Benton and Franklin Counties Superior Court Chambers Communication Rules
38 rules from official source documents
Rules for contacting chambers: permitted methods, hours, and purposes.
CRITICAL
- Contact
The email submitting the bench copy must state the speedy-trial expiration date, and the opposing party or counsel must provide its date if they disagree.
For any motion filed under RCW 10.77.515 in which a pre‑assigned judge has been designated, the filing party must submit a bench copy of the motion and supporting materials to: SpecialSets@co.benton.wa.us. 1. The moving party shall provide the date of speedy trial expiration in the said email, and the opposing party/counsel shall detail speedy trial expiration, if in disagreement.
CRITICAL
- Contact
A request for a special setting in a criminal matter will not be considered unless the parties jointly email SpecialSets@co.benton.wa.us and follow LMR 6(2) and (4).
No request by a party for a special setting in a criminal matter will be considered unless the parties have jointly emailed SpecialSets@co.benton.wa.us and have followed the Special Set rules as outlined in LMR 6(2) and (4).
CRITICAL
Participants in dependency, termination, and guardianship cases must contact the relevant LPU staff to request available motion-hearing dates.
Participants in dependency, termination, and guardianship cases are required to contact the relevant County Juvenile Court Legal Processing Unit (LPU) Staff to request available court dates for the setting of a motion hearing.
CRITICAL
- Contact
For a special-set hearing request in a criminal case that is not pre-assigned, the parties must jointly email the request and attached form to specialsets@co.benton.wa.us.
a. Parties shall jointly email specialsets@co.benton.wa.us with the following information and attached request form (available on the court’s website):
CRITICAL
- Contact
Authorized Transcriptionist applications must be submitted by email to the stated Superior Court Management address.
Applications shall be submitted to: SCCourtManagement@co.benton.wa.us.
CRITICAL
- Contact
- Email to chambers
When filing the motion, the moving party must email the Judicial Assistants at the stated address with the listed filing materials and include all parties and/or attorneys in the distribution unless law requires otherwise.
Upon filing the motion with the Clerk, the moving party shall send email confirmation of filing, a copy of the motion, any attachments, proof of service, and Microsoft WORD format of the proposed order (subject to technology access), to the Judicial Assistants at: Reconsideration-Revision@co.benton.wa.us. The email must include all parties and/or attorneys on the distribution, unless otherwise required by law.
CRITICAL
- Contact
In Benton County, scheduled matters must be confirmed by email to criminalconfirmations@co.benton.wa.us on the Wednesday before the docket between 7:00 and 11:00 a.m.
2. Benton County: criminalconfirmations@co.benton.wa.us. Shall be confirmed on Wednesday between 7:00 and 11:00 a.m. prior to the docket.
CRITICAL
- Contact
Interpreter requests must be emailed to the specified address within the stated timeframes.
Interpreter Requests must be submitted via email to: SCRequests@co.benton.wa.us in the timeframes out lined above.
CRITICAL
The moving party must confirm with the clerk that a Benton County summary judgment or over-ten-minute hearing will proceed between Friday at 8:00 a.m. and Monday noon in the week before the hearing.
The moving party shall confirm with the clerk that summary judgment and over-ten-minute hearings will be heard on the date set during the following time periods: a. Benton County: Summary judgment and over-ten-minute hearings shall be confirmed no sooner than Friday at 8:00 am and no later than Monday noon the week preceding the date the motion is noted for hearing.
CRITICAL
Each party must notify the County Clerk of a mailing-address change immediately.
Each party must update their mailing address with the County Clerk’s office immediately upon a change of address.
CRITICAL
- Contact
A copy of the pre-assignment motion must be emailed to SpecialSets@co.benton.wa.us.
A copy of the Motion shall be emailed to: SpecialSets@co.benton.wa.us
CRITICAL
A motion and/or affidavit for notice of disqualification must be delivered to Court Administration; notices of disqualification do not apply to commissioners, and a party seeking recusal must deliver a copy to that office or request recusal orally on the record.
C. Notice of Disqualification/Request for Recusal. Under RCW 4.12.050, a copy of the motion and/or affidavit for notice of disqualification shall be delivered to the Court Administration office. Notices of disqualification are not applicable to court commissioners. Instead, court commissioner decisions are subject to revision under RCW 2.24.050 and Local Civil Rule 59. A party requesting the recusal of the judge or commissioner shall deliver a copy to the Court Administration office or orally request on the record.
