HOUSE BILL REPORT

SSB 6439

As Amended by the House

BYSenate Committee on Law & Justice (originally sponsored by Senators Pullen and Talmadge)

Studying the consolidation of district and municipal courts.

House Committe on Judiciary

Majority Report:  Do pass with amendment.  (16)

      Signed by Representatives Armstrong, Chair; Crane, Vice Chair; Appelwick, Belcher, Brough, Hargrove, P. King, Lewis, Locke, Meyers, Moyer, Padden, Patrick, Schmidt, Wang and Wineberry.

House Staff:Harry Reinert (786-7110)

AS PASSED HOUSE MARCH 2, 1988

BACKGROUND:

There are two types of court of limited jurisdiction in Washington:  municipal courts and district courts.

In addition, district courts may operate a municipal department for a city which has not established its own municipal court.  Municipal courts or municipal departments may only consider matters relative to the violation of municipal ordinances.  District courts have more general civil and criminal jurisdiction.  They have jurisdiction to hear all misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors and civil jurisdiction in cases involving up to $10,000.  Municipal courts are funded by the city.  District courts are funded by the counties.

SUMMARY:

The Judicial Council is directed to establish a task force to study the effect on the administration of justice of consolidating the district and municipal courts into a single-level court system.  The Judicial Council is directed to look at the extent to which duplication of services can be eliminated or reduced, the extent to which consistency can be achieved, the location and public accessibility of district courts and the number of judges and staff needed for consolidation.  In addition, the Judicial Council is directed to review the need for multi-county districts to achieve full-time courts, the state assumption or partial assumption of district court judicial salaries, the financial impact of consolidation on the state, counties, and municipalities and the distribution of revenue resulting from ordinance violations.  Finally, the Judicial Council will look at the authority for the appointment of judges, the role of city traffic violation bureaus, the impact on ancillary agencies and it will examine concurrent jurisdiction between district and superior courts.  The task force is composed of representatives from cities, counties, law enforcement, and courts of limited jurisdiction.  The findings, recommendations and any proposed legislation will be reported to the Law and Justice Committee of the Senate and the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives by September 30, 1989.

Fiscal Note:      Available.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Ed Allen, Grant County District Court; Gary Utigard, Airport District Court; Don Eide, Tenino Chief of Police; D. E. Lewis, Rainier Chief of Police; Kurt Sharar, Washington State Association of Counties; Virgil Halsey, Tacoma Municipal Court; Andrea Dahl, Association of Washington Cities.

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    The proliferation of municipal and district courts presents problems of expense for local governments.  The disparity between sentences that may be imposed creates problems of uniformity.  It is time to look at ways in which courts may be consolidated without causing undue burden or access to the courts by people who use them.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.