Superior Court Glossary
This glossary is included to assist in understanding the caseload measures presented in this report.
Case Type Reporting Categories
Criminal and Juvenile Offender Filings
Criminal and juvenile offender filings are categorized by the primary (i.e., most serious) original charge against the defendant in the following order: homicide, sex crimes, robbery, assault, theft/burglary, motor vehicle theft, controlled substances, other felony, and misdemeanors. Other filing categories include appeals from lower courts and "non-charge" matters.
Homicide - Cases where the primary charge involves murder, manslaughter, excusable homicide, or justifiable homicide.
Sex Crimes - Cases where the primary charge involves sexual exploitation of a minor, incest, rape, statutory rape, or indecent liberties.
Robbery - Cases where the primary charge involves theft of property by the use of force, violence, or fear of injury to a person or his or her property.
Assault - Cases where the primary charge involves assault or intent to cause another person physical harm, including malicious harassment and coercion.
Theft/Burglary - Cases where the primary charge involves theft of property (other than a motor vehicle), possession of stolen property, extortion, burglary, or criminal trespass.
Motor Vehicle Theft - Cases where the primary charge involves taking a motor vehicle without permission of the owner.
Controlled Substance - Cases where the primary charge involves violation of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act (UCSA) or violation of regulations regarding prescription drugs.
Other Felony - Cases where the primary charge involves a felony which is not specifically defined above.
Misdemeanor and Gross Misdemeanor - Cases where the primary charge involves a misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor based on the Revised Code of Washington.
Appeals from Lower Courts - Cases involving the appeal of a judgment rendered on a criminal charge in a court of limited jurisdiction.
Non-charge - A matter brought before the court for which no formal charges have been filed, such as a preliminary appearance prior to the filing of an information; a non-charge matter for which a charging document is eventually filed becomes a criminal or juvenile offender filing as of the date the information is filed.
Civil
Civil cases pertain to the settlement of disputes between and among individuals, organizations, or groups and have to do with the establishment, recovery, or redress of private and civil rights.
Tort - Cases involving injury to another person or damage to another's property that does not involve a contract.
Commercial - Cases involving monetary disputes where damages are not at issue.
Meretricious Relationship - Cases involving the distribution of property from a meretricious relationship (i.e., a stable, marital-like relationship where both parties cohabit with knowledge that a lawful marriage between them does not exist). End-dated 1/10/2011. Replaced with Committed Intimate Relationship cause of action that is filed under the Domestic Relations category.
Property Rights - Cases involving land and items attached to land.
Civil Protection Orders - Petitions for protection filed under the following causes of action: Unlawful Harassment (HAR), Sexual Assault Protection (SXP), and Stalking Protection Orders.
Domestic Violence - Petitions for protection from domestic violence.
Administrative Law Review - Petitions to review rulings made by state administrative agencies.
Other Petitions and Complaints - Cases involving civil matters which are not specifically defined above.
Appeals from Lower Courts - Appeals of judgments from courts of limited jurisdiction to superior courts involving civil or traffic infraction matters.
Matters Filed with the Clerk - Matters that are primarily handled by the clerk. Examples are tax warrants, abstracts of judgment, transcripts of judgment, and foreign judgments.
Domestic
Child Custody - Dispute involving immediate charge and control of a child.
Committed Intimate Relationship - Petitions for distribution of property from a committed intimate relationship (i.e., a stable, marital-like relationship where both parties cohabit with knowledge that a lawful marriage between them does not exist).
Dissolution with Children of the Marriage - Termination of a marriage other than by annulment, with dependent children of that marriage.
Dissolution with No Children of the Marriage - Termination of a marriage other than by annulment, with no dependent children of that marriage.
Annulment/Invalidity - Claim that a marriage is illegal or invalid.
Modification - Change of a previous order or decree, when a new case file is opened and a new case number assigned (e.g., when the dissolution decree or order at issue was previously entered in another county or state).
Out-of-State Child Custody - Recording custody established out-of-state.
