Title 2 — Title 2 COURTS OF RECORD

Any judge of the supreme court, court of appeals, or superior court of the state of Washington who heretofore and/or hereafter shall have served as a judge of any such courts for eighteen years in the aggregate or who shall have served ten years in the aggregate and shall have at…

Any judge of the supreme court, court of appeals, or superior court of this state who shall leave judicial service at any time after having served as a judge of any of such courts for an aggregate of twelve years shall be eligible to a partial retirement pension in a percentage o…

In the event any judge of the supreme court, court of appeals, or superior court of the state serves more than eighteen years in the aggregate as computed under RCW 2.12.010, he or she shall receive in addition to any other pension benefits to which he or she may be entitled unde…

(1) Any judge of the supreme court, court of appeals, or superior court of the state of Washington, who heretofore and/or hereafter shall have served as a judge of any such courts for a period of ten years in the aggregate, and who shall believe he or she has become physically or…

Supreme court, court of appeals, or superior court judges of the state who retire from office under the provisions of this chapter other than as provided in RCW 2.12.012 shall be entitled to receive monthly during the period of their natural life, out of the fund hereinafter crea…

The retirement pay or pension of any justice of the supreme or judge of any superior court of the state who was in office on August 6, 1965, and who retired prior to December 1, 1968, or who would have been eligible to retire at the time of death prior to December 1, 1968, shall …

(1) "Index" for the purposes of this section, shall mean, for any calendar year, that year's annual average consumer price index for urban wage earners and clerical workers, all items (1957-1959 equal one hundred) compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, United States Departme…

If any retired judge shall accept an appointment or an election to a judicial office, he or she shall be entitled to receive the full salary pertaining thereto, and his or her retirement pay under this chapter shall be suspended during such term of office and his or her salary th…

(1) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, effective July 1, 1979, no person receiving a monthly benefit pursuant to this chapter shall receive a monthly benefit of less than ten dollars per month for each year of service creditable to the person whose service is t…

Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, effective July 1, 1983, the monthly benefit of each person who either is receiving benefits pursuant to RCW 2.12.020 or 2.12.030 as of December 31, 1982, or commenced receiving a monthly benefit under this chapter as of a date…

If a judge who was a member of this system left the system before July 1, 1988, and neither the judge nor the judge's surviving spouse: (1) Was eligible at that time to receive a benefit under this chapter; or (2) has received an amount under a sundry claims appropriation from th…

There is hereby created a fund in the state treasury to be known as "The Judges' Retirement Fund" which shall consist of the moneys appropriated from the general fund in the state treasury, as hereinafter provided; the deductions from salaries of judges, as hereinafter provided, …

For the purpose of providing moneys in said judges' retirement fund, concurrent monthly deductions from judges' salaries and portions thereof payable from the state treasury and withdrawals from the general fund of the state treasury shall be made as follows: Six and one-half per…

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 6346-S.SL) ***(1) Except as provided in subsections (2), (3), and (4) of this section, the right of any person to a retirement allowance or optional retirement allowance under the provisions of this chapter and all moneys and investments and income the…

Any member of the Washington public employees' retirement system who is eligible to participate in the judges' retirement system, may by written request filed with the director and custodian of the two systems respectively, transfer such membership to the judges' retirement syste…

Whenever words importing the masculine gender are used in the provisions of this chapter they may be extended to females also as provided in RCW 1.12.050 and whenever words importing the feminine gender are used in the provisions of this chapter they may be extended to males.[ 19…

For the purposes of this chapter, the terms spouse, marriage, marital, husband, wife, widow, widower, next of kin, and family shall be interpreted as applying equally to state registered domestic partnerships or individuals in state registered domestic partnerships as well as to …

(1) The purpose of this chapter is to provide a supplemental retirement benefit to judges who are elected or appointed under chapter 2.04, 2.06, or 2.08 RCW and who are members of the public employees' retirement system for their service as a judge.(2) This chapter may be known a…

The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.(1) "Plan" means the judicial retirement account plan.(2) "Principal account" means the judicial retirement principal account.(3) "Member" means a judge participating in the judicial retirement account plan.(4) "Admini…

The judicial retirement account plan is established for judges appointed or elected under chapter 2.04, 2.06, or 2.08 RCW and who are members of the public employees' retirement system for their service as a judge.[ 1988 c 109 s 14.]Notes:Effective date—1988 c 109: See note follo…

The administrator for the courts, under the direction of the board for judicial administration, shall administer the plan. The administrator shall:(1) Deposit or invest contributions to the plan consistent with RCW 2.14.080;(2) Credit investment earnings or interest to individual…

The administrator for the courts shall be deemed to stand in a fiduciary relationship to the members participating in the plan and shall discharge his or her duties in good faith and with that diligence, care, and skill which ordinary prudent persons would exercise under similar …

The judicial retirement principal account is created in the state treasury. Any deficiency in the judicial retirement administrative account caused by an excess of administrative expenses disbursed from that account over earnings of investments of balances credited to that accoun…

The judicial retirement administrative account is created in the state treasury. All expenses of the administrator for the courts under this chapter, including staffing and administrative expenses, shall be paid out of the administrative account. Any excess balance of this accoun…

(1) The administrator for the courts shall:(a) Deposit or invest the contributions under RCW 2.14.090 in a credit union, savings and loan association, bank, or mutual savings bank;(b) Purchase life insurance, shares of an investment company, or fixed and/or variable annuity contr…

The plan shall be funded as provided in this section.(1) Two and one-half percent shall be deducted from each member's salary.(2) The state, as employer, shall contribute an equal amount on a monthly basis.(3) The contributions shall be collected by the administrator for the cour…

