Delvin seeks more judges for Benton County District Court

January 28, 2009

OLYMPIA…Sen. Jerome Delvin, R-Richland, today persuaded the state Senate to grant Benton County two additional district court judges.  

Senate Bill 5102, which passed unanimously, would actually turn two Benton County Commissioner positions into judgeships, allowing the Benton County District Court more flexibility in assigning hearings and speeding up the court process. 

“Many types of hearings require a judge,” Delvin said. “They can’t be heard by a commissioner. With only three judges available in Benton County, local trial attorneys soon learn they can file a motion claiming bias against one of the judges, thus delaying the trial until another judge becomes available. With five judges to choose from, that tactic will not be nearly so effective. We’ll have enough judges to offer speedy trials with no delay.”   

Any change in the number of judges in a given county must be made by the Legislature in a year in which the every-four-years’ county judges election is not held. Under supervision of the Supreme Court, the Administrator of the Courts conducts a workload analysis and makes a recommendation to the Legislature. This analysis revealed that from 2000 to 2007, the workload for Benton County District Court has increased by 43.6 percent and caseload grew from 19,812 to 28,453.  

“This is a good bill,” Delvin said. “Ultimately, it will speed up the justice process, and that’s what we all want.” 

Senate Bill 5102 now moves to the House of Representatives.  If passed, the measure will become law this summer. 

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Sen. Delvin represents the 8th Legislative District, which includes
Richland, Kennewick, Benton City, and Prosser.

Additional contact: Pat Albright at (360) 786-7519 or albright.pat@leg.wa.gov