WSR 22-01-100
RULES OF COURT
STATE SUPREME COURT
[December 6, 2021]
IN THE MATTER OF THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO CrR 3.1 AND CrR 7.8
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ORDER
NO. 25700-A-1397
The Washington State Office of Public Defense, Washington Defender Association, and Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, having recommended the adoption of the proposed amendments to CrR 3.1 and CrR 7.8, and the Court having considered the proposed amendments, and having determined that the proposed amendments will aid in the prompt and orderly administration of justice;
Now, therefore, it is hereby
ordered:
(a) That the proposed amendments as shown below are adopted.
(b) That pursuant to the emergency provisions of GR 9 (j)(1), the proposed amendments will be expeditiously published in the Washington Reports and will become effective upon publication.
dated at Olympia, Washington this 6th day of December, 2021.
 
 
Gonzalez, C.J.
Johnson, J.
 
Gordon McCloud, J.
Madsen, J.
 
Yu, J.
Owens, J.
 
Montoya-Lewis, J.
Stephens, J.
 
Whitener, J.
CrR 3.1
RIGHT TO AND ASSIGNMENT OF LAWYER
(a) Types of Proceedings. The right to a lawyer shall extend to all criminal proceedings for offenses punishable by loss of liberty regardless of their denomination as felonies, misdemeanors, or otherwise.
(b) Stage of Proceedings.
(1) The right to a lawyer shall accrue as soon as feasible after the defendant is taken into custody, appears before a committing magistrate, or is formally charged, whichever occurs earliest.
(2)(A) A lawyer shall be provided at every stage of the proceedings, including sentencing, appeal, and postconviction review. A lawyer initially appointed shall continue to represent the defendant through all stages of the proceedings unless a new appointment is made by the court following withdrawal of the original lawyer pursuant to section (e) because geographical considerations or other factors make it necessary.
(2)(B) A person shall be provided a lawyer where they have demonstrated under CrR 7.8 (c)(2)(i) that they are (i) serving a sentence for a conviction based upon a statute determined to be void, invalid, or unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Washington Supreme Court, or an appellate court where review was either not sought or was denied, or (ii) serving a sentence that was calculated under RCW 9.94A.525 using a prior or current conviction based on such a statute. Where that person is currently serving the underlying sentence in a correctional institution and was determined to be indigent at the time of sentencing, that person is presumed to remain indigent and has the right to assignment of counsel.
(c) Explaining the Availability of a Lawyer.
(1) When a person is taken into custody that person shall immediately be advised of the right to a lawyer. Such advice shall be made in words easily understood, and it shall be stated expressly that a person who is unable to pay a lawyer is entitled to have one provided without charge.
(2) At the earliest opportunity a person in custody who desires a lawyer shall be provided access to a telephone, the telephone number of the public defender or official responsible for assigning a lawyer, and any other means necessary to place the person in communication with a lawyer.
(d) Assignment of Lawyer.
(1) Unless waived, a lawyer shall be provided to any person who is financially unable to obtain one without causing substantial hardship to the person or to the person's family. A lawyer shall not be denied to any person merely because the person's friends or relatives have resources adequate to retain a lawyer or because the person has posted or is capable of posting bond.
(2) The ability to pay part of the cost of a lawyer shall not preclude assignment. The assignment of a lawyer may be conditioned upon part payment pursuant to an established method of collection.
(3) Information given by a person to assist in the determination of whether the person is financially able to obtain a lawyer shall be under oath and shall not be available for use by the prosecution in the pending case in chief.
(4) Before appointing a lawyer for the indigent person, or at the first appearance of the lawyer in the case, the court shall require the lawyer to certify to the court that he or she complies with the applicable Standards for Indigent Defense Services to be approved by the Supreme Court.
(e) Withdrawal of Lawyer. Whenever a criminal cause has been set for trial, no lawyer shall be allowed to withdraw from said cause, except upon written consent of the court, for good and sufficient reason shown.
(f) Services Other Than a Lawyer.
(1) A lawyer for a defendant who is financially unable to obtain investigative, expert or other services necessary to an adequate defense in the case may request them by a motion to the court.
(2) Upon finding the services are necessary and that the defendant is financially unable to obtain them, the court, or a person or agency to which the administration of the program may have been delegated by local court rule, shall authorize the services. The motion shall be made ex parte and, upon a showing of good cause, the moving papers may be ordered sealed by the court and shall remain sealed until further order of the court. The court, in the interest of justice and on a finding that timely procurement of necessary services could not await prior authorization, shall ratify such services after they have been obtained.
(3) Reasonable compensation for the services shall be determined and payment directed to the organization or person who rendered them upon the filing of a claim for compensation supported by affidavit specifying the time expended and the services and expenses incurred on behalf of the defendant, and the compensation received in the same case or for the same services from any other source.
Comment
Supersedes RCW 10.01.110; RCW 10.40.030; RCW 10.46.050.
[Adopted effective July 1, 1973; Amended effective September 1, 1986; September 1, 1995; June 30, 2012; February 1, 2021.]
CrR 7.8
RELIEF FROM JUDGMENT OR ORDER
(a) Clerical Mistakes. Clerical mistakes in judgments, orders or other parts of the record and errors therein arising from oversight or omission may be corrected by the court at any time of its own initiative or on the motion of any party and after such notice, if any, as the court orders. Such mistakes may be so corrected before review is accepted by an appellate court, and thereafter may be corrected pursuant to RAP 7.2(e).
(b) Mistakes; Inadvertence; Excusable Neglect; Newly Discovered Evidence; Fraud; etc. On motion and upon such terms as are just, the court may relieve a party from a final judgment, order, or proceeding for the following reasons:
(1) Mistakes, inadvertence, surprise, excusable neglect or irregularity in obtaining a judgment or order;
(2) Newly discovered evidence which by due diligence could not have been discovered in time to move for a new trial under rule 7.5;
(3) Fraud (whether heretofore denominated intrinsic or extrinsic), misrepresentation, or other misconduct of an adverse party;
(4) The judgment is void; or
(5) Any other reason justifying relief from the operation of the judgment.
The motion shall be made within a reasonable time and for reasons (1) and (2) not more than 1 year after the judgment, order, or proceeding was entered or taken, and is further subject to RCW 10.73.090, .100, .130, and .140. A motion under section (b) does not affect the finality of the judgment or suspend its operation.
(c) Procedure on Vacation of Judgment.
(1) Motion. Application shall be made by motion stating the grounds upon which relief is asked, and supported by affidavits setting forth a concise statement of the facts or errors upon which the motion is based.
(2) Transfer to Court of Appeals. The court shall transfer a motion filed by a defendant to the Court of Appeals for consideration as a personal restraint petition unless the court determines that the motion is not barred by RCW 10.73.090 and either (i) the defendant has made a substantial showing that they are is entitled to relief or (ii) resolution of the motion will require a factual hearing. A defendant is entitled to relief under subsection (i) where the person (A) is serving a sentence for a conviction under a statute determined to be void, invalid, or unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Washington Supreme Court, or an appellate court where review was either not sought or was denied, or (B) is serving a sentence that was calculated under RCW 9.94A.525 using a prior or current conviction based on such a statute.
(3) Order to Show Cause. If the court does not transfer the motion to the Court of Appeals, it shall enter an order fixing a time and place for hearing and directing the adverse party to appear and show cause why the relief asked for should not be granted.
[Adopted effective July 1, 1973; Amended effective September 1, 1986; September 1, 1991; June 24, 2003; September 1, 2007.]
Reviser's note: The typographical error in the above section occurred in the copy filed by the agency and appears in the Register pursuant to the requirements of RCW 34.08.040.