H-0721.1 _______________________________________________
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 4203
_______________________________________________
State of Washington 57th Legislature 2001 Regular Session
By Representatives Schindler, Cox, Carrell, Crouse, Ahern, Boldt and B. Chandler
Read first time 01/22/2001. Referred to Committee on Judiciary.
BE IT RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON, IN LEGISLATIVE SESSION ASSEMBLED:
THAT, At the next general election to be held in this state the secretary of state shall submit to the qualified voters of the state for their approval and ratification, or rejection, an amendment to Article IV, section 3 of the Constitution of the state of Washington to read as follows:
Article IV, section 3.
((The judges)) A justice of the supreme court shall be elected by
the qualified electors of ((the state at large)) a supreme court
judicial district at the general state election at the times and places at
which state officers are elected, unless some other time be provided by the
legislature. ((The first election of judges of the supreme court shall be
at the election which shall be held upon the adoption of this Constitution and
the judges elected thereat shall be classified by lot, so that two shall hold
their office for the term of three years, two for the term of five years, and
one for the term of seven years. The lot shall be drawn by the judges who
shall for that purpose assemble at the seat of government, and they shall cause
the result thereof to be certified to the secretary of state, and filed in his
office.)) Each justice of the supreme court must be a resident of the
supreme court judicial district for which he or she is elected or appointed for
not less than one year at the time of election or appointment. There shall be
three supreme court judicial districts in the state. Three justices shall be
elected from supreme court judicial district 1, which shall consist of King,
Snohomish, Island, San Juan, Skagit, and Whatcom counties. Three justices
shall be elected from supreme court judicial district 2, which shall consist of
Pierce, Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Kitsap, Mason, Thurston, Clark,
Cowlitz, Lewis, Pacific, Skamania, and Wahkiakum counties. Three justices
shall be elected from supreme court judicial district 3, which shall consist of
Ferry, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Adams, Asotin,
Benton, Columbia, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Walla Walla, Whitman, Chelan,
Douglas, Kittitas, Klickitat, and Yakima counties. The legislature may change
the composition of a supreme court judicial district by statute. Each supreme
court judicial position shall be assigned by lot to a judicial district by the
secretary of state as provided by statute.
The supreme court shall
select a chief justice from its own membership to serve for a four-year term at
the pleasure of a majority of the court as prescribed by supreme court rule.
The chief justice shall preside at all sessions of the supreme court. In case
of the absence of the chief justice, the majority of the remaining court shall
select one of their members to serve as acting chief justice. After the first
election the terms of judges elected shall be six years from and after the
second Monday in January next succeeding their election. If a vacancy occurs
in the office of ((a judge)) justice of the supreme court the
governor shall ((only)) appoint a person ((to ensure the number of
judges as specified by the legislature,)) from the supreme court
judicial district where the vacancy occurred to hold the office until the
election and qualification of a ((judge)) justice to fill the
vacancy, which election shall take place at the next succeeding general
election, and the ((judge)) justice so elected shall hold the
office for the remainder of the unexpired term. ((The term of office of the
judges of the supreme court, first elected, shall commence as soon as the state
shall have been admitted into the Union, and continue for the term herein
provided, and until their successors are elected and qualified.))
The sessions of the supreme court shall be held at the seat of government until otherwise provided by law.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the secretary of state shall cause notice of this constitutional amendment to be published at least four times during the four weeks next preceding the election in every legal newspaper in the state.
--- END ---