Tukwila Municipal Court

		
		
                         TMCLR 13.1
                VIDEO CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS


A. Criminal:  Preliminary appearances as defined by CrRLJ
3.2.1(d), arraignments as defined by CrR 3.4 and 4.1 and
CrRLJ 3.4 and 4.1, bail hearings as defined by CrR3.2 and
CrRLJ 3.2, and trial settings as defined by CrR 3.3 and
CrRLJ 3.3(f), and pre-trial hearings as determined by the
court, conducted via video conference in which all
participants can simultaneously see, hear, and speak with
each other shall be deemed held in open court and in the
defendant's presence for the purposes of any statute, court
rule or policy.  All video conference hearings conducted
pursuant to this rule shall be public, and the public shall
be able to simultaneously see and hear all participants and
speak as permitted by the court.  Any party may request an
in-person hearing which may, in the court's discretion, be
granted.

B. Agreement:  Other trial court proceedings including the
entry of a Statement of Defendant on Plea of Guilty as
defined by CrR 4.2 and CrRLJ 4.2 may be conducted by video
conference only by agreement of the parties.  The defendant
will be deemed to have agreed to voluntarily participate in
court proceedings in Tukwila Municipal Court by video
conference unless the defendant or counsel for the defendant
notifies the court at the time of the proceeding that he/she
objects to the proceeding being conducted via video
conference.  The right to object to video conference
proceedings will be deemed waived if not exercised prior to
the start of the video conference hearing.

C. Standards for Video Conference Proceedings:  The Judge,
counsel, all parties, and the public must be able to see and
hear each other during proceedings, and speak as permitted
by the court.  Video conference facilities must provide for
confidential communications between attorney and client and
security sufficient to protect the safety of all
participants and observers.  In interpreted proceedings, the
interpreter must be located next to the defendant and the
proceeding must be conducted to assure that the interpreter
can hear all participants.

D.  For purposes of video conference proceedings, the
facsimile signature(s) of the defendant, counsel, interested
parties and the court will be treated as if they were an
original signature.  This includes all Orders on Judgments &
Sentence, No Contact Orders, S.O.A.P. and S.O.D.A. Orders,
Time Pay Agreements, and other documents as the court shall
determine are appropriate or necessary.