Z-1389.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 2471

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2002 Regular Session

By Representatives Esser, Lantz and Casada; by request of Administrator for the Courts

Read first time 01/18/2002.  Referred to Committee on Judiciary.

Changing the methodology of determining the number of district court judges.

    AN ACT Relating to the methodology of determining the number of district court judges; and amending RCW 3.34.020.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

    Sec. 1.  RCW 3.34.020 and 1997 c 41 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) Any change in the number of full and part-time district judges after January 1, 1992, shall be determined by the legislature after receiving a recommendation from the supreme court.  The supreme court shall make its recommendations to the legislature based on ((a weighted caseload)) an objective workload analysis that takes into account ((the following:

    (a) The extent of time that existing judges have available to hear cases in that court;

    (b) A measurement of the judicial time needed to process various types of cases;

    (c) A determination of the time required to process each type of case to the individual court workload;

    (d) A determination of the amount of a judge's annual work time that can be devoted exclusively to processing cases; and

    (e) An assessment of judicial resource needs, including annual case filings, and case weights and the judge year value determined under the weighted caseload method)) available judicial resources and the caseload activity of each court.

    (2) The administrator for the courts, under the supervision of the supreme court, may consult with the board of judicial administration and the district and municipal court judge's association in developing the procedures and methods of applying the ((weighted caseload)) objective workload analysis.

    (3) For each recommended change from the number of full and part-time district judges in any county as of January 1, 1992, the administrator for the courts, under the supervision of the supreme court, shall complete a judicial impact note detailing any local or state cost associated with such recommended change.

    (4) If the legislature approves an increase in the base number of district judges in any county as of January 1, 1992, such increase in the base number of district judges and all related costs may be paid for by the county from moneys provided under RCW 82.14.310, and any such costs shall be deemed to be expended for criminal justice purposes as provided in RCW 82.14.315, and such expenses shall not constitute a supplanting of existing funding.

    (5)(a) A county legislative authority that desires to change the number of full or part-time district judges from the base number on January 1, 1992, must first request the assistance of the supreme court.  The administrator for the courts, under the supervision of the supreme court, shall conduct ((a weighted caseload)) an objective workload analysis and make a recommendation of its findings to the legislature for consideration as provided in this section.

    (b) The legislative authority of any county may change a part-time district judge position to a full-time position.

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