LCR 0.9 STANDING AND SPECIAL COMMITTEES (a) Standing Committees. There shall be the following standing committees of judges and commissioners:
(1) ADR: Oversee and make recommendations concerning the mandatory arbitration program and other court-annexed alternate dispute resolution programs.
(2) Security, Construction and Facilities: Develop policies to ensure the safety and security of all courthouse users. Assist in planning for court facilities; make recommendations about maintenance and upgrading of facilities; monitor construction of facilities.
(3) Courts and Community: Promote public understanding of the justice system through public presentations, teaching, and community events; strive to eliminate barriers to justice that may result from differences in culture, economic status, language, and physical or mental disabilities; ensure that the court’s commitment to a diverse workforce is reflected in its policies.
(4) Ex Parte/Probate: Work with Ex Parte Commissioners to oversee the ex parte calendars and the handling of probate matters.The Ex Parte committee shall be chaired by the Chief Civil Judge.
(5) Family Law: Oversee and make recommendations concerning the handling of family law matters. The Family Law committee shall be chaired by the Chief Judge of the Unified Family Court.
(6) Interpreter: Oversee and make recommendations concerning the work of the court’s interpreter staff.
(7) Local Rules: Review existing rules and suggest new rules as appropriate based on changes in the law or court procedures.
(8) Jury: Make recommendations as to policies concerning jurors.
(9) Mental Health Committee: Oversee and make recommendations for the handling of the civil commitment calendar.
(10) Sealed Files/Adoption: Oversee and make recommendations concerning the court’s handling of sealed files and adoptions and review requests made by persons who wish to review a sealed adoption file or who need copies of documents in a file or an original from the department of vital statistics.
(11) Technology: Plan for use of technology in the court including computer and video, and make recommendations about hardware, software and staffing.
(b) Administrative Committees. The Presiding Judge shall appoint the following committees:
(1) Audit: Develop procedures for and approve expenditures of county funds for indigent litigants subject to the provisions of King County Local Rule 98.50-Sexually Violent Predator-Office of Public Defense and King County Local Criminal Rule 3.1(f) – Right to and Assignment of Counsel-Services Other than Counsel.
(2) Budget: Draft and recommend to the Court a budget for adoption by the judges.
(3) Commissioner Performance Review: Perform biennial reviews of commissioners and evaluate commissioners as directed by the Executive Committee.
(4) Personnel: Develop personnel policies for adoption by the court.
(c) Special Committees. The Presiding Judge may appoint such special committees as he/she may deem advisable and for a term to be set by the Presiding Judge. Special committees have a duty to study and make recommendations to the Presiding Judge in connection with any subject matters assigned to them. As needed, the Presiding Judge shall convene a long-range planning committee as a special committee.
(d) Departmental, Maleng Regional Justice Center, Special Calendar Committees.The Criminal, Civil, Mental Illness, Unified Family Court, and Juvenile Departments, and the Maleng Regional Justice Center shall each have a committee that shall include all of the judges assigned to that department, special calendar or facility.
(e) Appointment of Committee Chairs and Members.The Presiding Judge in December of each year shall solicit from each judge and commissioner committee preferences and thereafter appoint the chair and members of each committee, effective January 1. Any judge or commissioner may join any standing or departmental/special calendar committee.
(f) Duties. Standing, administrative, and departmental/special calendar committees shall have the responsibilities outlined above and shall carry out specific assignments from the Presiding Judge or the Executive Committee. By March 1 each committee chair shall submit to the Executive Committee the goals that the committee will seek to accomplish that year. At the end of each year each committee shall report to the Executive Committee concerning the work of the committee during the year, and shall make recommendations concerning additional matters the committee should address in the future. Committees shall keep minutes of meetings, and the chair shall include an agenda with the written notice of meetings.
(g) Training on Record Keeping: Each year, the court, by February 15, shall conduct a training concerning the taking of minutes and other record-keeping duties of committees which shall be attended by the chairpersons of all committees and assigned staff. [Amended effective September 1, 2008; November 27, 2009] |
