant. The brief of an appellant should be filed with the appellate court within 30 days after the report of proceedings is filed with the trial court; or, if the record on review does not include a report of proceedings, within 30 days after the party seeking review has received an index of clerk's papers and exhibits. Appellant shall append to the brief a copy of the trial court's findings of fact and conclusions of law.

     (2) Brief of Respondent. The brief of a respondent should be filed with the appellate court within 30 days after service of the brief of appellant. When there is more than one appellant, the respondent may file one brief in response to all appellants.

     (3) Reply Brief. A reply brief of an appellant should be filed with the appellate court within 15 days after service of the brief of respondent unless the court orders otherwise.

     (4) Other Briefs. The appellate court may, on its own motion or on motion of a party, authorize or direct the filing of briefs on the merits other than those listed in this rule.

     (5) Briefs in Consolidated Cases. In consolidated cases, a party may (i) join with one or more other parties in a single brief, or (ii) file a separate brief and adopt by reference any part of the brief of another.

     (j) Supreme Court Review. A decision by the Court of Appeals on accelerated review that relates only to juvenile dependency dispositional orders or orders terminating parental rights is subject to review by the Supreme Court only by a motion for discretionary review on the terms and in the manner provided in rules 13.3(e) and 13.5A.


RULES OF APPELLATE PROCEDURE (RAP)


RULE 13.5A. MOTIONS FOR DISCRETIONARY REVIEW OF SPECIFIED FINAL DECISIONS



     (a) Scope of Rule. This rule governs motions for discretionary review by the Supreme Court of the following decisions of the Court of Appeals:

     (1) Decisions dismissing or deciding personal restraint petitions, as provided in rule 16.14(c);

     (2) Decisions dismissing or deciding post-sentence petitions, as provided in rule 16.18(g);

     (3) Decisions on accelerated review that relate only to a juvenile offense disposition, juvenile dependency, or termination of parental rights, as provided in rule 18.13(e) or 18.13A(j);

     (4) Decisions on accelerated review that relate only to an adult sentence, as provided in rule 18.15(g)

     (b) [Unchanged.]

     (c) [Unchanged.]


RULES OF APPELLATE PROCEDURE (RAP)


RULE 18.13. ACCELERATED REVIEW OF DISPOSITIONS IN JUVENILE OFFENSE, JUVENILE DEPENDENCY AND TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS PROCEEDINGS



     (a) Generally. Dispositions in a juvenile offense proceeding beyond the standard range for such offenses, juvenile dependency and termination of parental rights, shall be reviewed on the merits by accelerated review as provided in this rule.

     (b) Accelerated Review by Motion. The accelerated review of the disposition shall be done by motion. The motion must include (1) the name of the party filing the motion; (2) the offense in a juvenile offense proceeding or the issues in a juvenile dependency or termination of parental rights; (3) the disposition of the trial court; (4) the standard range for the offense, as may be appropriate; (5) a statement of the disposition urged by the moving party; (6) copies of the clerk's papers and a written verbatim report of those portions of the disposition proceeding that are material to the motion; (7) an argument for the relief the party seeks; and (8) a statement of any other issues to be decided in the review proceeding.

     (c) Motion Procedure Controls. Unless otherwise specified in this rule, Tthe motion procedure, including a party's response, is governed by rule 17.

     (d) Accelerated Review of Other Issues. The decision of issues other than those relating to the juvenile offense disposition, juvenile dependency and termination of parental rights may be accelerated only pursuant to rules 18.8, and 18.12, or 18.13A.

     (e) Supreme Court Review. A decision by the Court of Appeals on accelerated review that relates only to a juvenile offense disposition, juvenile dependency and termination of parental rights is subject to review by the Supreme Court only by a motion for discretionary review on the terms and in the manner provided in rules 13.3(e) and 13.5A.

     (f) Schedule. The accelerated review shall include a schedule for filing the record on review, the motion, response, and reply, and briefs and setting oral argument.

     (g) Content of Motion and Response. In addition to the requirements of section (b) of this rule, a party appealing from the disposition decision following a finding of dependency by a juvenile court or a decision terminating all of a person's parental rights with respect to a child should (1) append to the motion a copy of the trial court's finding of facts and conclusions of law and copies of all dependency review orders; (2) identify by specific assignments of error those findings and conclusions challenged on appeal; and (3) set forth the applicable standard of governing review of those issues. Counsel for the respondent should respond to each assignment of error and should provide citation to the record for any evidence supporting the trial court's findings.

     Reviser's note: The brackets and enclosed material in the text of the above section occurred in the copy filed by the agency and appear in the Register pursuant to the requirements of RCW 34.08.040.

     Reviser's note: The typographical error in the above material occurred in the copy filed by the State Supreme Court and appears in the Register pursuant to the requirements of RCW 34.08.040.

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