Legal Separation - Petition by parties in a marriage to live separate and apart.
Foreign Judgment - Any judgment, decree, or order of a court of the United States, or of any state or territory which is entitled to full faith and credit in this state.
Miscellaneous Domestic - Any other petition not specified by other domestic causes-of-action. Beginning in 2010, this category also includes any case filed under the Mandatory Wage Assignment cause of action (RCW 26.18.070).
UIFSA - Uniform Interstate Family Support Act. The law which regulates the processing of all cases in which parties are located in more than one state. The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 required each state to adopt the UIFSA, verbatim, by January 1, 1998. It can be found at 26.21 RCW.
Probate and Guardianship
Probate - Cases involving the registering of a will, the determination of whether a will is a valid instrument, the statutory method of establishing a will's proper execution, or the disposition of an estate in the absence of a will.
Guardianship - Cases involving the relationship between a person lawfully invested with the power and charged with the duty of taking care of the rights of another person who is considered by the court to be incapable of caring for himself or herself.
Adoption and Parentage
Adoption - Petition for the establishment of a new, permanent relationship of a parent and child between persons not having that relationship. This includes adoption petitions filed in relation to actions of relinquishment or termination of parental rights.
Parentage - Petition to determine the legal status of an alleged biological parent.
Parentage - UIFSA - Petition to determine the legal status of an alleged biological parent which is filed in conjunction with the reciprocal report entered under the UIFSA agreement.
Relinquishment - Petition to voluntarily relinquish parental rights of a child to the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), an agency, or a prospective adoptive parent.
Termination - Petition for termination of a parent-child relationship of a parent or alleged parent who has not executed a written consent.
Modification - Change of a previous order or decree, when a new case file is opened and a new case number assigned (e.g., when the decree or order at issue was previously entered in another county or state).
Confidential Name Change - Petition for a confidential change of name for a victim of domestic violence.
Initial Pre-Placement Reports Filed with the Clerk - A report by the DSHS submitted to the court prior to the filing of adoption papers on a child.
Mental Illness and Alcohol
Mental Illness - Cases involving the determination as to whether an individual is mentally ill or incapacitated and should be placed in or remain under care, custody, and treatment.
Alcohol - Cases involving the determination as to whether an individual is incapacitated by alcohol and should be committed to an institution for treatment.
Juvenile Dependency
At-Risk Youth (ARY) - Petition to request available juvenile court services for personal or family situations which present a serious and imminent threat to the at-risk child or family.
Child In Need Of Services (CHINS) - Petition to allow out-of-home placement of a minor.
Dependency - Petition alleging that a person under the age of 18 is dependent and requires court intervention to ensure his or her well being.
Developmental Disability Placement - Petition for a voluntary placement agreement when the sole reason for the out-of-home placement is the child's developmental disability.
Extended Foster Care - Cases that include (1) Youth in an open dependency case who, upon turning 18 years of age, request extended foster care services under criteria set out in Chapter 332 Laws 2013; and (2) Youth whose dependency cases were dismissed at age 18 and who subsequently request extended foster care services through a voluntary placement agreement prior to turning age 19.
Guardianship for Foster Children - Petitions filed in juvenile court for establishment of guardianships for children in foster care, under provisions of RCW Title 13 (as provided for in Laws of 2010, ch. 272 [SHB 2680], effective 6/10/2010). The legislative intent is to "create a separate guardianship chapter to establish permanency for children in foster care through the appointment of a guardian and dismissal of the dependency."
Reinstatement of Parental Rights - Petition filed by a child requesting reinstatement of the previously terminated parental rights.
Termination - Petition for the termination of a parent-child relationship following a finding of dependency.
Truancy - Petition to request the juvenile court to intervene on behalf of a juvenile who is unjustifiably truant from school.
Filings
A filing is the initiation of a case in court by formal submission to the court of a document alleging the facts of a matter and requesting relief.
