Grays Harbor County District Court

Montesano Office:
County Courthouse
102 W. Broadway
Room 202A
Montesano, WA 98563
Tel. (360) 249-3441
Fax (360) 249-6382

Public Information About Court Proceedings Your district court judges and staff have available at the court offices pamphlets providing information on the following topics: Anti-harassment Protection Criminal and Traffic Procedures DUI Victim Panels Infraction Procedures     Hearing By Mail Infraction Forms     Hearing By Mail Jury Service Name Changes Probation Services Small Claims Court Language Assistance Plan (LAP) The Grays Harbor County law library is located on the second floor of the county courthouse in Montesano. Library hours 8 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday. Check for librarian's schedule at library if you need assistance. Overview of the Court System in Grays Harbor County The District Court of Grays Harbor County consists of two full-time judges, an administrative support staff of ten, and an adult probation department of three. The judges serve four-year terms after election by county voters. There are two courtrooms and court offices, one in Montesano at the courthouse, and one in Aberdeen at the Pearsall building. The probation department has a separate office in Montesano. District Court's Montesano Office: County Courthouse 102 W. Broadway, Room 202A Montesano, WA 98563 Tel. (360) 249-3441   Fax (360) 249-6382 District Court's Aberdeen Office: Pearsall Building 2109 Sumner Ave., Room 201 Aberdeen, WA 98520 Tel. (360) 532-7061   Fax (360) 532-7704 District Court Adult Probation: County Courthouse 102 W. Broadway, Room 106 Montesano, WA 98563 Tel. (360) 249-6868   Fax (360) 249-6871 Cases Heard in District Court The District Court caseload includes: Criminal misdemeanor violations (includes Driving Under the Influence and Domestic Violence) involving up to a $5,000 fine and/or up to one year in jail. Traffic, non-traffic and parking infractions. Preliminary hearings in felony cases. Small claims cases up to $5,000. Civil actions involving $75,000 or less (concurrent with Superior Court) Protection against unlawful harassment cases. Name changes. Domestic violence protection orders (concurrent with superior court). Cases Filed in District Court   2007 2006 2005 Traffic Infractions 12,688 13,244 10,757 Driving Under the Influence 410 478 437 Other Criminal Traffic 1,736 1,338 526 Criminal Non-traffic 1,326 1,275 1,416 Felony Preliminary Hearings 160 216 217 Civil Actions 2,576 2,096 2,132 Small Claims 316 401 420 Antiharassment 194 162 159 Total Annual Caseload: 19,406 19,210 16,064 Total 2004 Caseload: 15,626 Total 2003 Caseload: 18,212 Total 2002 Caseload: 16,261 Total 2001 Caseload: 12,297 Total 2000 Caseload: 12,009 Total 1999 Caseload: 12,750 Court Revenue: Fines, Fees, and Costs
	District Court	Adult Probation
2007	$5,656,795	$200,061
2006	$2,259,271	$179,375
2005	$1,132,473	$193,934
2004	$1,839,490	$202,814
2003	$1,861,553	$174,665
2002	$1,641,838	$163,592
2001	$1,289,877	$164,000
2000	$1,326,096	$142,767

Court Funding and Revenue from Operations:
Grays Harbor County has funded the entire cost of District Court & Adult Probation through its general fund. Actual expenditures in 2006 were approximately $1,263,019.00. The 2005 Trial Court Funding & Improvement Act provided some state funding for local court operations, the legislature recognizing that “trail court are critical to maintaining the rule of law in a free society and that they are essential to the protection of rights and enforcement of obligations for all.” All fees, fines, and penalties & other assessments in civil, infraction and criminal cases are divided according to law between the State and County (deposited in the county general fund). For example, $7.00 is added to each traffic infraction penalty to funded state emergency services and trauma care. $12 is added to fund the state judicial information system. Several other fees required by state law impact criminal & traffic cases. Certain assessments against offenders, such as public defender reimbursement, jail room & board and probation supervision fees, are not shared with the state, but a small portion is transferred to the county crime victim’s fund.

Overview of Fine Enforcement Process

Criminal fines, costs and restitution amounts, and probation fees are enforced by judicial process, to hold all offenders accountable for their actions. Payments are allowed. Probation monitors and collects its fees separately. Non-compliance with a time payment agreement in a criminal case results in a bench warrant being issued. Persons who willfully refuse to pay are committed to jail and/or to work on the county jail work crew. Persons who are not able to pay due to no fault of their own are given an option to perform community restitution work. Traffic infractions do not involve jail time. The court allows payments, or, for those persons unable to pay, community service work. Failure to comply with a payment agreement or community service obligation may result in the suspension of the person's driver's license and referred to a state licensed collection agency.

The Superior Court of Washington for Grays Harbor County consists of 3 full-time judges and its administrative support staff. Its courtrooms and offices are located in the courthouse in Montesano. A courtroom for juvenile cases is located at the county's juvenile facility at Junction City near Aberdeen. The judges are elected to four-year terms. The Superior Court has exclusive original jurisdiction in all civil matters involving over $75,000; title or possession of real property; legality of a tax, assessment or toll; probate and domestic matters; original jurisdiction in all felony criminal cases with jail terms of up to 5 years, 10 years, and 20 years to life in a state prison; original jurisdiction in all criminal cases when jurisdiction is not otherwise provided for by law; exclusive original jurisdiction over juvenile matters; orders for protection from domestic violence; appeals from the courts of limited jurisdiction on the record for error of law.

The courts of limited jurisdiction in the county other than Grays Harbor County District Court are the Municipal Courts of each city:

Each municipal court has a judge appointed by the mayor and/or council to a four-year term. The judges hold court on a part-time basis. A municipal court's jurisdiction extends to criminal misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor violations of city ordinances (includes Driving Under the Influence and Domestic Violence cases) with a maximum fine of $5,000 or less and/or a jail sentence of one year or less in a city or county jail; and traffic, non-traffic and parking infractions. Municipal courts do not handle civil or small claims cases, name changes, or antiharassment cases.

Start by reading the entire ticket, both front and back. The court's name, address and telephone number should be printed on your copy. Instructions explaining how to respond are also included. If you have lost your copy of the citation or infraction ("ticket"), use this general rule to locate the right court. If you were ticketed by a city police officer (black uniform), contact that city's municipal court; if a county deputy sheriff (green uniform) or a trooper for the Washington State Patrol (blue uniform) ticketed you contact the county district court. Court offices now have computer access to an index of cases filed in limited jurisdiction courts in the state. Even if you go to the wrong court office, court staff should be able, in most cases, to direct you to the correct court. Your correct name (as it is printed on your drivers license) and date of birth will help locate your records.

Links to other Courts

Washington State Courts

City of Hoquiam, Municipal Court