Judges will be pre-assigned to cases only by court order, for good cause, and will be assigned in order from the list maintained by Court Administration.
- Pre-Assigned Case Process. All requests for pre-assignment shall be presented to the Presiding Judge or Assistant Presiding Judge by way of Motion and a copy emailed to specialsets@co.benton.wa.us. Requests for pre-assignments will not be allowed on ex-parte/regular dockets; a decision about your request will be sent to you by administrative staff. (modified on 12/12/2025.)
- Bench Copies/Proposed Orders. Whether the case is assigned to a Benton/Franklin Counties Superior Court Judicial Officer or an Out-of-County Superior Court Judicial Officer, you will be required to file all bench copies and proposed orders on eMotion, unless otherwise ordered by the pre-assigned judicial officer.
- Ex-Parte Orders. Whether the case is assigned to a Benton/Franklin Counties Superior Court Judicial Officer or an Out-of-County Superior Court Judicial Officer, you will be required to have all orders signed by the pre-assigned judicial officer.
- For Out-of-County pre-assigned cases, you will be required to upload ex-parte motions/proposed orders on eMotion and immediately email Court Administration at: specialsets@co.benton.wa.us . Note: place a note on the subject line if the submission is urgent
- Out-of-County Assignments. All communication will be conducted through Benton-Franklin Counties Superior Court Administration. Please do not email, call, visit the pre-assigned judicial officer. Contact the Judicial Assistant/Court Administration for Benton and Franklin Counties Superior Court at: specialsets@co.benton.wa.us
- To request a hearing on a pre-assigned Case, click on the following link:
Pre-Assigned Judge Procedure/Hearing Request - Benton County WA
[Updated: September 1, 2024]