A separate case filing occurs for each criminal and juvenile offender defendant. For a non-criminal case, a separate filing is reported for each complaint or petition filed.
Each unique mental illness/alcohol case number is reported as a single filing, no matter how many subsequent petitions are filed during the life of a case. A case reopened for subsequent adjudication after the initial judgment is not considered a new filing unless a new case number is assigned.
Ex Parte Actions
An ex parte action is a judicial action on the behalf of one party, without notice to or contestation by any person adversely interested. Such an action may take place on or off the bench, and does not necessarily result in a signed order. Note: In order for this workload item to be included in caseload statistics, the judicial officer needs to complete a transaction slip. At local option, this step may be eliminated.
For criminal and juvenile offender cases, ex parte actions are recorded in the offense reporting category that corresponds to the most serious charge current at the time of the action.
Proceedings Held
A proceeding is a matter held in open court with at least one of the parties present in a case or non-charge matter. Trials and adjudicatory hearings are contested proceedings conducted by a judge to determine the guilt or innocence of the defendant in criminal and juvenile offender cases, or to resolve the issues of a case in non-criminal cases.
For any case, a single session of the court can result in one or more proceedings, except during trials. Any given type of proceeding that occurs during a single court session will only be counted once (e.g., despite numerous motions made to the court, only one motion hearing is counted).
For criminal and juvenile offender cases, proceedings are counted in the offense category that corresponds to the primary charge the day prior to the date on which the proceeding was held. Non-criminal case proceedings are counted in the category in which the case is filed.
60-Day Alcohol Hearing - A hearing to determine whether probable cause exists to involuntarily commit a person who is incapacitated by alcohol for intensive treatment and evaluation.
Adjudicatory Hearing - A hearing in which the issues of fact and law are to be determined by the judicial officer of a court of competent jurisdiction, and in which the defendant is not sentenced.
Adjudicatory and Sentencing Hearing - A hearing in which the issues of fact and law are to be determined by the judicial officer of a court of competent jurisdiction and the defendant receives the sentence imposed.
Arraignment and Guilty Plea Hearing - A hearing at which an initial arraignment is held and the defendant enters a plea of guilty.
Arraignment, Guilty Plea, and Sentencing Hearing - A hearing at which all three actions take place.
Commitment Hearing - A hearing to determine whether probable cause exists to involuntarily commit a person for intensive treatment and evaluation.
Contempt Hearing - A hearing to determine whether an existing order has been violated.
Continued Prosecution Hearing - A hearing in which a defendant accepts court supervision with specific conditions of behavior resulting from deferred prosecution or a continued order of prosecution.
Declination Hearing - A hearing to determine whether a juvenile defendant should be transferred to adult court for all subsequent proceedings.
Detention Hearing - A hearing to determine whether (1) probable cause exists to detain a defendant, or (2) a person will be involuntarily detained for mental health evaluation for a period not to exceed 72 hours.
Dismissal Hearing - A hearing in which the case is dismissed either before or after a trial or adjudicatory hearing has commenced.
Evidentiary Hearing - A hearing to determine the admissibility, relevancy, weight, and sufficiency of evidence before the court.
Execution/Death Penalty Jury Proceeding - A post-trial hearing in which a jury determines whether a defendant convicted of aggravated first degree murder should receive the death penalty.
Fact Finding and Disposition Hearing - A hearing to determine issues pertaining to families in conflict, the dependency of a juvenile, and/or the appointment of a guardian, where a disposition hearing immediately follows.
Fact Finding Only Hearing - A hearing to determine issues pertaining to families in conflict, the dependency of a juvenile, and/or the appointment of a guardian when a disposition hearing does not immediately follow.
Financial Review Hearing - A hearing to monitor a convicted defendant's performance in meeting legal financial obligations.
Guilty Plea Only Hearing - Any hearing in which a defendant formally admits guilt, is convicted, and is not sentenced.
Guilty Plea and Sentencing Hearing - A hearing in which a defendant formally admits guilt, is convicted, and receives the sentence imposed.
