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STATE OF WASHINGTON
County of Jefferson
In the Matter of Establishing a }
Trial Court Improvement Fund }
RESOLUTION NO. 55-05
WHEREAS, The State Legislature has recognized that trial courts are critical to
maintaining the rule of law in a free society and that they are essential to the protection of the rights
of the citizens of our State, and the Board of County Commissioner of Jefferson County concur in
this assessment; and,
WHEREAS, pursuant to Chapter 457 Washington Laws of2oo5, there is hereby
created a Trial Court Improvement Fund; and,
WHEREAS, that the purpose of the Trial Court Improvement Fund shall be to fund
improvement to superior and district court staffing, programs, facilities, or services as appropriated
from time to time by the Board of County Commissioners.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOL VBD, by the Board of County Commissioners
that it is in the best interest of Jefferson County that a fund be established to be known as the Trial
Court Improvement Fund number 141-000-010 by the Jefferson County Treasurer.
BE IT FURTHER RESOL VBD, that an operating transfer shall be made from the
General Fund to the Trial Court Improvement Fund in an amount equal to the net amount received
from the State for the District Court Judge salary.
BE IT FINALLY RESOL VBD, that the interest earned from the monies invested by
the Jefferson County Treasurer from the Trial Court Improvement Fund shall be deposited to the
fund.
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APPROVED AND SIGNED this ~ day of September, 2005.
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i ulie Matthes, CMC
Deputy Clerk of the Board
SEAL
JEFFERSON COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Phil Jo son, Chair
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Trial Court Funding & Indigent Defense
2ESSB 5454 Executive Summary I Implementation Update
. Increases filing fees for civil lawsuits in District & Superior courts.
~ Fee increase becomes effective July 23, 2005. AOC coordinating with
clerks and court administrators statewide.
· As with existing fees, the increase will be split between county
general funds (approx. 54%) and state PSEA (approx. 46%).
· The fee increase also increases the amount of each filing fee
dedicated to county law libraries.
· In this biennium the new revenues are expected to be
approximately $17.7 million to counties of which $1.6 million will
go to law libraries, and $12.7 million to state PSEA.
. State's portion of the fee increase is spent on district/municipal court judge
salaries, dependency defense, criminal indigent defense, civil legal services.
~ Judge Salaries: In first biennium, the state will contribute 25 percent (less
$1 million) of its new filing fee revenues to district and elected municipal
court judge salaries with an effective cap of $2.4 million for the 2005-07
biennium. The state contribution will increase to 50 percent of new filing
fee revenue for 2007-09 biennium, approximately $6.4 million.
· Distributions will be directly to the jurisdictions and will occur
quarterly, to begin in October for salaries in fourth quarter 2005.
· Local Trial Court Improvement Accounts: Each jurisdiction
receiving state payment for district/muni court judge salaries shall
create a Trial Court Improvement Account and fund it with an
amount equal to 100 percent of the state's contribution to its
district or muni court judge salaries. These funds are to be
appropriated for various court-related purposes. By mid-June
WSAC will have a "model ordinance" to assist counties in
establishing the accounts.
~ Dependency Defense: In this biennium, the state will contribute $5
million of its share of new filing fee revenues to begin assuming the
responsibility of providing attorneys for indigent parents in child
dependency/termination actions. The state operating budget adds
another $2 million, for a total of $7 million for dependency defense. It is
expected to take several biennia to phase in all counties.
· In May, the state Office of Public Defense (OPD) contacted
juvenile courts statewide, asking them to submit "letters of
interest" if they want to be among the first group of counties to
WSAC Western District / Spring 2005
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turn over their dependency defense functions to the state. OPD
will choose these counties by July 15.
~ Criminal Indigent Defense: In this biennium, the state will contribute
$2.3 million of its share of new filing fee revenues to criminal indigent
defense. This includes $1.3 million for the state OPD to conduct training
for public defenders statewide, add a resource attorney to assist local
public defenders, and add liaisons to provide legal advice and technical
assistance to counties that contract for public defense services. $1 million
is provided for a criminal indigent defense pilot project, intended to be a
first step toward increasing state funding of criminal indigent defense in
the trial courts. Over the next few months, OPD will select one or two
jurisdictions to participate in the pilot project.
~ Civil Legal Services: In this biennium, the state will contribute $3 million
of its share of new filing fee revenues to the state Office of Civil Legal Aid
to assist programs that provide legal aid to indigent persons who need
advice and/or representation in civillegaI matters. This is in addition to
$13.4 million provided in the generaIoperating budget.
QUESTIONS?
Contact:
Sophia Byrd
WSAC Policy Director, Law & Justice
360-753-1886 (office)
360-561-6547 (cell)
sbyrd@wacounties.org
WSAC Western District I Spring 2005