Judge Paul M. Crisalli - Superior Court

Requests

Civil Cases—Guidance for Parties

Electronic Filing and Service by Attorneys

Counsel should review LGR 30, which requires e-filing of most documents and requires attorneys to “promptly register to accept e-service via the Clerk’s eFiling application” unless a waiver is obtained. Unrepresented parties have the option of utilizing these services. Judge Crisalli e-files orders regularly.

Electronic Working Copies

Judge Crisalli prefers to receive electronic working copies submitted to the Clerk using the Clerk’s e-Filing Application pursuant to LCR 7(b)(4)(F)(i). Please note: if your pleadings refer to materials which were previously filed within the court record, please reference the pleading by both the document title and submission number (eg: Declaration of Bob Jones, Sub. 5) within the court docket. If a party’s submission exceeds the 500-page limit, you may request prior permission from Judge Crisalli’s bailiff to deliver the working copies in PDF format, either on disk or thumb drive (and delivered to the Judge’s Mailroom). Prior permission should be requested by sending an email to crisalli.court@kingcounty.gov. Please do not email any working copies directly to the Court or to his bailiff without prior permission. Please put in the upper right corner of the working copies the note date of consideration or hearing, Judge Crisalli’s name, and by whom the documents are being presented (“moving party,” “opposing party,” or other descriptive or identifying term).

Requests for Oral Argument on Non-Dispositive Motions

If you wish to have oral argument on a non-dispositive motion, please note the motion without oral argument and note "ORAL ARGUMENT REQUESTED" on the first page of your motion or opposition. Judge Crisalli will consider the request when he reviews the motion on the date noted for hearing without oral argument. If the Court decides to allow oral argument, the bailiff will contact all parties to schedule a date and time for oral argument on the motion. If the Court declines to set oral argument, you will receive a courtesy copy of any order that is entered.

Dispositive Motions and Hearing Requests

Dispositive motions are typically heard on Fridays. Requests for hearing dates are accepted by emailing the bailiff at crisalli.court@kingcounty.gov. Judge Crisalli requires that you check your dates first with opposing counsel before scheduling any hearing to make sure that the date works for all counsel. Doing so reduces the need to reschedule hearings due to conflicts. Parties should contact the Court as soon as possible, as timeslots are limited and generally fill at least a couple months in advance. If multiple parties are requesting a dispositive motion to be heard, it is this Court’s practice to hold them on the same date, in the interest of judicial economy.

Any email request for a dispositive motion hearing must include the following:

• Case name and cause number;
• Nature of the motion(s) to be heard; and
• A preferred date range. 

Unless otherwise directed by Judge Crisalli, oral arguments on any civil motion are limited to 10 minutes per party.

Judge Crisalli may consider providing additional time on hearings involving multi-party cases or complex litigation. If you are requesting additional time, please advise the bailiff of your basis for the request when scheduling.

Compliance with LCR 7(b)(5)(B)(vii) Consecutive Page Numbering for Attachments is Required

Attachments or exhibits in excess of 25 pages, including attachments to motions, oppositions, replies, briefs, declarations, and affidavits, shall be numbered consecutively on the bottom center or right-hand corner of each document. This aids the court and the parties in navigating through the voluminous document. The number shall not restart for each attachment but shall run consecutively through all the attachments to the document. You must cite to these page numbers in all motions, oppositions, replies, and briefs. A party may include other citation information, such as exhibit numbers, corresponding exhibit pages or paragraph numbers, in addition to the consecutive page cite. Failure to follow this rule can result in the Court delaying your hearing or matter until all parties have complied.

A party may utilize hyperlinks in briefs if they determine it will assist the court.

Family Law Resources

For parties navigating a dissolution, please refer to the Family Court page for more information and resources. For parties without an attorney, please review the services provided through the Family Law Facilitators - King County. They are a wonderful resource to answer questions on how to navigate through your case to resolution.

Settled Cases and to Strike a Motion

Please email the bailiff immediately if a case settles or if you wish to strike a motion you have filed from the court’s calendar. Trial courts are not notified when a case otherwise resolves through the ex parte department, or when a Notice of Settlement is filed within the Court record.

Court involvement in discovery

In complex cases or when it appears the parties are not working well in discovery on their own, the Court may order the parties to participate in a pretrial conference.

In all discovery matters lawyers should abide by their obligations to reasonably cooperate with one another, as expressed in the Rules of Professional Conduct. They should follow a Golden Rule of discovery: Seek discovery only of what you would consider reasonable if you were on the other side, and answer discovery as reasonably as you would expect it to be answered if you had promulgated it. Discovery should be reasonable, cooperative, and reciprocal; it should not resemble battle in any respect. Zealous advocacy should make use of the fruits of discovery; it should not be employed to seek unreasonable discovery or to avoid reasonable discovery.

If a discovery dispute arises that requires immediate resolution rather than the ordinary motions practice, please email the Court at crisalli.court@kingcounty.gov. The email should—as succinctly and non-argumentatively as possible—describe the nature of the dispute and the positions of the parties. You must copy all parties on any email to the Court. The Court will try to address the issue during breaks in trial or other hearings occurring, but the scheduled matters will be given priority over such discovery disputes.

Court transcripts

Cases with an assigned court reporter

If prior to the hearing or trial you know that you will want a copy of the transcript, please contact the court reporter.

Digitally recorded courtrooms

If prior to the hearing or trial you know that you will want a copy of the CD, notify the courtroom clerk, who will be able to provide the information needed at the end of the hearing. After the hearing or trial, if you determine you need a copy of the CD, it may be obtained directly from the Clerk's Office copy center. You will need to submit a completed CD Request Form (40KB).

The court proceedings in Department 41 are recorded by FTR Gold equipment, which digitally records all proceedings. To request a copy of a recording, submit a completed CD Request Form to the Clerk’s Office.

Deposition designations

Please follow these guidelines when designating deposition testimony for use at trial. The parties must cooperate to provide one set of deposition designations. It is generally easiest to make the designations and objections electronically on a PDF. Moving Party marks their designations with brackets / highlights in a particular color (e.g., yellow). Opposing Party notes their objections in text of a particular color (e.g., blue) on the page next to the highlighted portion to which they are objecting, referencing a rule or using a code for which a coding convention is provided. Opposing Party marks their counter-designations with brackets / highlights in a different color from that used by the moving party (e.g., green). Moving Party notes their objections in text of a different color (e.g., black) on the page next to the highlighted portion of the counter-designation to which they are objecting, referencing a rule or using a code for which a coding convention is provided. Provide the marked depositions via email as PDFs to the bailiff as early as possible (preferably at least three days before trial begins), and well in advance of intended use.

Speaking Engagements:

Are you a student, lawyer, or member of our community who would like to visit the court? Would you like Judge Crisalli to speak with your students, your organization, or your group? Judge Crisalli is happy to meet with you. Please email him for more information at crisalli.court@kingcounty.gov.

Weddings:

Judge Crisalli is available by appointment:

1.    Monday through Friday at the courthouse (8:00 am or 4:30 pm)  

2.    Weekends/holidays/other locations depending on schedule.

Please contact his bailiff, Morgan Mills, at 206-477-1573 or crisalli.court@kingcounty.gov for details and scheduling.