LCR 77. SUPERIOR COURTS AND JUDICIAL OFFICERS
(f) Sessions.
(1) Continuous Session. There shall be one continuous session of court from January 1 to December 31 of each year, excepting those days designated as legal holidays and such days in connection therewith as shall be specifically designated from time to time by the court.
(2) Court Hours.
(A) Presiding Department. The court shall be open from 8:30 AM to 12:00 noon and 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday and Saturday from 10:00-12:00. No judge need attend personally on Saturdays except upon call. When not personally present, the Presiding Judge shall keep posted in a conspicuous place on the courtroom door and also on the door of the County Clerk's office a notice giving the names and telephone numbers where the Presiding Judge or acting Presiding Judge and clerk may be reached during court hours.
(B) Trial Departments. Sessions of trial departments other than the Juvenile and Special Calendars Departments shall be from 9:00 AM until 12 noon and from 1:30 PM until 4 PM, Monday through Friday, unless otherwise ordered by the judge. Special sessions of any court may be held on Saturday at the discretion of the judge presiding in the particular department, to hear any and all matters that such judge sets for hearing before him/her and at such hours upon said day as the departmental judge shall fix.
(C) Ex Parte Department. The Ex Parte Department shall be open from 9 AM until 12 noon and from 1:30 PM until 4:15 PM, Monday through Friday.
(i) Sessions Where More Than One Judge Sits -- Effect on Decrees, Orders, etc.
(1) Presiding Judge; Duties. The Presiding Judge shall preside when the court sits en banc, shall preside over the Department of the Presiding Judge and shall receive and dispose of all communications intended for the Superior Court not personally addressed to any judge nor relating to business which has been assigned to any particular department.
(2) --Same; Jurors. The Presiding Judge shall have general charge of all jurors and shall determine requests for excuse from jury service. The Presiding Judge may delegate the determination for requests for excuse from jury service to senior jury staff.
(3) --Same; Liaison with Departments. If, for any reason, a departmental judge cannot hear a matter, he/she shall return it to the Chief Civil Department for Seattle case assignment area cases and the Chief Maleng Regional Justice Center Judge for Kent case assignment area cases, for hearing or reassignment.
(4) --Same; Criminal Arraignments, Emergency Orders and Writs. The Chief Criminal Judge shall hear or assign for hearing the criminal arraignment calendar. Applications for Writs of Habeas Corpus relating to custody of minor children and other extraordinary writs shall be presented to the Chief Civil Judge for Seattle case assignment area cases and the Chief Maleng Regional Justice Center Judge for Kent case assignment area cases. Applications for emergency and miscellaneous applications on civil matters shall be presented to the Chief Civil Department. No other judge shall sign emergency orders or grant writs while the Presiding Judge or Chief Civil Judge is on duty unless the matter is specifically assigned to that judge by or under the direction of the Presiding Judge or Chief Civil Judge, or except as provided in LR 98.40. Any order procured in violation of this paragraph may be set aside by the Presiding Judge or Chief Civil Judge upon the application of the party against whom the order has been issued made within 24 hours after service of the order. (See also CR 65(a)(1), Notice.)
(5) --Same; Ex Parte Orders. The Chief Civil Department may hear any matters assigned to or arising out of the Ex Parte Department.
(6) --Same; Judges Pro Tempore. All judges pro tempore shall be appointed by the Presiding Judge.
(7) --Same; Absence. The Presiding Judge in case of disability or necessary absence, may designate another judge to act as Presiding Judge temporarily when the Assistant Presiding Judge is not available.
(8) --Same; Delegation of Duties. The Presiding Judge may delegate all duties not required by law to be performed by a Superior Court judge in person.
(9) Ex Parte Department; Show Cause Orders. Applications, motions, show cause orders and citations shall be made returnable before the following departments:
(A) Probate. Motions, orders to show cause and citations in probate shall be made returnable to the Ex Parte Department.
(B) Writs of Restitution; Unlawful Detainer. Orders to show cause why a writ of restitution should not be issued in an unlawful detainer matter shall be made returnable to the Ex Parte Department.
(C) Other. Motions and orders to show cause in all other civil proceedings shall be made returnable before the assigned judge.
(10) Orders to Show Cause. The court shall make orders to show cause returnable in not less than five days except for good cause shown.
(11) Sealed Files. Applications to examine sealed files shall be made as follows: civil, domestic, paternity and dependency cases to the assigned judge, or respective Chief Judge, and petitions to review or remove a will from the will repository to the Ex Parte and Probate Department, with oral argument, presented in person; adoption cases to the Sealed Adoption File Committee judges; dependency cases to the Juvenile Department; mental illness cases to the mental illness calendar. No order permitting the examination of any sealed file shall be entered without a written motion establishing justification under applicable court rules and caselaw. The court may, in its discretion, require notice to be given to any party in interest before permitting such examination.
Comment: See also LFLR 5(c) (Where to Schedule Specific Motions in Family Law Proceedings).
[Amended effective September 1, 2001; September 1, 2003, September 1, 2007; September 1, 2008; January 1, 2009]
