Court Management Specifics

Pierce County

Superior Court

Court Management

The authority to manage and conduct the court is vested in the Superior Court judges and shall be exercised through regular or monthly meetings of the judges. Said authority is delegated to the following, as more specifically defined below:

A. A Presiding Judge

B. A Presiding Judge-elect

C. An Executive Committee

D. A Juvenile Court Executive Committee

E. A Court Administrator

DUTIES

Responsibilities of the Judges of the Superior Court:

A. Elect an Executive Committee.

B. Establish all policies regarding judicial functions of court.

C. Exercise final authority over any matters pertaining to court organization and operation and over any individual, employee or committee of the Court, except departmental staff. This includes removal for cause of the Presiding Judge and commissioners.

D. Meet regularly once a month and participate in the management of the court.

A quorum shall consist of a majority of the judges.
Meetings shall be conducted under Robert's Rules of Order where not inconsistent with these rules.

OFFICE OF PRESIDING JUDGE

A. Duties

Direct the business of the court and supervise its operation.
Initiate court policy for presentation to the judges or to the Executive Committee.
Act as official speaker for the court. If the matter is of such a nature that the Presiding Judge requires advice and counsel, he/she shall contact the members of the Executive Committee as necessary, or as possible, under the circumstances.
Preside at all judges/ meetings.
Chair the Executive Committee.
Call such special meetings of the judges and Executive Committee as may be required.

B. Selection of Presiding Judge

The Presiding Judge shall be that member of the Executive Committee elected as Presiding Judge-elect by a majority vote. Said election shall occur in the January of the term of the existing Presiding Judge. The Presiding Judge-elect succeeds the Presiding Judge upon the expiration or termination for any cause of the term of the Presiding Judge. The Presiding Judge shall serve for two calendar years.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

A. Policy Decisions
The Executive Committee shall decide matters of policy affecting the court and make such decisions in writing by majority vote of the committee. Such actions shall be final unless modified or rejected by a majority of the judges in attendance at the next regular judges' meeting or continuation thereof.

B. Policy Recommendations
The Executive Committee may make recommendations on policy matters to the judges at any meeting of the judges.

C. Committees
The Executive Committee shall recommend the designation and duties of the committees of the court and nominate the members of the several committees.

D. Advisory Capacity
The Executive Committee shall act in an advisory capacity to the Presiding Judge.

E. Procedure
The Executive Committee shall distribute promptly to the judges written minutes of action taken by the Executive Committee. On request of any judge, any action taken by the Executive Committee shall be subject to review for final approval or rejection at a meeting of the judges. Any matter which should be decided by the judges shall be presented to the next judges' meeting before action is taken.

F. Meetings
The Executive Committee shall meet at least once a month except during the summer months. Any judge or commissioner may attend any Executive Committee meeting and participate but not vote.

G. Selection
The Executive Committee shall consist of five judges. Vacancies shall be filled by election by a majority of the judges voting at the regularly scheduled December judges' meeting. Nominations shall be made in writing and delivered to the Presiding Judge one week prior to the December meeting. The judge(s) receiving the majority of votes shall be elected to the Executive Committee to serve a two year term beginning January 1.

H. Unexpired Term
If any judge serving on the Executive Committee is unable or unwilling to continue in office for any reason, the position shall be filled to serve out the balance of the term by the election process provided for in these rules. Except that a Presiding Judge-elect who succeeds to the office of the Presiding Judge during the term of another Presiding Judge shall serve the balance of that judge's term as Presiding Judge and one calendar year as Presiding Judge following that term.

COURT ADMINISTRATOR

Selection
The court administrator shall be appointed by a majority of all of the judges and shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority under the direction and supervision of the Presiding Judge.

Powers and Duties
The powers and duties of the court administrator include but are not limited to the following:

A. Administrative - Administrative control of all non-judicial activities of the court.

B. Policies - Implement all policies regarding judicial functions of the court.

C. Supervisory - Supervision of all court employees, except commissioners, juvenile court employees and departmental employees.

D. Budgetary - Preparation and administration of the budget.

E. Representative - Representation of the court in dealings with the State Court Administrator.

F. Assist - Assist the Presiding Judge in meeting with the representatives of governmental bodies, and other public and private groups regarding court management matter.

G. Agenda Preparation - Prepare the agenda for judges' meetings and act as recording secretary at those meeting and at committee meetings where the administrator's presence would be reasonable and productive.

H. Record Preparation and Maintenance - Prepare reports and compile statistics as required by the judges or state court administration and maintain records of informal activities of the court.

I. Recommendations - Make recommendations to the judges for the improvement of the administration of the court.

COURT STAFF

Each departmental judge employs a full-time judicial assistant and court reporter. The Court, as a whole, employs a court administrator and administrative staff, who perform financial and administrative support for the judges and commissioners. The office of the Court Administrator serves as an information and message center at times when the departmental judges or staff are not available to receive messages.