(a) Civil docket. [Reserved.]
Rule 79.Books and records kept by the clerk
Group 10: Superior Courts and Clerks · Last amended November 17, 1989 · Last verified July 13, 2026
In one sentenceCR 79 is almost entirely reserved to statute for the clerk's docketing, indexing, and record-destruction duties, with one operative provision requiring each county clerk to maintain and monthly flag a public list of cases already submitted to a judge but not yet decided.
Full Text of Rule 79
(b) Civil judgments and orders.
(1) Generally. [Reserved.]
(2) Entry of judgment in journal. [Reserved. See RCW 4.64.030.]
(3) Judgment roll. [Reserved. See RCW 4.64.040 [Repealed].]
(4) Identification of judgment roll. [Reserved. See RCW 4.64.050 [Repealed].]
(5) Execution docket. [Reserved. See RCW 4.64.060.]
(6) Entry of verdict in execution docket. [Reserved. See RCW 4.64.020.]
(7) Entries in execution docket. [Reserved. See RCW 4.64.080.]
(8) Transcript of justice docket. [Reserved. See RCW 4.64.110.]
(9) Entry of abstract or transcript of judgment. [Reserved. See RCW 4.64.120.]
(10) Abstract of judgment. [Reserved. See RCW 4.64.090.]
(11) Abstract of verdict — Cessation of lien. [Reserved. See RCW 4.64.100.]
(c) Indices; calendars. [Reserved.]
(d) Other books and records of clerk. [Reserved.]
(e) Destruction of records. [Reserved. See RCW 36.23.065 and GR 15.]
(f) List of pending decisions. The clerk of each county shall maintain a permanent, public record showing each case submitted to a judge and not yet decided. Said list shall clearly show what, if any, further action is to be taken by any party or counsel and when said action should be taken. Said list shall be called to the attention of every judge in said county on the first Monday of each calendar month. Any case which shall have been submitted to any visiting judge and not yet decided shall be called to the attention of such visiting judge by mail on said dates.
Amendment History
Adopted May 5, 1967, amended June 28, 1967, effective July 1, 1967; amended, effective Nov. 25, 1968; amended, adopted Nov. 2, 1989, effective Nov. 17, 1989.
Plain-English Summary
Most of CR 79 does not contain rule text of its own. The civil docket, the details of civil judgments and orders — entry in the journal, the judgment roll, the execution docket, abstracts and transcripts of judgment, and cessation of a judgment lien — the clerk's indices and calendars, and other books and records the clerk keeps are all left to statute, with most subsections pointing to the corresponding chapter of RCW 4.64. Destruction of records is likewise deferred, to RCW 36.23.065 and General Rule 15.
The rule's one live requirement is the list of pending decisions. Each county clerk must keep a permanent, public record of every case that has been submitted to a judge but not yet decided. That list must clearly show what further action, if any, is needed from any party or counsel, and when it should happen. It has to be brought to the attention of every judge in the county on the first Monday of each calendar month. If a case was submitted to a visiting judge who has not yet decided it, that case must also be called to the visiting judge's attention by mail on those same dates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does CR 79 explain how judgments get docketed?
No. Entry of judgment in the journal, the judgment roll, and the execution docket are all reserved to the corresponding RCW 4.64 provisions rather than described in the rule text.
What is the list of pending decisions?
It is a permanent, public record each county clerk keeps showing every case submitted to a judge that has not yet been decided, along with what further action is needed and when.
Is that list available to the public?
Yes, the rule describes it as a permanent, public record.
How often is the list reviewed?
It must be called to the attention of every judge in the county on the first Monday of each calendar month.
What happens if a visiting judge has not ruled on a submitted case?
That case must also be called to the visiting judge's attention by mail on the same monthly dates used for the pending-decisions list.
Source & verification. Rule text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Washington Superior Court Civil Rules, adopted by the
Supreme Court of Washington. Last verified July 13, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: list of pending decisions washingtonclerk docket records reservedcase awaiting decision listjudgment roll statute referencedestruction of court records