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Committee hears bill to remove Seattle-only residency requirement for municipal pro tem judges
Summary
House Bill 1112 would remove a city-residency requirement for judges pro tempore serving in municipal courts with populations over 400,000, a restriction that currently applies only to Seattle. Supporters said the change would ease staffing shortages without changing qualifications to serve.
The Civil Rights & Judiciary Committee heard House Bill 1112 on Jan. 17, a bill that would remove a city-residency requirement for judges pro tempore — temporary judges who fill in for municipal court judges — in municipalities with populations exceeding 400,000.
Committee staff Eric Lopez explained that municipal courts are courts of limited jurisdiction and that under current law cities are treated differently based on population. Lopez said that in larger cities the presiding municipal court judge must appoint judges pro tem from attorneys residing in the city, while smaller cities do not have the residency…
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