Title 3 — Title 3 DISTRICT COURTS—COURTS OF LIMITED JURISDICTION
15 chapters · 141 sections in this title.
RCW 3.50.003 Definitions.
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The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.(1) "City" means an incorporated city or town.(2) "Contracting city" means any city that contracts with a hosting jurisdiction for the delivery of judicial services.(3) "Ho…
RCW 3.50.005 Legislative finding—Alternative court structure for cities and towns of four hundred thousand or less.
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The legislature finds that there is a multitude of statutes governing the municipal courts of the state. This situation is confusing and misleading to attorneys, judges, court personnel, and others who work with the municipal courts. The legislature therefore finds that a reorgan…
RCW 3.50.010 Municipal court authorized in cities of four hundred thousand or less.
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Any city or town with a population of four hundred thousand or less may by ordinance provide for an inferior court to be known and designated as a municipal court, which shall be entitled "The Municipal Court of . . . . . . . . . (insert name of city or town)," hereinafter design…
RCW 3.50.020 Jurisdiction.
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The municipal court shall have exclusive original jurisdiction over traffic infractions arising under city ordinances and exclusive original criminal jurisdiction of all violations of city ordinances duly adopted by the city and shall have original jurisdiction of all other actio…
RCW 3.50.030 Violations bureau for traffic cases—Disposition of moneys collected.
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Every city or town may establish and operate under the supervision of the municipal court a violations bureau to assist the court in processing traffic cases. Each municipal court shall designate the specific traffic offenses and traffic infractions under city or town ordinances …
RCW 3.50.040 Municipal judges—Appointed—Terms, qualifications—District judge as part-time municipal judge.
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Within thirty days after the effective date of the ordinance creating the municipal court, the mayor of each city or town shall appoint a municipal judge or judges of the municipal court for a term of four years. The terms of judges serving on July 1, 1984, and municipal judges w…
RCW 3.50.045 Judicial officers—Disqualification.
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(1) A municipal court judicial officer shall not preside in any of the following cases:(a) In an action to which the judicial officer is a party, or in which the judicial officer is directly interested, or in which the judicial officer has been an attorney for a party.(b) When th…
RCW 3.50.050 Municipal judge may be elective position—Qualifications, term.
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The legislative authority of the city or town may, by ordinance, provide that the position of municipal judge within the city or town shall be an elective position. The ordinance shall provide for the qualifications of the municipal judge which shall be the same as the qualificat…
RCW 3.50.055 Judicial positions—Filling—Circumstances permitted.
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Notwithstanding RCW 3.50.040 and 3.50.050, judicial positions may be filled only by election under the following circumstances:(1) Each full-time equivalent judicial position shall be filled by election. This requirement applies regardless of how many judges are employed to fill …
RCW 3.50.057 Judges—Residency requirement.
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A judge of a municipal court need not be a resident of the city in which the court is created, but must be a resident of the county in which the city is located.[ 1993 c 317 s 6.]Notes:Severability—Effective date—1993 c 317: See notes following RCW 3.50.810.
RCW 3.50.060 Termination of municipal court—Requirements—Establishment of court.
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A city or town electing to establish a municipal court pursuant to this chapter may terminate such court by adoption of an appropriate ordinance. However no municipal court may be terminated unless the municipality has complied with RCW 3.50.805, 3.50.810, 35.22.425, * 35.23.595,…
RCW 3.50.070 Additional judges—Appointment, election.
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Additional full or part time judges may be appointed or elected, as provided by ordinance of the legislative body of the city or town when public interest and the administration of justice makes such additional judge or judges necessary.[ 1984 c 258 s 109; 1961 c 299 s 56.]Notes:…
RCW 3.50.075 Court commissioners—Appointment—Qualification—Limitations—Part-time judge.
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(1) One or more court commissioners may be appointed by a judge of the municipal court.(2) Each commissioner holds office at the pleasure of the appointing judge.(3) Except as provided in subsection (4) of this section, a commissioner has such power, authority, and jurisdiction i…
RCW 3.50.080 Salaries of judges—Payment of court operating costs from city funds—Judges and employees as city employees.
