LARLJ 5
                                PRESIDING JUDGE


     (c) Court Organization and Management

     (1) General Management. The general management of the Courts shall be
vested in the Presiding Judge under policy established by the Judges at regular
and special meetings.

     (A) Executive Committee

     (1) The Executive Committee shall consist of the immediate past Presiding
Judge, Presiding Judge, and acting Presiding Judge. The Court may elect one (1)
additional Judge to serve on the Executive Committee.

     (2) The Executive Committee will act in an advisory capacity to the
Presiding Judge in the daily management of the Court, in accordance with the
general policy established by the majority vote of the Judges at the regular or
special meetings; and have such other duties assigned by the Presiding judge or
conferred by the court.

     (2) Meetings

     (A) The Judges shall meet regularly each Wednesday during the noon hour
unless a majority of the judges waive said meeting. The Presiding Judge may
schedule one meeting each calendar quarter as a one-half day meeting in lieu of
a noon hour meeting. (Amended effective Sept. 1, 2001, Amended effective Sept. 1, 2009)

     (B) Special meetings shall be called by the Presiding judge as deemed
necessary by Presiding, with timely notice to all Judges.

     (C) A quorum consists of a simple majority of Judges and shall be required
at all meetings.

     (3) Election of Presiding Judge.   (Amended effective Sept. 1, 2002.)

     (A) The Presiding Judge shall be elected for a term of two (2) years
pursuant to the provisions of General Rule 29.  (Amended effective Sept. 1, 2002.)

     (B) The Presiding Judge and Assistant Presiding Judge shall be elected by
a majority vote of the Judges. (Amended effective Sept. 1, 2002.)

     (C) In the event the Presiding Judge or Assistant Presiding Judge is
unwilling or unable to fulfill the duties of such office, the vacancy or
position will be filled by majority vote of the Judges. (Amended effective Sept. 1, 2002.)

     (4) Duties of Presiding Judge. The Presiding Judge shall:

     (A) Perform all the duties required by General Rule 29; (Amended effective Sept. 1, 2002.)

     (B) Implement all policies established by the Judges and pursuant to said
policies, exercise general management of the Court including but not limited to
personnel matters, judicial assignments fiscal matters and supervision of Court Commissioners;

     (C) Assign duties to the Court Administrator as deemed necessary; (Amended effective Sept. 1, 1998)

     (D) Act as spokesperson for the Court after seeking advice and counsel
from the Judges where appropriate;

     (E) Preside at all Judges' meetings and shall call special meetings as necessary;

     (F)Make docket and case assignments, including ex parte and conflict
cases, which are not assigned to existing departments, and assign dockets as
necessary, provided that the preference of the judges by seniority shall be
given priority in any docket assignments; and (Amended effective Sept. 1, 2001)

     (G) Appoint committees to study and make recommendations concerning the
subject matter assigned and allow the committee to take necessary action when
authorized by the Judges.

     (5) Court Commissioner

     (A) Selection. Upon a vacancy for Court Commissioner, the Court may
advertise the vacancy and accept applications. A Personnel Committee of not
less than three (3) Judges shall screen the written applications.
(Amended effective Sept. 1, 1997. Sept. 1, 1999.)

     The Personnel Committee shall decide which candidates to interview,
conduct interviews and make recommendations to the Judges. Any Judge of this
Court may attend, participate and vote as a member of the Personnel Committee
for the selection process. The selection shall be by majority vote of the
Judges present at a regularly scheduled Judges' meeting or a meeting called by
the Presiding Judge for this purpose. (Amended effective Sept. 1, 1998, Sept. 1, 1999.)

     (B) Termination. A Court Commissioner shall serve at the pleasure of the
Judges and shall be terminated by a majority vote of Judges at a Judges' meeting.

     (C) Attorney-Commissioner - Authority and Jurisdiction. A lawyer appointed
Commissioner of this Court shall have such power, authority and jurisdiction in
criminal and civil matters as the appointing Judges possess unless otherwise
restricted by court rule, statute or case law.

