1. Is there a special form to schedule a criminal hearing?
Yes. A 4-part carbon form is used. The form can be obtained in Superior Court Administration, Room 534, County-City Building, Tacoma.
2. How soon can I schedule a hearing?
At least five (5) court days' notice must be given to all parties.
3. Where do I get criminal hearing dates approved?
Superior Court Administration, Room 534 of the County-City Building, any Differentiated Case Management (DCM) staff or the judicial department assigned to the case.
4. When the prosecuting attorney announces no charges filed- final or no charges filed- pending ( NCF'd), what does that mean?
The Prosecutor's Office is not going to file charges in Superior Court at this time. Charges may be filed in either Municipal Court or District Court. The defendant will be released between 7:00 - 11:00 p.m. that night and will be subpoenaed by either court should charges be filed at a later date.
5. If an inmate is being released from jail either on personal recognizance or bail being posted, what time will the inmate be released?
Sometime between 7:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.
6. Will I be able to see an in-custody defendant at a pre-trial conference or omnibus hearing?
No. Defendants do not make an appearance in front of the judge. It is an informal conference with their attorney to discuss further action on the case.
7. My friend was arrested last night, when and where will he/she go to court?
If he/she was arrested for a felony, Superior Court arraignments are always at 1:30 p.m. in one of the Criminal Division courts: CD-1 (Room 560), CD-2 (Room 550) or sometimes Criminal Division Presiding Judge (CDPJ). Check the afternoon (PM) docket for his/her name (this docket is printed daily and posted outside the Criminal Division courts.). If you can't find his/her name on the docket, ask one of the Differentiated Case Management (DCM) staff in Room 534 or call the Prosecutor's Office.
8. I am scheduled for a criminal motion today. Where will the motion be held?
Criminal motions are held in Criminal Division Presiding Judge (CDPJ) on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons.
9. How can a defendant obtain a copy of the court paperwork from the sentencing hearing?
A copy of the Judgment and Sentence may be obtained from the Clerk's Office, Room 110. There will be a fee to obtain a copy.
10. I am a victim. I want to drop the charges and see the Judge. What do I do?
Go to Room 946 and speak with the Victim's Advocate.
11. How do I go in earlier than my scheduled start of my jail sentence?
You will need to contact your lawyer to have your lawyer set this up.
12. Where do I go to get bail money returned?
If the case has a Superior Court cause number, at the time of the sentencing a Judgment and Sentencing Order is signed. A 'bail exoneration' is usually contained in this order. The original order is sent to the Judgments section in the Clerk's Office, where the person seeking refund of bail should go to collect the money (cause number in hand). This process sometimes takes two or three days. The Clerk's Office will release the bail only after receiving the ORIGINAL order signed by the Court.
If no cause number-- the Prosecutor's Office is not filing charges -- the person will receive a check in the mail. The Clerk's Office is not involved at all because they have no cause number to file it under.
13. Where and when can I take clothes to a defendant for trial?
Take the clothes to the fourth floor of the jail between 8:00 and 8:45 a.m. the day of the trial.
14. Where and what is DAC?
Department of Assigned Counsel - 949 Market Street, Suite 334.
15. Where and what is DOC?
Department of Corrections- Main office is located on 9th and Tacoma Avenue across the street from McDonald's.
16. How do I get a no-contact order removed?
The defendant's attorney must bring a motion before the court.
17. How do I get a conviction off my record?
Go to the Clerk's Office, Room 110, County-City Building, to obtain a packet of information regarding the process (see expungement brochure) or browse 'Criminal History and Criminal Records' under the 'Informational Brochures' heading on the Washington State court's 'News & Info' page.
18. Who do I contact about setting up community service that was ordered by the court?
Contact your assigned Community Corrections Officer.
19. What is a pre-trial conference?
During pre-trial conferences the defense attorneys set dates for the omnibus hearing and the jury trial. If you want to know which dates have been set, call into Administration the next day and the information will be provided or click here for the LINX system to obtain current scheduled hearing information.
20. What is an omnibus hearing?
An omnibus hearing is like a pre-trial conference but the attorney, prosecutor and defendant will discuss various elements of the case and decide whether or not they need to set up any motions or a plea date.
Back to Top
