S-4232               _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 6439

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1988 Regular Session

By Senators Pullen and Talmadge

Read first time 1/20/88 and referred to Committee on Law & Justice.

AN ACT Relating to courts; and amending RCW 35.20.100.

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

        Sec. 1.  Section 35.20.100, chapter 7, Laws of 1965 as last amended by section 71, chapter 258, Laws of 1984 and RCW 35.20.100 are each amended to read as follows:

          There shall be ((three)) six departments of the municipal court, which shall be designated as Department Nos. 1, 2 ((and)), 3, 4, 5, and 6:  PROVIDED, That when the administration of justice and the accomplishment of the work of the court make additional departments necessary, the legislative body of the city may create additional departments as they are needed.  The departments shall be established in such places as may be provided by the legislative body of the city, and each department shall be presided over by a municipal judge.  The judges shall select, by majority vote, one of their number to act as presiding judge of the municipal court for a term of one year, and he shall be responsible for administration of the court and assignment of calendars to all departments.  A change of venue from one department of the municipal court to another department shall be allowed in accordance with the provisions of RCW 3.66.090 in all civil and criminal proceedings.  The city shall assume the costs of the elections of the municipal judges in accordance with the provisions of RCW 29.13.045.