     (D) Non-Attorney Commissioner. Court employees qualified to act as a
judicial officer under Supreme Court General Rule 8 (GR 8) may be appointed
Court Commissioner by a majority of the Judges. The appointee shall perform
such duties as authorized by the Judges, in addition to the duties of his or
her regular position. The appointment and designation of Court Commissioner
shall be for a period prescribed by the Judges.

     (E) A Pro-Tempore Judicial Officer shall receive the necessary orientation
and training before assignment. The Pro-Tempore Judicial Officer will be
assigned only to a calendar on which they have received training and orientation.

     (1) The regularly appointed Court Commissioner shall be first utilized for
judicial calendars and only in their absence or unavailability shall Pro-Tempore
Judicial Officers be used on a judicial calendar.

     (2) The Judicial Operations Manager shall notify and schedule the Pro-Tempore
Judicial Officers. (Amended effective Sept. 1, 2002.)

     (F) The Pro-Tempore Judicial Officers shall be administered the Oath of
Office as required in section 3.34.080 of the Revised Code of Washington only
by the Judicial Operations Manager, the Presiding Judge or the Acting Presiding
judge in the absence or unavailability of Presiding judge. No other person
shall be authorized to administer the Oath of Office on behalf of the Court.
(Amended effective Sept. 1, 2002.)

     (6) Court Administrator.   (Amended effective Sept. 1, 2002.)

     (A) Selection. Upon a vacancy, the Presiding Judge and not less than two (2)
additional Judges selected in a Judges' meeting shall act as a Personnel
Committee. The Personnel Committee shall take the necessary step to obtain
qualified applicants. The Committee shall screen the written applications,
conduct interviews, and make recommendations to the Judges. Any Judge may
attend, participate, and vote as a member of the Personnel Committee. Selection
of the Court Administrator shall be by majority vote of Judges present at a
regularly scheduled Judges' meeting.

     (B) Termination. The Court Administrator shall serve at the pleasure of
the Judges and shall be terminated by a majority vote of judges at a regularly
scheduled Judges' meeting.

     (7) Duties of Court Administrator. The Court Administrator shall assist
the Presiding Judge in his or her administrative responsibilities. Subject to
the general supervision of the Presiding Judge, the Administrator's duties
shall include but not be limited to those duties set forth in the job
description for the Court Administrator. (Amended effective Sept. 1, 1998.)

     (8) Departmental Employees. Departmental employees are those employees
assigned to a Judge, or Judges, and shall include, but are not limited to
Judicial Assistants and Judicial Secretaries. The Judicial Operations Manager
shall be the immediate supervisor of the Judicial Assistants and Judicial
Secretaries with such duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Judges.
Departmental Employees shall be selected and serve at the pleasure of the
Judges in accordance with policies approved by the Court and procedures
contained in the District Court Employee Handbook. (Amended effective Sept. 1, 2008.)

     (9) Employer-Employee Relations. The Court shall issue an employee
handbook which will set forth the general employment policies and practices of
the Court, and a code of conduct for all employees. Except as otherwise
provided in the Local Rules of the Spokane County District Court, and the
Policies adopted by the District Court, all employees of the Spokane County
District Court shall comply with the provisions of the handbook.
(Adopted effective Sept. 1, 1997, Adopted effective Sept. 1, 2009)

     (10) Courtrooms. The Court shall have its main facility at the Spokane
County Courthouse site located at the Public Safety Building, the Courthouse
Annex and the Broadway Center Building. The Court shall sit from time to time
at the branch sites including the City of Spokane Valley, Cheney, and such
other location designated by the County Legislative authority. Only those types
of cases specifically approved by the Court shall be heard at branch sites.
(Amended effective Sept. 1, 2008. Amended effective Sept. 1, 2009, Amended effective Sept 1, 2012)