Court of Appeals Glossary
This glossary is included to assist in understanding the statistical tables.
Filings
Notice Of Appeal - The filing of an appeal of a trial court final judgment that is reviewable as a matter of right. Notices of appeal must be filed within 30 days of the trial court judgment. Unless otherwise prohibited by statute or court rule, a party may appeal from only trial court decisions as specified in Rules of Appellate Procedure (RAP) 2.2. Notices of appeal are categorized into criminal and civil appeals.
Personal Restraint Petition - The filing of a review to seek relief from limitations on a person's freedom due to current or imminent confinement, or other restrictions imposed by a criminal or civil trial court decision (RAP 16.4).
Discretionary Review - The filing of a review of interlocutory orders of a trial court, made prior to a final determination of the case, concerning whether errors or substantial departure from accepted and usual courses of proceedings occurred in the case. Unless otherwise prohibited by statute or court rule, a party may seek discretionary review of any act of superior court not appealable as a matter of right (RAP 2.3).
Dispositions
The appellate court may reverse, affirm, or modify the decision being reviewed and take any other action as the merits of the case and the interest of justice may require (RAP 12.2). Each review is counted as being disposed as soon as a decision terminating review is filed with the appellate clerk.
Opinions - The statement by the court of the decision reached in regard to a cause argued before it, expounding the law as applied to the case, and detailing the reasons upon which the judgment is based.
Opinions Published - The published written opinion terminating the review.
Opinions Unpublished - The unpublished written opinion terminating the review.
Commissioners' Rulings - Rulings by commissioners which terminate review.
Motion On The Merits - Termination of a review due to the granting of a motion on the merits (RAP 18.14).
Other Rulings - Other rulings by commissioners, such as rulings on accelerated review of adult sentences or juvenile offender proceedings or granting a motion to dismiss--Anders (RAP 15.2(h)).
Dismissed - An order issued by the court dismissing the review prior to the point where case merit is determined. The commissioner or clerk may dismiss a review for failure to comply with procedures. The court, on motion of a party, may dismiss a review for want of prosecution, if the review is frivolous, moot or solely for the purpose of delay, or for failure to comply with procedures (RAP 18.9).
Transferred/Certified - The Supreme Court, to promote orderly administration of justice may, on its own initiative or on motion of a party, transfer a case from the Court of Appeals to the Supreme Court ("certified"). A case may be transferred from one division to another within the Court of Appeals (RAP 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, RCW 2.06.030).
Review Not Accepted - Reviews may not be accepted if they do not meet the conditions governing the acceptance of review (RAP 2.2, 2.3, and 16.4).
Other Terminations - An order issued by the court terminating the review before an opinion is rendered. An order to terminate a review would result if, for example, a petitioner decided to withdraw the review.
Pending Cases
Case Stayed - Those cases temporarily arrested or removed from judicial processing by order of the court.
Brief Not Filed - Those cases within the stages of perfection in which no briefs have yet been filed.
Appellant Brief Filed - Those cases within the stages of perfection in which appellant's brief has been filed, but respondent's brief is still awaited.
Respondent Brief Filed - Those cases within the stages of perfection in which both appellant's brief and respondent's brief have been filed, but case has yet to be set on the court calendar for review.
Remanded To Trial Court - Those cases whose jurisdiction have been temporarily returned to the trial court of origination.
Set For Motion On The Merits - Those cases which have progressed to the point at which all briefs were filed and served, and now qualify for setting. Because a motion on the merits has been made, these cases have been set on the Motion On The Merits calendar (RAP 18.14).
Ruling Referred To Panel - Cases which were initially assigned to a commissioner, who has ruled that they should be referred to a panel of judges for a decision.
Set For Oral Argument - Those cases which have progressed to the point at which all briefs were filed and served and have been set for a review.
Opinion/Order In Process - Those cases which have been reviewed by the court but have yet to receive a decision.
Mandated
A review is mandated by the clerk of the Court of Appeals when a written notification, when required, is sent to the trial court and all parties. The notification informs all parties of an appellate court decision terminating the review.
Time In Process Statistics --Notice Of Appeals
Filing - The date the appeal is filed in the trial court.
Statement Of Arrangements - The date of the first occurrence when the Statement Of Arrangements has either been "Received" or "Filed" in the appellate court.
Report Of Proceedings - The date of the first occurrence when the Report Of Proceedings has either been "Filed" or "Received." The latter is recorded when the report is returned from the printer. Note: For statistical purposes "Received" is only employed when "Filed" is omitted.
Appellant's Brief - The date of the last occurrence for the Appellant's Brief to either be "Filed" or "Received." The latter is recorded when the report is returned from the printer. Note: For statistical purposes "Received" is only employed when "Filed" is omitted.
Respondent's Brief - The date of the last occurrence for the Respondent's Brief to either be "Filed" or "Received." The latter is recorded when the report is returned from the printer. Note: For statistical purposes "Received" is only employed when "Filed" is omitted.
Oral Argument - The date of the first occurrence that the oral argument received a status of "Heard."
Opinion - The date of the first occurrence of the opinion being filed.
Mandate - A written notification by the clerk of the appellate court to the trial court and to the parties of an appellate court decision terminating review.
Note that the time-in-process tables have been changed in 1997 to reflect the 75th percentile rather than the median number of days between events. The change was made for consistency with national standards.
