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Supreme Court hears challenge to juvenile court rule limiting bench warrants
Summary
At oral argument on Nov. 21, 2024, petitioners told the Washington Supreme Court that juvenile bench warrants are procedural and therefore subject to court rulemaking; the State said Juvenile Rule 7.16 effectively rewrites the Juvenile Justice Act and asked the Court to affirm the Court of Appeals. The case was submitted for decision.
The Washington Supreme Court heard arguments on Nov. 21, 2024, in State of Washington v. JMH and AMW over whether Juvenile Court Rule 7.16 — which limits bench warrants to juvenile violations that "pose a serious threat to public safety" — is a procedural court rule or a substantive change to legislative policy.
Kevin March, counsel for petitioners AMW and JMH, told the Court that "warrants are a form of legal process" and argued that rules governing such process fall within the Court's rulemaking authority. March said the analysis should focus on the nature of the rule rather than downstream effects and identified three core points: warrants are procedural; characterization depends on the rule's nature, not consequences; and the legislature has established mechanisms to respond to court rules…
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