Members of the bar,

Please see Skagit County Superior Court’s proposed local rules for 2025-2026. If adopted, these rules would take effect September 1, 2025.

Superior Court Local Rules Proposals 2025-26.pdf

One proposal of note is the timeframe to confirm dispositive motions on what is currently the 9:30 a.m. Thursday calendar. Due to challenges in scheduling trials for each upcoming week, the court proposes that the confirmation cut-off be moved one day from Friday at 4:00 p.m. to Thursday at 4:00 p.m.

There is also a newly proposed rule about case schedules. The court has been exploring caseflow management, which would involve court-issued case schedules either at filing or some other early stage of a case. Any roll-out of this process would happen gradually and would be specific to case types as it expands. We expect this would begin with minor guardianships and move to other types of cases, typically those involving children. Any of these efforts will include stakeholder input before adoption of final procedures.

Some rules related to criminal and juvenile procedures stem from proposals submitted from attorneys in those areas of practice. Two additions from the court are related to requests for continuances of criminal and juvenile offender proceedings and when people (including attorneys) need to appear in person for court instead of using the Zoom option.

We welcome comments from the bar and the public.

The comment period on these proposed rules is open until noon on June 16, 2025. Comments received will be posted on the court’s website. You may deliver or email comments to:

Rosanna Wadkins, Superior Court Administrator
205 W. Kincaid Street, Room 202
Mount Vernon, WA 98273
Email