Kitsap County District Court issued the following announcement on April 02.
THIS ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER is being issued in response to the current pandemic outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
1 Given the significant number of identified and projected cases of the disease in Washington, the severity of the risk posed to the public and staff, the recommendations of the Kitsap Public Health District, Governor Inslee’s March 23, 2020 “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” Order, and the authority granted by Supreme Court Orders No. 25700-B-602 at ¶1 (Mar. 4, 2020) and No. 25700- B-607 at ¶15 (amended Mar. 20, 2020), additional immediate action by the Kitsap County Superior Court and Kitsap County District Court2 is required.
The Courts’ judicial officers have been ordered by the Courts’ presiding judges to telecommute on a rotating basis to reduce the number of people inside the Kitsap County Courthouse. Court clerks are similarly telecommuting. Judicial officers and court clerks are working from their homes and logging into computer systems remotely. Judicial officers, while at home, are also presiding over cases via Zoom Video Conferencing. Current court rules and statutes do not contemplate a judicial officer or court clerk “signing” court records under these circumstances. NOW, THEREFORE, it is hereby – ORDERED that effective immediately and until further Order of the Courts –
1. Previous Orders. All previous Emergency Administrative Orders remain in full effect.
2. Electronic Signature Authorized. Whenever a judicial officer or court clerk is required to sign a court record, the judicial officer or court clerk may do so by an electronic signature.
3. Electronic Signature Definition. “Electronic Signature” means any of the following –
- An electronic process attached to or logically associated with a court record and executed or adopted by a person with the intern to sign the court record, including but not limited to “/s” [name of signatory]”
- A person who is authorized and directed by a judicial officer to affix the judicial officer’s signature on a court record; and/or
- A signature on a court record signed using electronic signature pad equipment.
5. Admissibility in Evidence. A court record may not be excluded from evidence because it was signed by an electronic signature.
Kitsap County Superior Court and Kitsap County District remain open.
Original source can be found here.
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