Participating City Judicial Services. Not later than September 30, the Participating Cities2 whose cases are primarily heard at the same District Court facility shall submit in writing to the Chief Presiding Judge a pool of District Court judges who may hear these Participating Cities’ Regular Calendars beginning the next calendar year. The pool shall consist of not less than 75 percent of the judges elected or appointed to the judicial district wherein the facility is located. Within thirty (30) calendar days of an election or notice to the applicable Participating Cities of an appointment of a new judge within the judicial district, the Participating Cities shall be entitled to recreate their pool of District Court judges (“Recreated Pool”). The Recreated Pool shall take effect within thirty (30) calendar days of submission of the pool. In the case of an election, the Recreated Pool shall take effect the next calendar year following the election. Except when the Chief Presiding Judge deems an alternative assignment is necessary, the Chief Presiding Judge shall assign judges from these Participating Cities’ pool, whether the original pool or a Recreated Pool, of judges to hear their Regular Calendars. If no pool of judges is submitted by the Participating Cities at a particular facility, the Chief Presiding Judge may assign any judge of the King County District Court system to hear the Regular Calendars at that facility. All other judicial functions and hearings that are not set on a Participating City's Regular Calendars can be heard by any judicial officer of the District Court against whom an affidavit of prejudice has not previously been filed that would prevent the judicial officer from hearing the matter. Each party shall notify the other party via email, telephone, or meeting (between the Cities’ DCMRC representative and the Chief Presiding Judge or designee) when there will be a change or action impacting judicial assignments so the parties may discuss potential impacts prior to the change being finalized. This notice requirement does not apply to short-term judicial coverage that lasts up to one month.