Initial Arraignment - A hearing that consists of reading the original complaint to the defendant or stating the substance of the charge, and advising the defendant of his or her rights for the purpose of allowing the defendant to make a plea. There is only one initial arraignment per case. Depending on the defendant's plea, subsequent arraignments that occur for amended informations are recorded as either a (1) not guilty plea hearing, (2) guilty plea hearing, or (3) a motion hearing where charges are read but no plea is entered.
Jury Trial - A trial in which the issues of fact are determined by verdict from a body of citizens of a particular district before a court of competent jurisdiction.
Medication Hearing - A hearing to determine whether anti-psychotic medication will be involuntarily administered to an individual as part of treatment.
Modification Hearing - A post-resolution hearing in which a modification is sought to an existing order or decree.
Motion Hearing - A motion hearing held prior to case resolution.
Non-Jury Trial - A trial in which the issues of fact and law are determined by a judicial officer of a court of competent jurisdiction.
Not Guilty Plea Hearing - Any subsequent arraignment held in which a defendant enters a plea of not guilty to the amended information.
Omnibus Hearing - A hearing potentially involving many unrelated matters on the agenda for discussion and consideration.
Other Hearing - A hearing which leads to the final resolution of a non-charge matter, such as for a material witness or an extradition.
Post-Resolution Motion Hearing - A proceeding, other than a modification hearing, for a case in which all issues were previously resolved.
Preliminary Appearance - Any hearing held prior to case filing involving issues of detainment in jail or court authorized conditions of release.
Pre-Resolution/Motion Conference - A status conference or motion hearing held prior to case resolution.
Pre-Trial Management Hearing - A hearing whereby the court considers compliance with discovery and motion deadlines, attempts to frame issues of fact and law for trial, sets a briefing schedule, and makes further rulings as necessary, including the determination of readiness for trial.
RALJ Hearing - A hearing by the superior court to decide issues on an appellate case under the rules for appeal of decisions of courts of limited jurisdiction.
Review Hearing - A hearing held within the statutorily prescribed time limits to (1) review or modify a dispositional plan, (2) to monitor a guardian's performance, or (3) to review a patient's progress in connection with an existing commitment order.
Revocation Hearing - A hearing to revoke an existing commitment order and impose a more restrictive treatment alternative.
Sentence Conditions Violation Hearing - A hearing to seek a modification or revocation of an existing sentencing order or to consider additional penalties for the violation(s).
Sentencing Hearing - A hearing in which a convicted defendant receives the sentence imposed.
Separate Disposition Hearing - A hearing in which only the disposition of a case is determined. Excludes proceedings where fact finding and case disposition occurred in the same hearing.
Shelter Care Hearing - A hearing to determine whether a child alleged to be dependent is in need of services such as temporary housing or medical care.
Stipulated Trial - A hearing at which issues of fact and law are determined by the judicial officer's review of the previously stipulated facts when a defendant fails or opts out of a drug court program or fails to satisfy the conditions of behavior specified in a continued prosecution agreement.
Summary Judgment Hearing - A hearing before the court in which a judgment is granted prior to trial on the basis that the case involves no dispute as to factual matters, and that the party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.
Trial by Affidavit - A trial in which the issues of fact and law are to be determined by the judicial officer of a court or competent jurisdiction based on the agreed statement of facts contained in one or more affidavits.
Trial Settlement Hearing - A hearing requested by the court whereby parties or their attorneys prepare and present their issues in lieu of a trial.
Uncontested Resolution Hearing - A hearing in which all remaining uncontested issues are adjudicated, and the case is resolved.
Voir Dire Only Hearing - A pre-trial hearing in which the court and attorneys examine prospective jurors to determine their suitability to serve as jurors. This hearing is recorded only if jury empanelment begins but the scheduled jury trial does not take place.
Warrant Identification Hearing - A hearing at which a defendant is identified on a bench warrant arrest and at which conditions of release are determined.
