Whenever necessary for the prompt and orderly administration of justice, the chief justice of the supreme court of the state of Washington may appoint any regularly elected and qualified judge of the superior court or any retired judge of a court of record in this state to serve as judge pro tempore of the court of appeals.  No judge pro tempore appointed to serve on the court of appeals may serve more than ninety days in any one year.

If the term of a judge of the court of appeals expires with cases or other judicial business pending, the chief justice of the supreme court of the state of Washington, upon the recommendation of the chief presiding judge of the court of appeals, may appoint the judge to serve as judge pro tempore of the court of appeals, whenever necessary for the prompt and orderly administration of justice.  No judge may be appointed more than one time and no appointment may exceed sixty days.

The chief judge of any division of the court of appeals may appoint any regularly elected or qualified judge to serve as judge pro tempore within that division.  A regularly elected or qualified judge is a judge of a court of general jurisdiction, any retired judge of the court of appeals, or any active or retired justice of the supreme court of this state.

The chief judge of any division of the court of appeals may appoint any judge in that division with an expired term to serve as judge pro tempore within that division to complete their cases, or other judicial business.

PRO:  Our courts are laboring under a back load of cases.  This bill utilizes resources already available.  Retired judges can be appointed as pro tem judges to relieve the work.  The bill would simplify and expedite the process of appointing a pro tem judge.  We may need to appoint judges intermittently to wrap up work.  There will be no impact on costs.