Superior courts are courts of general jurisdiction and handle felony and other criminal matters, civil matters, domestic relations matters, guardianship and probate matters, juvenile matters, and child dependency cases.? Additionally, superior court judges hear appeals from lower courts and appeals from state administrative agencies.
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The number of superior court judges in each county is set by statute.? Any change in the number of full- and part-time judges in a county's superior court is determined by the Legislature after receiving a recommendation from the Board for Judicial Administration (BJA).? The BJA's recommendation is based on an objective workload analysis developed annually by the Administrative Office of the Courts.? The objective workload analysis takes into account available judicial resources and the caseload activity of the court.
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Article 4, section 13 of the Washington Constitution provides that the state and the county share the cost for superior court judges.? Benefits and one-half of the salary of a superior court judge are paid by the state.? The other half of the judge's salary and all other costs associated with a judicial position, such as capital and support staff costs, are borne by the county.?
An additional superior court judicial position is created in Skagit County, changing the number of superior court judges from four to five.?
(In support) Skagit County Superior Court is under-resourced and needs an additional judicial officer to continue providing effective and equitable access to justice in the Skagit County community.
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Based on the latest judicial needs estimate, Skagit County is in need of seven full-time judicial officers to support their increased and growing need.? Currently, the court has four full-time judges, two full-time commissioners and one part-time commissioner.? One of these full-time commissioner positions was created as a temporary position and funded by the Skagit County Commissioners to address the pandemic backlog, and that temporary position expires in June 2025.? A fifth, permanent, full-time judge will allow the Skagit County Superior Court to meet the demands of daily hearings and emergency requests while still handling trials.
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Over the last several years, there have been substantial changes in case law and statutes, such as changes to minor guardianships, dependencies, and protection orders, and these changes have reshaped the way that pretrial hearings are conducted, which means that more court time is dedicated to those types of hearings.? While these changes are a positive development, they are part of what is extending that bench time that could also be dedicated toward trials, and that is another reason why the additional judge is needed.
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Adding another judge to the court will also help with a project to develop a case flow management system that would give the court more ability to handle family law, dependency, and minor guardianship trials.
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Skagit County Board of Commissioners has provided formal proof of support for this request and their commitment to fund their portion.? In addition, they are working to construct a new courtroom, a space to accommodate the growing needs of the Skagit County Superior Court.
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(Opposed) None.
Representative Debra Lekanoff, prime sponsor; Haily Perkins, Administrative Office of the Courts; Judge Laura Riquelme, Skagit County Superior Court; and Commissioner Peter Browning, Skagit County Board of Commissioners.
None.
A null?and?void?clause is added, making the bill?null?and?void?unless funded in the budget.
(In support) The commissioners of Skagit County have plans and have built a budget capacity to incorporate an additional judge within their county.? The county has funded a court commissioner through the end of 2025 with the hope of being able to obtain an additional superior court judge in 2026.? The latest judicial needs estimate shows the county needs a total of seven superior judges. ?Currently the Skagit County is under resourced, and this additional judge will provide the county's superior court with much needed support.
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(Opposed) None.
Representative Debra Lekanoff, prime sponsor; Lisa Janicki, Skagit County Board of Commissioners; and Brittany Gregory, Administrative Office of the Courts.