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Dec
05

General Information about Superior Court

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General Information about Superior Court

Presiding Judge: Patrick Oishi

Chief Administrative Officer: Linda Ridge

King County Superior Court is a general jurisdiction trial court with responsibility for:
  • Civil matters involving more than $300, unlawful detainers, and injunctions;
  • Felony criminal cases;
  • Misdemeanor criminal cases not otherwise provided for by law;
  • Family law, including dissolutions, child support, adoptions, parentage, and domestic-violence protection matters;
  • Probate and guardianship matters;
  • Juvenile offender matters;
  • Juvenile dependencies, including abused and neglected children, children in need of services, at-risk youth, and truancies;
  • Mental illness and involuntary commitment matters.

In October 2019, the court approved a new 5-year Strategic Agenda. The goals of the court are organized into five 'Strategic Focus Areas':

  1. Access, Services, and Programs that Ensure Justice
  2. Case Management and Timely Resolution
  3. Funding the Core Responsibilities and Court Innovations
  4. Facilities, Security, and Technology Expansion/Improvements
  5. Judicial Officer/Staff Development and Workforce Engagement

Objectives are clustered under each goal.

Read Superior Court's Strategic Agenda to learn more.

In June 2021, the King County Superior Court released a report on innovative business operations and insights developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, “The Response of the King County Superior Court to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons Learned and Recommendations.” 

Funded by the State Justice Institute and led by PRAXIS consultant Dr. Brenda Wagenknecht-Ivey, the report represents an 18-month assessment of the court’s operations during the pandemic, including a summary of new practices implemented, internal assessment of the impact of those practices, and outreach to stakeholders for their evaluation of selected practices and whether they should be continued as part of the court’s permanent business model. 

Two versions of the report are available: a 116-page report, including appendices containing detailed data reporting and stakeholder comments, and a 30-page Executive Summary.



 

Superior Court welcomes volunteers in the following program areas. If you would be interested in serving as a volunteer with Superior Court, please contact the program you would be most interested in serving.

When a child must be removed from his or her home due to allegations of abuse or neglect, the court has a special responsibility to ensure that the child receives the best possible care. Dependency CASAs – Court Appointed Special Advocates – are trained volunteers who serve as “the eyes and ears” of the court. Each CASA meets regularly with the child assigned to him or her, and also meets with significant figures in the child’s life. The CASA then advises the court on how best to meet the child’s needs.

Roughly 350 CASAs serve 1000 children in the CASA program, and the program routinely seeks new volunteers. If you would like to learn more about being a CASA, please watch the videos below and visit the Dependency CASA webpage.

Videos:

Many juveniles referred to Juvenile Court are first- or second-time offenders who have committed low-level offenses, such as shoplifting, minor vandalism, or possession of alcohol. These youth may be eligible for an alternative to the formal court process called “diversion.” Youth in the diversion program meet with a Community Accountability Board (CAB) made up of community volunteers. The CAB and the youth make an agreement outlining what the youth must do to repair any damage associated with his or her behavior. This may include restitution to the victim, community service, counseling, and other options.

150 volunteers serve roughly 1200 youth each year on 17 CABs around King County. If you would like to learn more about serving as a CAB volunteer, please watch the video below and visit the Diversion – Partnership for Youth Justice webpage.

Video:

Juvenile Justice 101 is a program designed to help parents and youth understand the Juvenile Court process. “Family Partners” – volunteer parents of youth who have been through the Juvenile Court -- staff the program. If you are the parent of a youth who has been through the court and think you might like to volunteer, please watch the video below and visit the Juvenile Justice 101 webpage.

Video:

Parents for Parents is a program designed to help parents whose children have been removed from their care by Child Protective Services (CPS) or whose children are in an in-home dependency. The program connects "Parent Allies" – parents who have successfully navigated the juvenile dependency court system – with parents who are involved with the system. The Parent Allies provide support and help parents new to the system understand what they must do to successfully to reunite with their children.

If you are a parent who has successfully navigated the dependency system and think you might like to volunteer, please watch the video below and visit the Parents for Parents webpage.

Superior Court lists all current job openings on King County's Job Information Webpage. Please visit that webpage for information on all employment opportunities with Superior Court.

If you are applying for a King County Court Commissioner position, you must complete and submit three documents: a WSBA Release, Confirmation of Citizenship, and Washington State Patrol background check. 

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