What are Washington Court Records?

Docket Sheets

These include important details on the parties, judges, and attorneys of record. They also provide a list of the documents used during the trial, complete with their summaries.

Judgments and Orders

These documents provide the verdicts rendered by the court or jury. They are signed by the court following the trial. They contain the final ruling and specify the penalties and obligations for each side.

Transcripts

These are written accounts of court proceedings that record the judges' decisions. They are helpful supporting documents for a motion or when submitting an appeal request.

Evidence

This includes physical and written evidence obtained from police investigations and offered by both parties to the dispute during a trial.

Court Minutes

Court minutes note the beginning and end of a trial. It lists the names of the attorneys and witnesses. The minutes provide an overview of the court's procedures, including recesses, testimony, and official remarks.

Pleadings

These are formal written statements that outline the allegations made by each party to the case. They include motions, plea bargains, and complaints.

Briefs

Attorneys present written arguments to the court in the form of briefs. They are meant to help the court settle the legal issues in the case.

Civil Cases

Civil trials are used to resolve disputes between people and organizations. Civil cases do not lead to jail or other severe loss of rights. Instead, they are resolved by paying fines, addressing the underlying cause of the conflict, or halting specific actions. Their purpose is to settle disputes and possibly bring the plaintiff some peace.

A case often starts when a person or organization (the plaintiff) alleges that they have been hurt by another person or group (the defendant). By submitting a complaint and initiating a legal action, the plaintiff requests redress from the court. To make up for their losses or injuries, the plaintiff may pursue damages or monetary compensation. Additionally, they may request an injunction, which prevents the defendant from doing something.

A judge or a jury decides civil cases. Both parties may also choose to settle out of court, which typically entails a financial agreement. There is no legal right to counsel in a civil action. Civil parties must either employ their counsel or represent themselves in court.

The standard of proof that civil attorneys must fulfill is called the "preponderance of the evidence." This suggests that the evidence presented must have a greater chance of being true than the opposing evidence. Decisions are based on the persuasiveness of the evidence presented, not the quantity of evidence provided. A civil ruling also does not require unanimity.

Criminal Cases

A criminal case is created when a prosecutor, acting on behalf of the government, accuses an individual of committing a crime. Criminal cases deter future criminal activity by rehabilitating or removing offenders from society. Criminal trials typically begin when the culprit is arrested and accused, usually at an indictment hearing.

In criminal prosecutions, defendants have the right to be tried by a jury of their peers. The judge interviews each juror to eliminate any potential bias, and each jury is hand-picked from a randomly chosen pool of district residents. Defendants can also choose a bench trial, that is, one without a jury, as an alternative. Defendants in criminal cases are entitled to legal representation, unlike in civil ones.

Criminal jurors are required to vote unanimously. This is because there are far heavier penalties that could be imposed in a criminal prosecution if proven guilty of a crime. In a criminal case, the penalty could be a fine, jail time, community service, or a combination of all three.

Washington Supreme Court

Over a thousand cases are reviewed annually by the State Supreme Court. Although cases may be appealed directly from the Superior Court, the majority originate from the state Court of Appeals. There are no witness statements or other types of evidence used in this court. Instead, the Court exclusively considers legal matters and renders a decision based on the evidence gathered by the trial court.

The Court is free to choose which cases to examine. The Court reviews cases that have previously been decided by the Court of Appeals if they concern a question that has led to conflicting rulings from appellate courts, a significant constitutional question, or a question of significant public importance.

Washington Court of Appeals

The Washington Court of Appeals is the state's intermediate appellate court. The court is an appeal court with no discretion. This implies that, in contrast to the Washington State Supreme Court, which has the authority to deny an appeal, it must accept, consider, and render a written ruling on each appeal submitted to it.

Washington Superior Courts

Superior courts are referred to be general jurisdiction courts because they have no restrictions on the kinds of civil and criminal issues they can hear. Appeals from courts with limited jurisdiction may also be heard by this court. Cases appealed to appellate courts can then be appropriately reviewed by them.

Established by statute to handle minors under the age of eighteen who commit crimes (offenders) or who are abused or neglected (dependents), juvenile court is a branch of the superior court. Juvenile offenders are sentenced following a standard set of criteria, much as adults. The guidelines set a range of sentences and sentence conditions based on the severity of the acts committed and the subject's past criminal history.

All superior courts are grouped into single or multi-county districts. In Washington, there are thirty districts. Largely populated counties often make up a single district, but in less populous regions, a district may include two or more counties. Each of the 39 counties in Washington has a superior courthouse. When necessary, judges in rural districts go between their counties. Every county courthouse has its staff and courtroom.

Washington District Courts

Both criminal and civil cases are under the jurisdiction of district courts. Misdemeanors and high misdemeanors involving either traffic or non-traffic violations fall under criminal jurisdiction. These include reckless driving, driving with a suspended driver's license, driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and fourth-degree assault.

The district courts also have jurisdiction over preliminary hearings in felony cases. Unlike juries in superior courts, which consist of twelve members, juries in courts with limited jurisdiction consist of six members.

In civil matters, their jurisdiction extends to damages of up to $100,000 for personal property or injury to individuals and contract disputes. In addition, district courts have jurisdiction over civil cases involving both traffic and non-traffic violations, for which a fine, but not a jail sentence, may be issued. For an infraction, there is no right to a jury trial.

District courts have the authority to impose protection orders against domestic abuse, anti-harassment orders, and orders prohibiting contact. Additionally, they have the authority to hear some lien foreclosures and petitions for name changes.

Washington Municipal Court

Municipal courts handle cases involving violations of city or municipal ordinances. Their jurisdiction over violations of state law is comparable to that of district courts. Municipal courts only have jurisdiction over misdemeanors, infractions, and high misdemeanors. The infringement of the ordinance has to have taken place inside the municipality's borders for it to come under the municipal court's jurisdiction.

Small claims and civil disputes are not accepted in municipal courts. Municipal courts have the same authority as district courts to provide protection orders against domestic abuse and orders prohibiting contact. Once a local court rule establishing such procedure is adopted, a municipal court can issue antiharassment protection orders.