Washington Courts: News and Information

Washington Supreme Court Names Court Clerk

The justices of the Washington Supreme Court have named Deputy Clerk Ronald Carpenter as clerk of the Washington Supreme Court.  Carpenter will replace long-time Court Clerk Jerry Merritt, who will be retiring on December 31, 2006, after almost 18 years in that office.

The position of clerk of the Supreme Court is provided for in the state constitution and the person holding that position is responsible for maintaining the court’s records, files, and documents.  The clerk is also responsible for managing the court’s caseload, including the preparation of its calendars and docketing of all cases and papers filed with the court. 

Carpenter will be the ninth person to serve as clerk of the Washington Supreme Court since statehood.

“The court is grateful to Jerry for his years of service and wishes him all the best in retirement,” said Chief Justice Gerry Alexander regarding the announcement.  “We are pleased that Ron has accepted this position.  He has served the court very ably as deputy clerk for the past 17 years, and we could not have asked for a more qualified candidate to fill the role when Jerry retires at the end of this year.”

The Clerk’s Office coordinates case flow and paperwork for thousands of petitions and motions filed each year with the Washington Supreme Court.  The Office is also involved in attorney admission and discipline and manages documents related to death-penalty cases filed with the court.

During Merritt’s tenure, the Clerk’s Office has worked to implement electronic filing and provide a one-day advance notice for the media on opinions to be filed.  The Office has also released Supreme Court decisions on the Internet simultaneously with their filing “on the spindle.”  Prior to joining the court, Merritt served as a superior court judge in Grant County. 

Carpenter was appointed as the court’s deputy clerk in 1990.  Prior to joining the court he  served as a municipal court judge in Colfax and as prosecuting attorney of Whitman County.  He was later a partner in the law firm of Hickman, Webster, Ensley and Carpenter.  He is a former captain in the United States Army and received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Idaho College of Law. 

“I am honored to be selected to serve as the Supreme Court clerk, and look forward to serving the court and the people of the State of Washington,” said Carpenter of the appointment.  

For further information on the operations of Washington’s Supreme Court, please visit www.courts.wa.gov. 

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