Dec 30
In recognition of the fact that it was very difficult to get to either of our branches during the Christmas storm, we are waiving any overdue fines accrued between Dec. 18 and Dec. 28.
Dec 29
Both locations of the King County Law Library will be open during the King County furlough days. The first furlough day will be Friday, January 2nd. Most, but not all, county departments will be closed on the furlough days. King County Superior Court will be open.
Dec 23
The Clerk’s Office has released the new fee schedule to go into effect on January 1, 2009 as a result of the emergency changes to the King County Local Rules.
Dec 23
Both KCLL library locations are open today (12/29/08) and will close at 5pm through Wednesday, December 31.
Dec 17
The King County Superior Court Clerk’s Office has released a set of documents on their web site that describe the changes coming in January 2009 to the Ex Parte process. These are:
Ex Parte Motions and Hearings Manual: This short document describes the new procedures for working with the Ex Parte department. Beginning in January 2009, only certain matters will be granted oral argument and the remaining matters must be submitted in writing only, without oral argument, through the Clerk’s office.
Ex Parte Master List: this not-so-short document lists all of the matters that can be put before the Ex Parte department. Matters are labeled “Clerk” if they must be submitted in writing through the Clerk’s Office and labeled “Parties” if they can be submitted in person to the Ex Parte department.
Ex Parte Cover Sheet: this new form is required and must accompany each motion/order.
Ex Parte Cover Sheet (Optional): this optional form can be used to call the Courts attention to specific details related to the motion.
Dec 16
In this episode of KCLL’s SideBar Santa finds out about the potential liabilities and risks he might encounter during his annual trip.
Dec 16
Once again the Washington State legislature provides access to new bills being proposed for the next session in 2009. You can find a list of pre-filed bills here and you can sign up to track certain bills once the session begins. The new session will be challenging as legislators grapple with a nearly 6 billion dollar statewide deficit for the next two year budget cycle. With this reality, keeping up to date on the latest developments can mean knowing where the cuts may fall.You may also want to follow the legislature through the Olympian coverage here. If you have further questions on utilizing the legislature’s website, contact the library at 206-296-0940.
Dec 11
In the flurry of the last few days of consideration of the King County budget, numerous proposals were heard to change or add fees for services provided by various County agencies. You can go the King County Council’s Legislative database and search for the proposals passed by the Council. Click on the Advanced search link under the Search box. In the Matter Type box, select ordinances, and in the Final Action Date box, type in 11/17/2008. Click on the Search button and you will retrieve a list of 15 ordinances passed on the 17th. If you click the ordinance title, you will see the legislative history of the ordinance, plus links to other documents such as fiscal notes or staff reports. Coverage of Council’s actions begins in 2001.
Dec 08
The King County Superior Court Clerk’s Office has just announced a new Ex Parte Motions and Hearings Manual that will provide specific information on new procedures for Ex Parte proceedings. The Manual will contain a list of all matters presented to the Ex Parte Department and will indicate which may still be presented in person and which must be presented in writing through the Clerk’s Office. According to the Clerk’s Office, emergency local rule changes related to these changes were approved by the Court on November 20, 2008 and will go into effect on January 1, 2009. Copies of the rule changes are available at the Clerk’s Office website.
Dec 03
Tamara Thompson, on one of my favorite blogs, PI Buzz, advises investigators to keep their searching on social sites ethical. Like Tamara, I do much “passive information gathering on the Internet.” And like her, I do not attempt to “friend” someone whose MySpace or Facebook or other social page I find. I just find the page and if there is a real need for the information contained, then do your discovery correctly. As Tamara says, “Like with any other investigative action keep in mind: Is this legal and ethical? How would it be perceived by a jury?” Social networking information is being accepted in court now, but you want to be sure that you yourself haven’t violated any rules finding this information.