Skip Page LinksWelcome to Washington State Courts
Courts Home> Caseloads of the Courts
 

Caseloads of the Courts of Washington

Court of Appeals
History of Activity, All Reviews, All Divisions (10) - 2008 to 2012

2008 2009 % Chg (9) 2010 % Chg (9) 2011 % Chg (9) 2012 % Chg (9)
FILINGS
Total Filings  4,264  4,366  2.4 %  4,126  -5.5 %  3,867  -6.3 %  3,739  -3.3 % 
RESOLUTIONS (1) (11)
Opinions Published  387  388  0.3 %  308  -20.6 %  399  29.5 %  349  -12.5 % 
Opinions Unpublished  1,207  1,307  8.3 %  1,161  -11.2 %  1,129  -2.8 %  1,196  5.9 % 
Opinions  1,594  1,695  6.3 %  1,469  -13.3 %  1,528  4 %  1,545  1.1 % 
Dismissed  825  786  -4.7 %  736  -6.4 %  613  -16.7 %  796  29.9 % 
Transferred/Certified (2)  28  65  . %  55  -15.4 %  94  70.9 %  49  -47.9 % 
Review Not Accepted  27  23  . %  15  . %  29  . %  30  . % 
Other Terminations  71  52  -26.8 %  59  13.5 %  46  -22 %  73  58.7 % 
Orders  951  926  -2.6 %  865  -6.6 %  782  -9.6 %  948  21.2 % 
Decided on Merits  355  235  -33.8 %  215  -8.5 %  172  -20 %  149  -13.4 % 
Dismissed  830  820  -1.2 %  731  -10.9 %  716  -2.1 %  758  5.9 % 
Transferred/Certified (2)  . %  . %  . %  . % 
Review Not Accepted  247  238  -3.6 %  234  -1.7 %  201  -14.1 %  181  -10 % 
Other Terminations  41  44  7.3 %  47  6.8 %  45  -4.3 %  54  20 % 
Rulings  1,474  1,337  -9.3 %  1,228  -8.2 %  1,136  -7.5 %  1,148  1.1 % 
Other Decisions Term. Review (3)  . %  . %  . %  . % 
Total Orders/Rulings/Other (4)  2,425  2,263  -6.7 %  2,093  -7.5 %  1,918  -8.4 %  2,096  9.3 % 
Total Resolved  4,019  3,958  -1.5 %  3,562  -10 %  3,446  -3.3 %  3,641  5.7 % 
PENDING AT YEAR END (5)
Cases Stayed  196  176  -10.2 %  214  21.6 %  250  16.8 %  175  -30 % 
Brief Not Filed  1,592  1,594  0.1 %  1,554  -2.5 %  1,616  4 %  1,535  -5 % 
Appellant Brief Filed  398  411  3.3 %  379  -7.8 %  377  -0.5 %  375  -0.5 % 
Respondent Brief Filed  574  793  38.2 %  901  13.6 %  944  4.8 %  1,017  7.7 % 
Remanded to Trial Court  17  11  . %  . %  . %  . % 
Set for Commissioners' Calendar  161  126  -21.7 %  129  2.4 %  86  -33.3 %  105  22.1 % 
Ruling Referred to Panel (6)  26  10  . %  21  . %  21  . %  26  . % 
Set for Oral Argument (7)  260  247  -5 %  207  -16.2 %  200  -3.4 %  246  23 % 
Total Awaiting Hearing  3,224  3,368  4.5 %  3,410  1.2 %  3,499  2.6 %  3,486  -0.4 % 
Opinion/Order in Process  245  210  -14.3 %  273  30 %  290  6.2 %  259  -10.7 % 
Total Pending Decision  3,469  3,578  3.1 %  3,683  2.9 %  3,789  2.9 %  3,745  -1.2 % 
MANDATED (1)
Opinion Terminating Review  2,031  1,881  -7.4 %  1,735  -7.8 %  1,683  -3 %  1,510  -10.3 % 
Order Terminating Review  989  987  -0.2 %  882  -10.6 %  821  -6.9 %  900  9.6 % 
Ruling Terminating Review  1,744  1,496  -14.2 %  1,410  -5.7 %  1,300  -7.8 %  1,177  -9.5 % 
Other Decision Terminating Review  36  32  -11.1 %  35  9.4 %  23  . %  26  . % 
Total Orders/Rulings/Other (4)  2,769  2,515  -9.2 %  2,327  -7.5 %  2,144  -7.9 %  2,103  -1.9 % 
Total Mandated  4,800  4,396  -8.4 %  4,062  -7.6 %  3,827  -5.8 %  3,613  -5.6 % 

(1) As a result of changes in resolution coding procedures in 2005, resolutions and mandated are now categorized by Opinions, Orders Terminating Review, and Rulings Terminating Review. Figures for these categories are reported for the first time in 2005.
(2) Includes both matters transferred to other divisions and those certified to the Supreme Court.
(3) Includes decisions entered prior to more-specific coding (orders/rulings) adopted during 2005.
(4) For years prior to 2005, it is not possible to distinguish the different types of resolution. Figures are broadly aggregated and shown as the sum of these resolution types.
(5) As a result of the recent transition to the new Appellate Court Records and Data System(ACORDS-II), measurement of the various stages of pending caseload are not comparable to measurements for prior years. Extreme caution should be used in interpreting 2003 and future activity relative to that shown for prior years.
(6) Ruling Referred to Panel status was reintroduced to ACORDS in February 2004. As a result, the trend figures are not comparable.
(7) Set for Oral Argument counts are influenced by procedural differences among divisions in setting cases. Division III, due to hearings in multiple locations, often delays the setting of cases until there are sufficient numbers to warrant travel, but cases are usually set only six weeks out.
(8) Includes completions for secondary cases, which are those consolidated with a primary case and disposed by mandate/certificate of finality entered in the primary case.
(9) Percentages are not reported when numbers are small (less than 30).
(10) To alleviate case congestion, Division II transferred 50 cases in 2009 and 45 cases in 2010 (which would otherwise have been heard in Division II) to Division I for preparation of opinions and mandates. A transferred resolution appears for each of these cases in Division II figures. Each transferred case is included in filing counts in both divisions. The opinions for those transferred cases are included in Division I figures, only.
(11) As of 2010, Resolution counts have been updated to report only primary case resolutions. Secondary case resolutions have been excluded from all of the resolution counts reported.

 
 
Courts | Organizations | News | Opinions | Rules | Forms | Directory | Library 
Back to Top | Privacy and Disclaimer Notices