Thurston County Superior Court, Washington Chambers Communication Rules

CRITICAL

Contact

Phone to duty judge

Tell the judge if the request is an emergency.

You must tell the judge if your request is an emergency.

CRITICAL

The attorney must provide the phone number to the courtroom clerk before the calendar starts.

(2) The attorney shall provide the phone number to the clerk in the courtroom prior to the start of the calendar.

CRITICAL

Contact

Phone

Phone

(360) 968-0921

For an emergency ex parte motion, use the telephone civil ex parte process and call during the stated court-day window.

If you have an emergency ex parte motion, please use the telephone civil ex parte motion process described above by calling (360) 968-0921 between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m. on court days.

CRITICAL

Contact

Email

When filing a case in which notice of a special sentencing proceeding may be filed, the Prosecuting Attorney must immediately notify the Superior Court by email, sending the information and an explanatory letter to the specified court officials.

(c) The Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney shall immediately notify the Superior Court when filing a case in which notice of a special sentencing proceeding may be filed, in order to identify that the Special Proceedings Rules apply. Notice shall be made by emailing a copy of the information with an explanatory letter to the Court Administrator, Staff Attorney, and the Court Administrator’s administrative assistant.

CRITICAL

If an interpreter was requested, a party cancelling or continuing a hearing must promptly notify the interpreter coordinator after learning the matter will not be heard.

If an interpreter has been requested, a party who cancels or continues a hearing shall notify the interpreter coordinator of the change promptly after knowledge that the matter will not be heard.

CRITICAL

The arbitrator must give the arbitration coordinator reasonable notice of the hearing date and any continuance.

The arbitrator shall give reasonable notice of the hearing date and any continuance to the arbitration coordinator.

CRITICAL

Contact

Email

The judge must be provided the specified sets of proposed instructions electronically by email to the judicial assistant.

A set of instructions shall be provided to the judge as follows: (i) A set of instructions numbered and with citations and a set of instructions without numbers and citations in electronic format via e-mail to the judicial assistant

CRITICAL

Contact

Email

A copy of the notice to strike or continue must be emailed to court administration.

and email a copy of the notice to court administration.

CRITICAL

Contact

Phone

Phone

(360) 968-0921

For an emergency or time-sensitive unlawful detainer motion, call the regular ex parte line during the stated court-day window.

If your unlawful detainer motion is an emergency or time-sensitive (for example, a motion to stay a writ of restitution) call the regular ex parte motion phone line at (360) 968-0921 between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m. on court days.

CRITICAL

Contact

Phone

Phone

(360) 968-0921

For most civil ex parte requests, call the ex parte phone line between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m. on court days.

For most civil ex parte requests call (360) 968-0921 between 8:30-9:00 a.m. on court days.

CRITICAL

Parties may communicate with the court about trial or final-hearing scheduling only through a scheduling questionnaire or a motion to the assigned judge, including when a continuance is sought or granted.

Parties do not appear on the trial setting date, and they may not communicate with the court regarding scheduling trials or final hearings in any manner except through the scheduling questionnaire or a motion to the assigned judge. This prohibition applies to cases in which a continuance is sought or granted.

CRITICAL

Parties must use the scheduling questionnaire to communicate scheduling information and information about case schedule order deadlines to the court.

The questionnaire is the sole means to communicate with the court about information related to scheduling the trial or final hearing, as well as the deadlines in the case schedule order.

CRITICAL

Contact

Email

CrR 3.5 and CrR 3.6 hearings must be confirmed by email before noon four court days before the hearing.

Every CrR 3.5 or CrR 3.6 hearing shall be confirmed by email before noon, four court days before the hearing.

WARNING

Contact

Phone

Phone

(360) 968-0921

Call the ex parte phone line at (360) 968-0921 between 8:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. on court days. The line is only answered during this window and does not accept voicemail.  Keep calling if you get a busy signal.

Call the ex parte phone line at (360) 968-0921 between 8:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. on court days. The line is only answered during this window and does not accept voicemail.  Keep calling if you get a busy signal.

WARNING

Contact

Phone to duty judge

Phone

(360) 968-0921

Call the ex parte phone line at (360) 968-0921 between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m. on court days. The line is only answered during this window and does not accept voicemail. Keep calling if you get a busy signal.

Call the ex parte phone line at (360) 968-0921 between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m. on court days. The line is only answered during this window and does not accept voicemail. Keep calling if you get a busy signal.

WARNINGCivil cases

Do not call the court about the trial-scheduling administrative docket.

Do not call or email the court.

WARNING

Do not contact court administration about whether an order was signed unless five working court days have passed and the order is not in Odyssey.

DO NOT contact court administration to see if the order was signed, unless it has been 5 working court days and the order is not in Odyssey.

WARNINGCourt notice

Contact

Email

Request a disability accommodation as soon as possible, before the hearing, by emailing AccessibilitySuperiorCourt@co.thurston.wa.us.

Ask for an accommodation as soon as you can. Do not wait until the hearing! Email: AccessibilitySuperiorCourt@co.thurston.wa.us

WARNING

A GAL on a registry must notify the court of periods when they are unavailable to accept appointments.

A GAL on a registry shall notify the court of periods in which they are unavailable to accept appointments.

WARNING

Parties must not contact the court about trial-setting matters in connection with continuances.

The prohibition on contacting the court regarding trial setting matters applies to continuances, as provided in section (b)(4), above.

WARNING

Contact

Phone to chambers

If an immediate order is needed after 9:00 a.m. and cannot wait until the next court day, ask for a judicial assistant by phone or at the front desk; immediate help may not be possible because staff resources are limited.