CRITICAL
- Contact
For a special-set hearing request in a pre-assigned case, email the completed form to specialsets@co.benton.wa.us.
b. Email the completed form to specialsets@co.benton.wa.us. A conformation email will be sent acknowledging receipt.
CRITICAL
- Contact
Written requests must be emailed to the Guardianship Monitoring Program at the listed address.
Written Request must be submitted to the Guardianship Monitoring Program at: GMP.Registry@co.benton.wa.us.
CRITICAL
- Contact
- Email to chambers
When filing opposing documents, the responding party must email the Judicial Assistants confirmation and the listed filing materials, including a proposed order in Microsoft WORD format, subject to technology access.
Upon filing the opposing documents with the Clerk, the responding party shall send email confirmation of filing, a copy of the response, any attachments, proof of service, and Microsoft WORD format proposed order (subject to technology access), to the Judicial Assistants at:
CRITICAL
- Contact
Emails to the reconsideration/revision address must include all parties and/or attorneys on the distribution, unless otherwise required by law.
Reconsideration-Revision@co.benton.wa.us. The email must include all parties and/or attorneys on the distribution, unless otherwise required by law.
CRITICAL
When a matter settles outside court and no settlement conference is needed, the parties must notify the Civil Judicial Assistant at least five days beforehand so the conference can be stricken.
If a matter is settled outside of court and a settlement conference is no longer needed, parties are required to notify the Civil Judicial Assistant of settlement of the matter at least five (5) days prior to their settlement conference date so that the settlement conference can be stricken, and a Notice of Settlement must be filed at least five (5) days prior to the settlement conference.
CRITICAL
Parties must not email, call, or visit an out-of-county judicial officer directly unless that officer specifically instructs them to do so.
Parties shall not email, call, or visit the out of county judicial officer directly, unless specifically instructed to do so by the judicial officer.
CRITICAL
- Contact
For covered matters, the moving and opposing parties must email proposed orders to the specified address and copy all parties.
For matters set on the Benton County and/or Franklin County Civil docket and Civil Summary Judgment docket (except unlawful detainer matters) only, the moving party and any party opposing a motion must email a WORD version of any proposed order(s) to SCProposedOrders@co.benton.wa.us no later than three (3) calendar days before a hearing, and all parties must be copied on any email message sent to that email.
CRITICAL
- Contact
In Franklin County, scheduled matters must be confirmed by email to criminalconfirmations@franklincountywa.gov on the Monday before the docket between 7:00 and 11:00 a.m.
1. Franklin County: criminalconfirmations@franklincountywa.gov. Shall be confirmed on Monday between 7:00 and 11:00 a.m. prior to the docket.
CRITICAL
- Contact
The completed Special Set Request Form must be emailed to the specified address with all parties copied.
The Special Set Request Form shall be completed and emailed to specialsets@co.benton.wa.us, with all parties copied on the email.
CRITICAL
After filing the violation motion and affidavit, the probation counselor must contact the appropriate juvenile court unit to ensure scheduling and notice to the appropriate parties.
B. Procedure. Once the motion and affidavit alleging a violation of community supervision has been filed, the probation counselor shall contact the appropriate juvenile court unit to ensure the matter is scheduled and all appropriate parties are notified of the hearing date, time and place.
CRITICAL
- Contact
Any party/attorney who has scheduled a hearing for which an interpreter has been requested and noted must promptly notify SCRequests@co.benton.wa.usif that hearing is continued or stricken. The notice must be prior to the scheduled matter and must be forty-eight (48) hours prior to the scheduled hearing. Notice shall be provided immediately to the court at: SCRequests@co.benton.wa.us.
Any party/attorney who has scheduled a hearing for which an interpreter has been requested and noted must promptly notify SCRequests@co.benton.wa.usif that hearing is continued or stricken. The notice must be prior to the scheduled matter and must be forty-eight (48) hours prior to the scheduled hearing. Notice shall be provided immediately to the court at: SCRequests@co.benton.wa.us.
CRITICAL
Requests for clarification about final-document submissions must go to the Trial Court Judicial Officer through Court Administration, copy the other party on all communications, and include the trial dates.
Any request for clarification regarding submission of final documents must be directed to the Trial Court Judicial Officer through the Court Administration office. The other party must be copied on all communications, and the dates of the trial must be included.
