Are there step-by-step directions from start to end on how to process a criminal appeal from a court of limited jurisdiction to superior court?

While the Washington State Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) does not provide such a checklist for courts of limited jurisdiction, one CLJ court uses the procedure steps detailed below.  Links to the related online documentation and supporting court rules follow.  (For Superior Courts receiving an appeal from a CLJ:  please see Section 10-A. Appeals from Courts of Limited Jurisdiction (RALJ) of the County Clerk's Handbook.)


Court of Limited Jurisdiction Appeal to Superior Court:


1.  Courts may use one of three different Appellate Filing Fee codes, depending upon the

     amount distributed to the Law Library Fee for the county in which the court is located. 

     For non-criminal cases, the code is APF, APJ, or APL, for law library fees of $17,

     $20, and $30 respectively.  (See the JIS Codes Manual/Cost Fee Codes section.)

     Receipt the appeal filing fee on a non-criminal case as a case-related transaction

on the Miscellaneous Payment (MSP)screen. * 1


2.  Receipt the $40 appeal records preparation fee (Cost Fee Code: PAR) as a

     case-related transaction on the Miscellaneous Payment screen.


3.  Send a copy of the printed receipt with the Notice of Appeal to the superior court clerk.


4.  Enter the Appeal Begin Date on the Case Disposition (CSD) screen.


5.  Make manual docket entries on the Case Docket (CDK) screen to record the following

     events:


  • When the appeal was received;
  • When it was filed with the superior court; and
  • When the record was transmitted to the superior court.  (If the transmittal of record was received later than the appeal, this would be a separate entry in CDK.)


6.  The court may wish to enter the assigned superior court case number on the Note line

      on the CDK screen for convenient reference, if needed.


7.  It is not required to have a finding/judgment entry on the Plea/Sentence (PLS)screen,

     but most courts will have already completed the PLS screen before processing the

     appeal.


* Note: For an appeal of a criminal case, add the appeal filing fee Cost Fee code APC to the defendant's accounts receivable on the Create AR (CAR) screen after the case has been decided. (If any money were added on the CAR screen during the appeal, it would be remitted.)


1 Some jurisdictions do not receipt the appeal filing fee in JIS, instead they require the party filing the appeal to submit an additional check made out to the superior court clerk. Be advised that the Washington State Auditor's office does not want checks being kept in the office that are not receipted, so the filing fee should be taken to the superior court clerk's office for receipting the same day as it is received in the municipal or district court.



See the following links to the Online Manual, Court Rules, and eService Center on the Inside Courts and Washington Courts Web sites for more detailed information relating to filing an appeal from a court of limited jurisdiction:



Superior Court Appeal to the Appellate Court:



 

RN id: 1704