Title: An act relating to improving the operation of the trial courts.

Brief Description: Improving the operation of the trial courts.

Sponsors: Representatives Goodman, Barlow and Warnick.

Hearing Date: 1/16/08

Staff: Edie Adams (786-7180).

Background:

The state's trial courts consist of the superior courts, district courts, and municipal courts. Superior courts are courts of general jurisdiction with no limit on the types of civil and criminal cases they may hear. District and municipal courts are courts of limited jurisdiction; their jurisdiction is set by statute. District courts are county courts and municipal courts are those established by cities and towns.

Jurisdictional Provisions

District Courts: Jurisdiction of the district courts is set by statute and includes jurisdiction over both civil and criminal matters. District court has concurrent jurisdiction with superior court over many kinds of civil cases. However, the district court's jurisdiction in these civil cases is limited to actions in which the amount in controversy does not exceed $50,000. This jurisdictional dollar limit for district courts was last raised in 2000 from the amount of $35,000.

Mandatory Arbitration: Mandatory arbitration is generally required in the superior courts of counties of more than 100,000 population and may be authorized in smaller counties. Mandatory arbitration applies to cases in which the sole relief sought is a money judgment of $15,000 or less. However, by a two-thirds vote, the judges of the superior court in any county with either statutorily required or self-imposed mandatory arbitration have the option to raise the ceiling for mandatory arbitration cases from $15,000 to $50,000. This optional ceiling on cases subject to mandatory arbitration was last raised in 2005 from $35,000.
   
Small Claims Court: Small claims court is a department of the district court. The hearing and disposition of a small claims court action are informal and generally the parties may not be represented by attorneys. The parties may offer evidence through witness testimony, and the judge may informally consult witnesses or otherwise investigate the controversy. Small claims court judgements may be appealed to superior court. The jurisdiction of the small claims court is limited to cases for the recovery of money where the amount claimed does not exceed $4,000. This dollar limit was last raised in 2001 from an amount of $2,500.

Municipal Court Contracting
               
Municipal courts have jurisdiction over misdemeanors and infractions arising under city ordinances. Cities are responsible for the prosecution, adjudication, sentencing, and incarceration of adult misdemeanor offenders in their respective jurisdictions. Cities may meet this responsibility by establishing an independent municipal court, establishing a municipal department of the district court, or by contracting for court services through an interlocal agreement.

Most cities that contract for court services do so with the appropriate district court. There are a number of cities that contract for court services with other cities. This practice was recently challenged in the case Primm v. Medina. In Primm, the Washington Supreme Court upheld the authority of cities to enter into interlocal agreements with other cities for court services and determined that a municipal court has the authority to hear cases outside the city's geographical boundaries.

Court Commissioners

District and municipal court judges are authorized to appoint court commissioners to hear and dispose of cases. Commissioners serve at the pleasure of the appointing judges. A court commissioner must be a lawyer admitted to the practice of law in Washington or must have passed an examination for lay judges. Salaries for commissioners are set by local legislative authorities.

District and municipal court commissioners have the same power and authority to hear and dispose of cases as the appointing judges possess and prescribe. This unlimited authority applies to both civil and criminal cases and includes the authority to preside over trials. In contrast, the authority of superior court commissioners to hear and dispose of cases is limited under both statutory and constitutional provisions.

In district court, any party has an automatic right to have a case transferred from a district court commissioner to a district judge if the party files a petition for transfer prior to any discretionary ruling by the commissioner. The statute specifies that the following are not discretionary rulings: arrangement of the calendar; setting of an action, motion, or proceeding for hearing or trial; arraignment of an accused; or setting of bail. A similar right of transfer is not provided for municipal court commissioners.

Both statutory provisions and court rules provide a process for a party to have a case transferred from a district or municipal court judge by filing an affidavit of prejudice. A judge must disqualify himself or herself if a party files an affidavit that the party cannot have a fair and impartial trial by reason of the interest or prejudice of the judge. The affidavit must be filed before the jury is sworn or the trial is commenced. Only one change of judge is allowed a party in a case.