CRITICAL
- Contact
For out of county pre-assigned cases, ex parte motions and proposed orders must be uploaded to eMotion and immediately emailed to : specialsets@co.benton.wa.us. Indicate urgency in the email subject line when applicable.
For out of county pre-assigned cases, ex parte motions and proposed orders must be uploaded to eMotion and immediately emailed to : specialsets@co.benton.wa.us. Indicate urgency in the email subject line when applicable.
CRITICAL
Parties must not contact Court Administration or Judicial Assistants to request a conflict judge.
Parties shall not contact the Court Administration office/Judicial Assistants to request a conflict judge.
CRITICAL
- Contact
All parties must jointly respond with acceptable hearing dates within two business days after receiving the date-options email from Court Administration or Judicial Assistants.
d. All parties shall jointly respond within two (2) business days after receipt of the email from Court Administration/Judicial Assistants indicating which date(s) are acceptable.
WARNING
Phone call confirmations are not allowed.
No Phone Call Confirmations will be allowed.
WARNING
- Contact
- Email to chambers
Benton County hearing confirmations must be emailed to civilconfirmations@co.benton.wa.us within the applicable confirmation period.
Confirmation shall be emailed to: civilconfirmations@co.benton.wa.us within the time outlined above.
WARNING
An attorney may not call a conflicting matter ready for trial absent exigent circumstances and must notify the presiding judicial officer of other trial-setting conflicts at the readiness hearing.
No attorney shall call ready for trial on any matter which conflicts with another trial already set for that attorney absent exigent circumstances. At the time of a trial readiness hearing, attorney(s) shall notify the presiding judicial officer of any conflicts with any other trial setting to avoid being double set for trial.
WARNING
Authorized Transcriptionists must promptly notify the Court if they cease to meet the qualifications or information in their application materials changes.
Authorized Transcriptionists must promptly notify the Court if they no longer meet minimum qualifications or if any information in their application or supporting documents changes.
WARNING
If no copies are provided, the submitting party must contact the Clerk’s office after two days to obtain copies and pay the associated costs.
3. No Copies Provided. If no copies are provided the submitting party must contact the Clerk’s office after two (2) days for copies and pay the costs associated with the request.
WARNING
- Contact
- Email to clerk
Franklin County summary judgment and over-ten-minute hearings must be confirmed from Wednesday at 8:30 am through Friday noon in the preceding week, with holiday adjustments, by email to civilclerk@franklincountywa.gov.
Franklin County: Summary judgment and over-ten-minute hearings shall be confirmed no sooner than Wednesday at 8:30 am and no later than Friday noon the week preceding the date the motion is noted for hearing. i. If Wednesday is a holiday, the deadline is moved to Tuesday. If Friday is a holiday, the deadline is moved Thursday noon the week preceding the date the motion is noted for hearing. (See Website for example) Confirmations shall be emailed to: civilclerk@franklincountywa.gov within the time outlined above.
INFO
- Contact
- Email to clerk
Notice to the Benton County Clerk may be emailed to Clerk@co.benton.wa.us.
Notice to the Benton County Clerk may be emailed to the following address: Clerk@co.benton.wa.us.
INFO
- Contact
- Phone
Unrepresented in-custody defendants may confirm scheduled matters by phone.
Unrepresented in-custody defendants may confirm by phone.
INFO
The clerk may be notified of a stricken matter by written notice or email.
The clerk may be notified either by written notice or by e-mail notification.
INFO
- Contact
- Email to clerk
For civil cases, notice to the Franklin County Clerk may be emailed to CivilClerk@co.franklin.wa.us.
Notice to the Franklin County Clerk may be emailed to the following address: CivilClerk@co.franklin.wa.us for civil cases.
CRITICAL
Each party must email a copy of the IFLT Selection Form to the stated Superior Court Management address at least 30 days before trial.
At least thirty (30) days prior to the trial date, each party must: d. Deliver a copy to Superior Court at: SCCourtManagement@co.benton.wa.us
How may parties contact Benton and Franklin Counties Superior Court?
The rule lists email SpecialSets@co.benton.wa.us. The email submitting the bench copy must state the speedy-trial expiration date, and the opposing party or counsel must provide its date if they disagree.
37 more rules answer this question.
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Courtesy Copy Requirements
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Filing Timing and Cure Windows
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