Proceedings Continued
A granted hearing continuance is only an instance where a hearing has been set for a specific date and is deferred before that hearing commences. Continued hearings are classified by the reason for the scheduling change.
Judicial Conflict - A continuance caused by the filing of an affidavit of prejudice or by the recusal of the judge.
Calendar Conflict - A granted hearing continuance caused by the court's calendar becoming too full to hear the case. These continuances result from judicial or courtroom resources being unavailable.
Defense Requested - A granted hearing continuance requested by the defense for reasons other than a judicial or calendar conflict.
Prosecutor/Plaintiff Requested - A granted hearing continuance requested by the prosecuting attorney for reasons other than a judicial or calendar conflict.
Stipulated - A granted hearing continuance requested by stipulation of all concerned parties for reasons other than a judicial or calendar conflict.
Unspecified - A granted hearing continuance requested by unknown concerned parties for reasons other than a judicial or calendar conflict.
Proceedings Stricken or Canceled
A stricken proceeding is one which has been removed from the court calendar by a judicial officer and not recorded on a calendar to take place at another date. A canceled proceeding is one removed from the court calendar by a non-judicial officer and not recorded on a calendar to take place at another date. A stricken or canceled proceeding is only an instance where a proceeding is set for a specific date and stricken or canceled before that scheduled commencement.
For criminal and juvenile offender cases, proceedings stricken or canceled are recorded in the offense reporting category that corresponds to the most serious charge current on the day the proceeding was stricken or canceled.
Original Counts Filed
This statistical reporting category classifies every charge and count on the original information filed using the offense reporting categories. These charges and counts are reported in the month in which they are filed.
Final Counts Resolved
This statistical reporting category classifies every charge and count on the final information filed using the offense reporting categories. These charges and counts are reported in the month in which the case is resolved. Only those charges with result codes on the final information filed will be included in caseload statistics.
Change of Venue - Final counts transferred from the court to another jurisdiction for adjudication.
Pending - Final counts for which a respondent has been granted continued prosecution, with the final outcome of the charge(s) still pending.
Dismissed - Final counts dismissed.
Guilty - Final counts for which a defendant or respondent has pleaded guilty or has been found guilty.
Acquitted/Not Guilty - Final counts for which a defendant or respondent has been acquitted or found not guilty.
Cases Resolved
Resolution signifies that a case has been tried, settled, or otherwise concluded. It occurs when a judicial decision has been rendered or when a case has been transferred to another jurisdiction for subsequent adjudication. In some instances a case can be "completed" (i.e., the dispositive case documents filed with the clerk for the legal record) at the point of case resolution; however, a case can never be completed prior to resolution. For mental illness and alcohol cases, resolution occurs at the adjudication of the first commitment petition filed in a case other than the initial petition for detention.
Each case results in only one resolution, reflecting the extent to which court resources were involved. For criminal and juvenile offender cases the resolution is listed in the reporting category corresponding to the most serious charge obtaining a conviction or, where no conviction was obtained, to the charge which involved the greatest amount of court resources to obtain a resolution. Non-criminal case resolutions are based on the extent of court resources needed to obtain a resolution.
Resolutions Not Involving Trial or Adjudicatory Hearing
Change of Venue - Resolution of a case which has been transferred to another jurisdiction for all subsequent adjudication, upon motion of a party or upon the court's own initiative. Also includes the resolution of a case that has been consolidated into another case for all subsequent adjudication.
Closed by Court - Resolution of a case closed by court order, where no commitment order has been signed and no other resolution category applies.
Closed by Court Order After Hearing - Resolution for a case after a hearing, resulting in an order that resolves the issues in the case other than by default judgment, summary judgment, or settlement.
Completed When Filed - Resolution for a judgment transferred to the superior court from another jurisdiction or agency, which occurs at the time the record of judgment is filed with the clerk.
Court Decision to Commit - Resolution of a case by involuntary commitment of a person for treatment and evaluation at the conclusion of the first commitment hearing, or upon receiving a transferred case with an existing commitment order.
