Z-69                  _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 5089

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State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By Senators Newhouse, Talmadge and Pullen

Read first time 1/13/89 and referred to Committee on Law & Justice.

AN ACT Relating to superior courts; and amending RCW 4.12.040.

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

        Sec. 1.  Section 1, chapter 121, Laws of 1911 as last amended by section 1, chapter 303, Laws of 1961 and RCW 4.12.040 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) No judge of a superior court of the state of Washington shall sit to hear or try any action or proceeding when it shall be established as hereinafter provided that said judge is prejudiced against any party or attorney, or the interest of any party or attorney appearing in such cause.  In such case the presiding judge in judicial districts where there is more than one judge shall forthwith transfer the action to another department of the same court, or call in a judge from some other court.  In all judicial districts where there is only one judge, a certified copy of the motion and affidavit filed in the cause shall be transmitted by the clerk of the superior court to the clerk of the ((supreme court or the administrator for the court, and the chief justice of the supreme court)) superior court designated by the chief justice of the supreme court.  Upon receipt the clerk of said superior court shall transmit the forwarded affidavit to the presiding judge who shall direct a visiting judge to hear and try such action as soon as convenient and practical.

(2) The presiding judge in judicial districts where there is more than one judge, ((or the chief justice of the supreme court for)) or the presiding judge of judicial districts where there is only one judge, may send a case for trial to another court if the convenience of witnesses or the ends of justice will not be interfered with by such a course and the action is of such a character that a change of venue may be ordered:  PROVIDED, That in criminal prosecutions the case shall not be sent for trial to any court outside the county unless the accused shall waive his right to a trial by a jury of the county in which the offense is alleged to have been committed.