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Salaries of municipal court judges shall be fixed by ordinance. All costs of operating the municipal court, including but not limited to salaries of judges and court employees, dockets, books of records, forms, furnishings, and supplies, shall be paid wholly out of the funds of t…
RCW 3.50.090 Judges pro tem.
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(1) In addition to the designation of a presiding judge pro tempore for a single judge court as provided in RCW 3.50.090(2) [subsection (2) of this section], the presiding municipal court judge may designate one or more persons as judges pro tem to serve in the absence or disabil…
RCW 3.50.092 Presiding judge pro tempore—Predesignation or appointment.
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During any vacancy that occurs in a single judge court pursuant to RCW 3.50.093 or 3.50.095, a presiding judge pro tempore who has been predesignated pursuant to court rule or appointed pursuant to RCW 2.56.040(2) may fulfill presiding judge duties, and the authority of the prede…
RCW 3.50.093 Municipal judge—Vacancy—Appointment.
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Any vacancy in the municipal court due to a death, disability, or resignation of a municipal court judge shall be filled by the mayor, for the remainder of the unexpired term. The appointment shall be subject to confirmation by the legislative authority of the city or town if the…
RCW 3.50.095 Municipal judge—Removal from office.
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A municipal judge shall be removed only upon conviction of misconduct or malfeasance in office, or because of physical or mental disability rendering the judge incapable of performing the duties of the office.[ 1984 c 258 s 124.]Notes:Court Improvement Act of 1984—Effective dates…
RCW 3.50.097 Judge's oath—Bonds.
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Every judge of a municipal court, before entering upon the duties of the office, shall take and subscribe the following oath or affirmation: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Washington,…
RCW 3.50.100 Revenue—Disposition—Interest.
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(1) Costs in civil and criminal actions may be imposed as provided in district court. All fees, costs, fines, forfeitures and other money imposed by any municipal court for the violation of any municipal or town ordinances shall be collected by the court clerk and, together with …
RCW 3.50.110 Sessions.
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The municipal court shall be open and shall hold such regular and special sessions as may be prescribed by the legislative body of the city or town: PROVIDED, That the municipal court shall not be open on nonjudicial days.[ 1984 c 258 s 114; 1961 c 299 s 60.]Notes:Court Improveme…
RCW 3.50.115 Municipal court seal.
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The municipal court shall have a seal which shall be the vignette of George Washington, with the words "Seal of The Municipal Court of . . . . . . (name of city), State of Washington," surrounding the vignette. All process from the court runs throughout the state. The supreme cou…
RCW 3.50.125 Transfer within municipal court.
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A transfer of a case from the municipal court to either another municipal judge of the same city or to a judge pro tempore appointed in the manner prescribed by this chapter shall be allowed in accordance with RCW 3.66.090 in all civil and criminal proceedings.[ 1984 c 258 s 122.…
RCW 3.50.135 Request for jury trial in civil cases—Exception—Fee—Juror compensation—Jury trials in criminal cases.
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In all civil cases, the plaintiff or defendant may demand a jury, which shall consist of six citizens of the state who shall be impaneled and sworn as in cases before district courts, or the trial may be by a judge of the municipal court: PROVIDED, That no jury trial may be held …
RCW 3.50.300 Execution of sentence—Jail in lieu of fine and costs, computation.
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In all cases of conviction, unless otherwise provided in chapters 3.30 through 3.74 RCW as now or hereafter amended, where a jail sentence is given to the defendant, execution shall issue accordingly and where the judgment of the court is that the defendant pay a fine and costs, …
RCW 3.50.320 Suspension or deferral of sentence—Change of plea—Dismissal.
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After a conviction, the court may impose sentence by suspending all or a portion of the defendant's sentence or by deferring the sentence of the defendant and may place the defendant on probation for a period of no longer than two years and prescribe the conditions thereof. A def…
RCW 3.50.330 Suspension or deferral of sentence—Continuing jurisdiction of court.