Decision on Lower Court Appeal/Review - Resolution upon the return of jurisdiction over a case from the superior court to the originating district or municipal court, following a decision to affirm, reverse, or modify the lower court judgment.
Declination of Jurisdiction - Resolution of a case which has been transferred to adult court for all subsequent proceedings.
Default Judgment - Resolution by the court for failure of a defendant to appear and/or answer complaint, upon motion of plaintiff.
Deferred/Continued Prosecution - Resolution upon placing a defendant under court supervision with specific conditions of behavior, before any formal finding of guilt exists.
Dismissal - Resolution by the court dismissing the case for all parties before trial or adjudicatory hearing commencement.
Dismissal by Clerk - Resolution by the court where dismissal action is initiated by the clerk and approval is granted by the court as a matter of routine, with no opposition by the affected parties.
Extradition - Resolution of a case transferred to another state or country for all subsequent adjudication, upon motion of the other territory or by a governor's warrant.
Guilty Plea - Resolution by guilty plea to any or all charges before trial or adjudicatory hearing commencement.
Personal Representative/Guardian Appointed - Resolution upon the appointment of a permanent guardian in a guardianship case, or a personal representative, administrator, or executor in a probate case.
Resolved When Filed - Resolution upon the filing of a tax warrant, abstract of judgment, transcript of judgment, or foreign judgment.
Settled by Arbitration - Resolution of a case that was reached through the arbitration process as evidenced by the parties agreeing to the arbitrator's award.
Settled by Parties/Agreed Judgment - Resolution by the court upon agreement of parties including stipulated judgments, settlements at court conference, and settlement outside of the court's involvement. The case is still settled even if the final judgment includes an order of dismissal. Tables displaying information for parentage cases include "Settled by Arbitration" in the "Settled by Parties/Agreed Judgment" figures.
Summary Judgment - Resolution upon motion for summary judgment, when the court finds there are no material facts in dispute and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.
Uncontested Resolution - Resolution of a case that is not contested in superior court and is not given a default judgment. Also includes the resolution of a case (1) that has been consolidated into another case for all subsequent adjudication, or (2) prior to a signed commitment order where dispositive documents not requiring a judge's signature have been filed.
Resolutions After Commencement of Trial or Adjudicatory Hearing
Acquittal/Not Guilty - Resolution by acquittal of all charges after jury trial, non-jury trial, or adjudicatory hearing commencement, or by a formal court decision or verdict of "not guilty by reason of insanity."
Approved Petition - Resolution by the court where a petition has been approved.
Convicted - Resolution by a verdict or court decision to convict on any or all charges after a jury trial, non-jury trial, or adjudicatory hearing.
Court Decision - Resolution by the court upon entering a judgment after completion of a non-jury trial.
Deferred Disposition - Final resolution of a case by placing the juvenile respondent under court supervision with specific conditions of behavior after there is a formal finding of guilt by the court.
Dismissal - Resolution by the court dismissing all issues in dispute after jury trial, non-jury trial, or adjudicatory hearing commencement.
Guilty Plea - Resolution by guilty plea to any or all charges after jury trial, non-jury trial, or adjudicatory hearing commencement.
Jury Verdict - Resolution by the court upon entering a judgment after completion of a jury trial.
Settlement - Resolution by the court upon agreement of the parties, including stipulated judgments and settlements, reached after the commencement of a jury or non-jury trial.
Transfer of Jurisdiction - Resolution for a juvenile dependency case which has been previously resolved (i.e., petition approved) in another jurisdiction, and has been transferred for ongoing review hearings.
Defendants Sentenced
Sentences are counted only for defendants with a judgment of guilty, and are based on the most serious charge obtaining a conviction.
Community Supervision - Juvenile respondents who are sentenced to community supervision without being sentenced to spend time in detention or in a state or local institution.
Community Supervision and/or Probation - Defendants who are placed under community supervision and/or probation without being sentenced to spend time in jail or a state institution.
