Other Languages1. Generally, a visiting judge should hold a proceeding in the county in which they are visiting. However, there are some exceptions. Parties in a civil action may consent to a visiting judge holding a court proceeding in the visiting judge’s home county, and a criminal defendant can waive their right to a jury comprised of citizens of the county in which the offense is alleged to have been committed. In addition, a visiting judge may appear remotely during certain court proceedings.
2. Yes, with the parties’ consent. RCW 2.08.190 recognizes that any visiting judge may hear a matter in their home county with the parties’ consent; RCW 2.08.190’s language shows that the legislature intended for the statute to apply to all judicial districts in the state, including single-county judicial districts.
3. The superior court clerk for the visited county is responsible for keeping a record of the proceedings over which a visiting judge presides. By statute, a superior court clerk is required to keep a record of the proceedings for only the court or courts in which they are a clerk.
4. A visiting judge may delegate authority to an appointed court commissioner of the county in which the judge is visiting. A visiting judge may not independently appoint a regular court commissioner or a temporary pro tem court commissioner for the county in which the judge is visiting unless the visiting judge is also designated as the presiding judge pro tem for the visited county.
Under present state constitutional provisions, it is now permissible for county commissioners to receive a legislatively granted mid-term salary increase resulting from an upward reclassification of their county and the commissioners may, constitutionally, adopt appropriate budgetary amendments to fund such salary increases.
In the event that the currently serving commissioners of a public hospital district by duly adopted resolution raise their own daily rate of compensation from $25 per day to $40 per day in accordance with RCW 70.44.050 as amended by § 14, chapter 84, Laws of 1982, those increases (as to each such commissioner) may not constitutionally take effect until the commencement of his or her next ensuing term of office.
A public utility district commissioner is entitled to receive only the compensation specified for the position in RCW 54.12.080, and is not entitled to any additional compensation for serving as president or secretary of the board of commissioners.
In a county in which federal forest funds or public utility district funds are disbursed to the school districts of the county, the offices of county commissioner and school district director are incompatible.
(1) The transmittal or blanket method of voucher approval by which the approval of county vouchers by the board of county commissioners is indicated on a transmittal form attached to a group of vouchers rather than on the face of each is permitted under the laws of this state. (2) The county auditors do not have the authority to refuse to accept claims approved under the transmittal voucher approval system unless the particular expenditure authorized by the board of county commissioners is beyond its legal authority or unless the voucher is in some other respect defective in form or substance.
House Bill No. 75, currently pending before the legislature, which (if enacted) would permit the voters of any noncharter county to increase the composition of their board of county commissioners from three to five members, would in all probability be unconstitutional in view of Article XI, §§ 4 and 5 of the Washington Constitution as heretofore
There is no authority, under existing state law, for the adoption and implementation, by the board of county commissioners of a noncharter county, of a county personnel system covering the employment, compensation, subsequent promotion, suspension or discharge of all county employees‑-including those appointed by other, independent, county elected officials; there are, however, certain limited actions which may be taken in this area pursuant to a joint agreement between all affected county offices.
RCW 41.04.190 provides that insurance benefits are not additional compensation for county elected officials. RCW 41.04.190 does not apply to insurance benefits provided to water district commissioners pursuant to RCW 57.08.100.
RCW 41.14.140 does not authorize, or empower, a county sheriff to fix the compensation of his deputies without regard to what the board of county commissioners might have determined.