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(1) A court has continuing jurisdiction and authority to suspend the execution of all or any part of its sentence upon stated terms, including installment payment of fines for a period not to exceed:(a) Five years after imposition of sentence for a defendant sentenced for a domes…
RCW 3.50.340 Revocation of deferred or suspended sentence—Limitations—Termination of probation.
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Deferral of sentence and suspension of execution of sentence may be revoked if the defendant violates or fails to carry out any of the conditions of the deferral or suspension. Upon the revocation of the deferral or suspension, the court shall impose the sentence previously suspe…
RCW 3.50.345 Sentencing—Crimes against property—Criminal history check.
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Before a sentence is imposed upon a defendant convicted of a crime against property, the court or the prosecuting authority shall check existing judicial information systems to determine the criminal history of the defendant.[ 2009 c 431 s 16.]Notes:Applicability—2009 c 431: See …
RCW 3.50.355 Offender supervision by another state.
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(1) If a person placed on probation for one year or more for a misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor by a municipal court requests permission to travel or transfer to another state, the assigned probation officer shall determine whether such request is subject to RCW 9.94A.745, the in…
RCW 3.50.425 Issuance of criminal process.
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All criminal process issued by the municipal court shall be in the name of the state of Washington and run throughout the state, and be directed to and served by the chief of police, marshal, or other police officer of any city or to any sheriff in the state.[ 1984 c 258 s 127.]N…
RCW 3.50.430 Criminal prosecution in city's name for violation of ordinances.
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All criminal prosecutions for the violation of a city ordinance shall be conducted in the name of the city and may be upon the complaint of any person.[ 1984 c 258 s 119; 1961 c 299 s 92.]Notes:Court Improvement Act of 1984—Effective dates—Severability—Short title—1984 c 258: See…
RCW 3.50.440 Penalty if no other punishment prescribed.
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Every person convicted by the municipal court of a violation of the criminal provisions of an ordinance for which no punishment is specifically prescribed in the ordinance is guilty of a gross misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars or i…
RCW 3.50.450 Pleadings, practice and procedure not provided for governed by district court law.
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Pleadings, practice and procedure in cases not governed by statutes or rules specifically applicable to municipal courts shall, insofar as applicable, be governed by the statutes and rules now existing or hereafter adopted governing pleadings, practice and procedure applicable to…
RCW 3.50.480 City or town trial court improvement account—Contributions to account by city or town—Use of funds.
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Any city or town operating a municipal court under this chapter for which the state contributes to municipal court judges' salaries under RCW 2.56.030 shall create a city or town trial court improvement account. An amount equal to one hundred percent of the state's contribution f…
RCW 3.50.800 Repeal of municipal criminal code—Agreement covering costs of handling resulting criminal cases—Arbitration—Renewal.
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(1) If a municipality has, prior to July 1, 1984, repealed in its entirety that portion of its municipal code defining crimes but continues to hear and determine traffic infraction cases under chapter 46.63 RCW in a municipal court, the municipality and the appropriate county sha…
RCW 3.50.805 Termination of municipal court—Agreement covering costs of handling resulting criminal cases—Arbitration—Repeal of municipal criminal code—Agreement—Arbitration—Repeal of a municipal crime equivalent to offense in RCW 46.63.020—Agreement—Arbitration.
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(1) A municipality operating a municipal court under this chapter shall not terminate that court unless a notice of intent to terminate is sent to the administrative office of the courts six months in advance of the termination and the municipality has reached an agreement with t…
RCW 3.50.810 Termination of municipal court—Notice.
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(1) Any city having entered into an agreement for court services with the county must provide written notice of the intent to terminate the agreement to the county legislative authority and to the administrative office of the courts not less than one year prior to February 1st of…
RCW 3.50.815 Criminal justice responsibilities—Interlocal agreements.
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A city may meet the requirements of RCW 39.34.180 by entering into an interlocal agreement with the county in which the city is located or with one or more cities.[ 2008 c 227 s 4.]Notes:Effective date—Subheadings not law—2008 c 227: See notes following RCW 3.50.003.