Detention - Juvenile respondents who are sentenced to detention without being sentenced to community supervision or to spend time in a state or local institution.
Detention and Community Supervision - Juvenile respondents who are sentenced to detention and community supervision service, without being sentenced to spend time in a state or local institution.
Jail - Defendants who are sentenced to jail without being sentenced to spend time in a state institution.
Jail/Community Supervision/Probation - Defendants who are sentenced to jail and placed under community supervision and/or probation, without being sentenced to spend time in a state institution.
Local Commitment - Juvenile respondents committed to the Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration (JRA) for placement in a local institution (e.g., a special commitment program funded by the JRA), and not sentenced to the JRA for placement in a state juvenile institution (e.g., Echo Glen, Maple Lane).
Other - Criminal defendants who receive a deferred sentence, a suspended sentence to either jail or a state institution, and who are placed under community supervision and/or probation. Juvenile offender respondents who, pursuant to referral to a Special Sexual Offender Dispositional Alternative (SSODA) program, receive a deferred or suspended sentence, or whose sentence is not specifically defined by other sentencing categories.
State Commitment - Juvenile respondents committed to the Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration (JRA) for placement in a state juvenile institution (e.g., Echo Glen, Maple Lane) and not sentenced to the JRA for placement in a local institution (e.g. a special commitment program funded by the JRA).
State Institution - Defendants who are sentenced to a state institution, not including sentences to county detention facilities.
Cases Completed
Completion signifies that the dispositive documents for a case have been filed with the clerk for inclusion in the legal record. In some instances a case can be completed at the point of case resolution (i.e., when tried, settled, or otherwise concluded); however, a case can never be completed prior to resolution. Each case will result in only one completion.
Completed When Filed - Completion for a matter normally resolved and completed at the same time it is filed, such as a UIFSA matter or an abstract of judgment filed with the clerk.
Dismissed/Closed on Motion of Clerk - Completion by the filing of an order of dismissal on the clerk's motion due to case inactivity.
Judgment/Order/Decree Filed - Completion by the filing of final dispositive documents by parties or their representatives.
Uncontested Completion - Completion for an uncontested matter that is not dismissed, such as the extradition of a non-charge matter for which no formal charging document has been filed, or the filing of a notice of bankruptcy. Includes completion for a case where no dispositive document is filed following the expiration of a commitment or other release.
Judicial Needs Estimates (Annual Report Only)
Judges - The number of full-time resident judges in court at year end. Excludes visiting and pro tempore judges.
Authorized Unfilled Judge Positions - The number of judge positions authorized under Chapter 2.08 RCW that were not funded at the county level as of the end of the calendar year.
Commissioners - The number of full-time and part-time commissioners in court at year end. Excludes visiting and pro tempore commissioners.
Total Judicial Officers - The number of full-time judges, full-time commissioners, and part-time commissioners, excluding visiting and pro tempore judges and commissioners.
Total Estimated Judge Need - The estimate has two basic components: (1) a 'base' estimate derived from projected filings by case type, and (2) a non-negative time standards adjustment factor.
Staffing (Annual Report Only)
Full Time Equivalent (FTE) - The combined number of hours for which a group of individuals is paid to work each week during the year, divided by a standard number of hours per week. For example, a person that is paid to work 40 hours per week equals one FTE. Two people working a 20-hour week are equivalent to one FTE.
Judges - The number of full-time resident judges in superior court as of year end, including juvenile court judges.
Commissioners - The number of court commissioners in superior court as of year end. These numbers are broken down into full- and part-time positions as reported by the court.
Permanent Full-Time Staff - The number of full-time administrative staff, excluding the court administrator.
Part-Time and Temporary Staff - The number of permanent administrative staff working at less than a full-time workweek and the number of staff working less than a full year. Full-time status is based on the staff workweek.
Staff Workweek - The number of hours that are officially recognized as constituting a full-time work week for administrative staff.
