To the members of SCBA and any attorneys practicing in Skagit County Superior Court:

In a very brief window of time, the entire State of Washington has had to adjust to being the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States. I can think of other forms of notoriety I would prefer. As matters have rapidly progressed, our grocery stores have been inundated by hordes of concerned people who seek to obtain supplies to see them through and our restaurants, bars, recreational facilities, and meeting places have been shuttered and our schools have been closed. The Courts have remained open.

The emergency conditions have caused extreme changes in our operations. Our earlier Orders have now been superceded by the Supreme Court’s Order (see attached). Barring emergent Civil matters and In Custody criminal matters, this Order leaves us a very narrow swath of cases we can hear. I expect to revise Skagit County Superior Court’s Order to reflect the terms of the Supreme Court’s Order and to give clarity on what we still can hear and how we will hear it. We will be in touch as soon as we can be with the new changes. In any event, all Emergency Orders are posted on our website.

The Judges and Superior Court Staff appreciate the understanding and cooperation the Skagit County Bar has shown in this Emergency.

David Svaren, Presiding Judge

Supreme Court Emergency Order re CV19 031820.pdf