LAR 2.
                               JUDICIAL OFFICERS


      (a) Departments.  There shall be four departments of this court, identified
as Civil Department, Criminal Department, Juvenile Court, and  Court
Commissioner's Department.  The judicial officers of this court will be
assigned, on a rotating basis, for such periods as the Presiding Judge may from
time to time determine, among the departments of this court.

      (b) Presiding Judge. (1) Election.   During the month of December of each
even-numbered year, the judges of the court shall elect, by such manner as they
may then agree or, in the absence of such agreement, by secret written ballot,
one of their number to serve as Presiding Judge.  In the same fashion, the
judges shall elect an Acting Presiding Judge.  Vacancies in either position
will be filled in the same manner as soon as practicable after vacancy occurs.

      (2) Removal.  The Presiding Judge or Acting Presiding Judge may be removed by
the unanimous vote of the other judges of the court.

      (3) Term.  The Presiding Judge shall be elected to a term of two years,
commencing on January 1 of each odd-numbered year.

      (4) Special Inquiry Judge.  By virtue of office, the Presiding Judge shall be
the Special Inquiry Judge designated by the judges of the court as required by
RCW 10.27.050.  In the event the Presiding Judge is disqualified from any
special inquiry proceeding, the Acting Presiding Judge will be deemed to be the
special inquiry judge so designated.

      (5) Library Board.  By virtue of office, the Presiding Judge, or his or her
designee, shall be a member of the Grant County Law Library Board.

      (c) Juvenile Judge.  The judge assigned to the Juvenile Court pursuant to
section (a) of this rule shall be designated as the Juvenile Court Judge, as
provided in chapter 13.40 RCW.

      (d) Court Commissioners.  The judges will employ at least one court
commissioner, assigned to the Court Commissioner's Department, unless otherwise
assigned by the Presiding Judge.  The Court Commissioner will ordinarily
preside over weekly dependency dockets, and dockets and trials of brief
duration in domestic and paternity cases.

    The judge of the Grant County District Court assigned to the Moses Lake
district will ordinarily be appointed as a commissioner of the superior court.
In such capacity, the court commissioner may sign ex parte orders.  Ex parte
orders signed at a location other than the Grant County Courthouse shall be
transmitted by the commissioner to the Clerk of this court; original orders
shall not be returned to the party or attorney requesting the same.

    The Presiding Judge may appoint pro tempore court commissioners from time to
time as may be required for due administration of the business of the court.


[Adopted April 1, 1997; amended 2005; amended effective September 1, 2012]