Domestic Violence and Harassment Petitions

Superior, district, and municipal courts have jurisdiction over petitions for protection orders in domestic violence cases. However, the jurisdiction of district and municipal courts is limited to issuance and enforcement of temporary orders when: the superior court has exercised jurisdiction over the parties in a domestic violence or dependency action; the petition involves issues a residential schedule or contact with a child of the parties; or the petition involves a request to exclude a party from a shared dwelling. In those cases the district or municipal court must transfer the petition to the superior court.

District courts have jurisdiction over anti-harassment protection order proceedings, except in cases involving a respondent who is under the age of 18. In 2005, the Legislature provided municipal courts with the option to exercise jurisdiction over actions for anti-harassment protection orders. A municipal court may exercise this jurisdiction by adopting procedures to hear such protection orders through a local court rule. The municipal court must transfer the case to superior court when the respondent is under age 18.

Municipal Departments
A city may petition the county for the creation of a "municipal department" within the district court. Municipal courts organized as municipal departments are part of the county district court. Under this arrangement, generally the city provides the facilities and the staffing for the court and pays the county for the services of a district court judge. In practice, there are a variety of differences in organization and operation of the existing municipal departments.

Summary of Bill:

Jurisdictional Provisions
               
The dollar limit on the jurisdiction of district courts is raised from $50,000 to $75,000.

The optional monetary ceiling for superior court cases that are subject to mandatory arbitration is raised from $50,000 to $75,000.      

The dollar limit on the jurisdiction of small claims court is raised from $4,000 to $5,000.   

Municipal Court Contracting

A provision is added to the chapter of law governing municipal courts that cities may meet their obligations for the prosecution, adjudication, sentencing, and incarceration of misdemeanor offenders in their jurisdictions by entering into interlocal agreements with the appropriate county or with one or more cities (the hosting jurisdiction). The interlocal agreement must provide that a judge of the hosting jurisdiction sit as the municipal court judge for the contracting city. A hosting jurisdiction is given exclusive original jurisdiction over cases filed by the contracting city.

Court Commissioners

The authority of district and municipal court commissioners is limited. A court commissioner may not preside over trials in criminal matters, or over jury trials in civil matter unless agreed to by all parties.

The provision allowing an automatic transfer right of a case from a district court commissioner to a judge is repealed. Instead, the statutory provision regarding disqualification of a district judge is amended to apply to all judicial officers, including court commissioners. A similar provision is applied to judicial officers of municipal courts.

A judicial officer must disqualify himself or herself when a party files an affidavit that the party cannot have a fair and impartial trial by reason of the interest or prejudice of the judicial officer. The affidavit must be filed prior to any discretionary ruling, which does not include: arrangement of the calendar; setting of an action motion or proceeding for hearing or trial; arraignment of the accused; or setting of bail. Only one change of judicial officer is allowed each party in an action or proceeding.

Domestic Violence and Harassment Petitions

A task force on access to justice for victims of domestic violence and harassment is established. The task force is charged with examining ways to improve access to the courts of limited jurisdiction for victims of domestic violence and harassment. Particular issues the task must review include: necessary victim support and advocacy services available at or through the court; desirable training requirements for judicial officers and other court personnel involved in domestic violence and anti-harassment matters; necessary infrastructure for handling of domestic violence and anti-harassment matters; and effective coordination among the trial courts within a jurisdiction in providing access to domestic violence and harassment victims.

The task force consists of legislative members, judges, and representatives of cities, counties, domestic violence advocates, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and law enforcement. The task force must report its findings and recommendations to the appropriate committees of the Legislature by December 1, 2008.

Municipal Departments

The chapter of law authorizing municipalities to establish municipal departments of district court is repealed. Existing municipal departments are grandfathered and will continue to operate under the municipal department chapter as it existed prior to its repeal.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Effective Date: July 1, 2008.