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 6346-S.SL) ***(1) A member who separates from judicial service for any reason is entitled to receive a lump sum distribution of the member's accumulated contributions. The administrator for the courts may adopt rules establishing other payment options,…

If a member dies, the amount of the accumulated contributions standing to the member's credit at the time of the member's death, subject to the provisions of chapter 26.16 RCW, shall be paid to the member's estate, or such person or persons, trust, or organization as the member h…

Beginning January 1, 2007, through December 31, 2007, any member of the public employees' retirement system eligible to participate in the judicial retirement account plan under this chapter may make a one-time irrevocable election, filed in writing with the member's employer, th…

For the purposes of this chapter, the terms spouse, marriage, marital, husband, wife, widow, widower, next of kin, and family shall be interpreted as applying equally to state registered domestic partnerships or individuals in state registered domestic partnerships as well as to …

All the judges of the superior courts of the state of Washington are hereby associated under the name of the superior court judges' association of the state of Washington.[ 2016 c 179 s 2; 1933 ex.s. c 58 s 1; RRS s 11051-1.]Notes:Findings—Purpose—2016 c 179: "The legislature fin…

The judges shall elect from their number a president, who shall be called president judge, and a secretary, who shall hold their offices from the date of one annual meeting of the association to the next.[ 1955 c 38 s 7; 1933 ex.s. c 58 s 2; RRS s 11051-2.]

At its annual meetings, pursuant to section 24, Article IV of the state Constitution, the association shall have power to establish uniform rules for the government of the superior courts, which rules may be amended from time to time.[ 1955 c 38 s 9; 1933 ex.s. c 58 s 4; RRS s 11…

The association shall meet annually at a time established by the association's governing board. At the meeting officers shall be chosen for the ensuing year, and other business transacted as may properly come before the association.[ 1996 c 82 s 1; 1955 c 38 s 10; 1933 ex.s. c 58…

Except for the provisions of *RCW 2.16.060, this chapter shall not be held to repeal any other existing law relating to the visitation of judges.[ 1933 ex.s. c 58 s 7; RRS s 11051-7.]Notes:*Reviser's note: RCW 2.16.060 was repealed by 1973 c 106 s 40.

A magistrate is an officer having power to issue a warrant for the arrest of a person charged with the commission of a crime.[ 1891 c 53 s 1; RRS s 50.]

The following persons are magistrates:(1) The justices of the supreme court.(2) The judges of the court of appeals.(3) The superior judges, and district judges.(4) All municipal officers authorized to exercise the powers and perform the duties of district judges.[ 1987 c 202 s 10…

Any district or municipal court judge, in the county in which the offense is alleged to have occurred, may issue a search warrant for any person or evidence located anywhere within the state. If the jurisdiction of a district or municipal court encompasses all or part of more tha…

(1) There may be appointed in each county or judicial district, by the judges of the superior court having jurisdiction therein or a presiding judge pro tempore who is fulfilling presiding judge duties for a single judge court pursuant to RCW 2.08.120(2), one or more court commis…

Court commissioners appointed hereunder shall, before entering upon the duties of such office, take and subscribe an oath to support the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution of the state of Washington, and to perform the duties of such office fairly and impartially…

Each court commissioner appointed hereunder shall be allowed a salary, in addition to the fees herein provided for, in such sum as the board of county commissioners may designate, said salary to be paid at the time and in the manner as the salary of other county officials.[ 1909 …

Such court commissioner shall have power, authority, and jurisdiction, concurrent with the superior court and the judge thereof, in the following particulars:(1) To hear and determine all matters in probate, to make and issue all proper orders therein, and to issue citations in a…

All of the acts and proceedings of court commissioners hereunder shall be subject to revision by the superior court. Any party in interest may have such revision upon demand made by written motion, filed with the clerk of the superior court, within ten days after the entry of any…

A referee is a person appointed by the court or judicial officer with power—(1) To try an issue of law or of fact in a civil action or proceeding and report thereon.(2) To ascertain any other fact in a civil action or proceeding when necessary for the information of the court, an…

Every court of justice has power—(1) To preserve and enforce order in its immediate presence. (2) To enforce order in the proceedings before it, or before a person or body empowered to conduct a judicial investigation under its authority. (3) To provide for the orderly conduct of…

For the effectual exercise of the powers specified in RCW 2.28.010, the court may punish for contempt in the cases and the manner provided by law.[ 1891 c 54 s 2; RRS s 53.]Notes:Rules of court: CR 45(f).Contempts: Chapter 7.21 RCW.Criminal contempts: Chapter 7.21 RCW, RCW 9.92.0…

A judicial officer is a person authorized to act as a judge in a court of justice. Such officer shall not act as such in a court of which he or she is a member in any of the following cases:(1) In an action, suit, or proceeding to which he or she is a party, or in which he or she…

A part-time district judge, if permitted by court rule, may act as an attorney in any court other than the one of which he or she is judge, except in an action, suit or proceeding removed therefrom to another court for review.[ 1987 c 202 s 104; 1891 c 54 s 4; RRS s 55. Cf. Code …

A judge may exercise out of court all the powers expressly conferred upon a judge as contradistinguished from a court and not otherwise.[ 1891 c 54 s 5; RRS s 56.]

Every judicial officer has power:(1) To preserve and enforce order in his or her immediate presence and in the proceedings before him or her, when he or she is engaged in the performance of a duty imposed upon him or her by law;(2) To compel obedience to his or her lawful orders …