If you learn after 9:00 a.m. that you need an immediate ex parte order and cannot wait until the next court day, ask to speak to a judicial assistant at (360) 786‑5560 or visit the front desk. Staff resources are limited and immediate help may not be possible.

WARNING

Contact

Email

Requests for accommodation under GR 33 should be made in writing on a form provided by the court and submitted to the ADA Coordinator at AccessibilitySuperiorCourt@co.thurston.wa.us unless a disability prevents the individual from accessing or completing the form.

Requests for accommodation under GR 33 should be made in writing on a form provided by the court and submitted to the ADA Coordinator at AccessibilitySuperiorCourt@co.thurston.wa.us unless a disability prevents the individual from accessing or completing the form.

WARNING

An arbitrator must immediately notify the arbitration coordinator if refusing to serve or if a stated ground for disqualification exists.

An arbitrator must notify the arbitration coordinator immediately if refusing to serve or if any cause exists for the arbitrator’s disqualification from the case upon any of the grounds of interest, relationship, bias or prejudice set forth in CJC Canon 3 governing the disqualification of judges.

WARNINGCourt notice

Contact

Email

Request an interpreter as soon as possible, before the hearing, by emailing Court_Interpreters@co.thurston.wa.us.

Ask for an interpreter as soon as you can. Do not wait until the hearing! Email: Court_Interpreters@co.thurston.wa.us

WARNING

When a case settles before trial assignment, attorneys or self-represented parties must promptly notify the court.

If a case is settled before it has been assigned for trial, it shall be the duty of the attorneys or any party appearing pro se to notify the court promptly of the settlement.

WARNING

After trial assignment, parties must notify the court of settlement as provided in CR 41(e).

If a case is settled after it has been assigned for trial, the parties shall notify the court of the settlement in the manner set forth in CR 41(e).

INFO

Contact

Phone

After filing the relevant documents, parties may present a telephonic ex parte request by calling the court’s ex parte line during the specified call-in time; the number and hours are on the court’s website.

The motion may then be presented to the court by calling the ex parte telephone line during the specified call-in time. The telephone number and call-in hours are available on the court’s website. A judge will answer the call and will forward the request to the assigned judicial officer as necessary.

INFO

Phone

360-709-3260

Schedule a Clerk’s Office Facilitator appointment by calling or emailing the Clerk’s Office.

To schedule an appointment please call 360-709-3260 or email county_clerk@co.thurston.wa.us.

INFO

Contact

Email to chambers

You may email or call the judge’s judicial assistant to ask whether the judge will be on the bench and able to accept the motion.

You can also email or call the judge’s judicial assistant and ask if the judge will be on the bench and able to accept your motion.

INFOCourt notice

Contact

Phone

Phone

(360) 786-5560

Contact Court Administration by phone at (360) 786-5560 for trouble logging on or calling in.

Contact Court Administration at (360) 786-5560.

INFO

Contact

Email

Rule revisions may be proposed by email to the listed address.

You may propose revisions to the Local Court Rules by email to thurstonsuperior@co.thurston.wa.us

INFO

Phone

360-709-3260

For questions about scheduling protection-order hearings, contact the Clerk’s Office Domestic Violence Liaison by phone or email.

If you have questions about scheduling protection order hearings of any kind, please continue to work with the Clerk’s Office Domestic Violence Liaison 360-709-3260 or county_clerk@co.thurston.wa.us.

INFO

A party granted a remote hearing may contact the assigned judge’s judicial assistant for instructions at least two business days before the hearing.

In other cases where a party who has been granted a remote hearing may contact the assigned judge’s judicial assistant for instructions at least two business days before the remote hearing.

INFO

Contact

Phone

The ADA Coordinator may be contacted by calling the Superior Court’s main number for assistance completing the accommodation request form.

The ADA Coordinator can assist with completing the form and may be reached by calling the Superior Court’s main number.

INFO

Contact

Phone to clerk

Phone

360-709-3260

For questions about the judge’s-copy process, contact the Clerk’s Office by phone.

If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk's office at 360-709-3260 or County_Clerk@co.thurston.wa.us.

INFO

A party granted a remote hearing may contact the assigned judge’s judicial assistant for instructions at least two business days before the hearing.

In other cases where a party who has been granted a remote hearing may contact the assigned judge’s judicial assistant for instructions at least two business days before the remote hearing.

INFO

Contact

Phone to clerk

Phone

360-786-5430

If you have any questions regarding this process, please contact the Clerk’s office by calling 360-786-5430 or by emailing County_Clerk@co.thurston.wa.us.

If you have any questions regarding this process, please contact the Clerk’s office by calling 360-786-5430 or by emailing County_Clerk@co.thurston.wa.us.

INFO

Phone

360-709-3260

If you do not have Odyssey Portal you can contact the Clerk’s Office by emailing county_clerk@co.thurston.wa.us or by calling 360-709-3260.

If you do not have Odyssey Portal you can contact the Clerk’s Office by emailing county_clerk@co.thurston.wa.us or by calling 360-709-3260.

INFO

Contact

Phone

On the call, the judge decides whether to set a hearing, not whether to modify or rescind the no-contact order.

The judge who answers your call will decide whether or not to set your request for a hearing before a judge. They will not decide whether to modify or rescind the no-contact order during this call.

INFO

Contact

Phone to clerk

Phone

360-709-3260

For filing information, consult the Clerk’s Office website or call the Clerk’s Office.

For information on filings go to the Clerk’s Office website or call 360-709-3260.