• General Court Rule (GR) 31.1, Access to Administrative Records, effective January 1, 2016, ensures the public’s right to access of judicial administrative records.  
  
• Learn more about GR 31.1

Mason County Superior Court and Juvenile Court Services are committed to providing an open and responsive process for handling requests for access to judicial administrative records.  If you would like to submit such a request, please read the information provided below.

Requests

All requests MUST be in writing and must include your name and contact information, as well as a description of the record you are requesting.  A Request Form for these records is available for your convenience.  Direct your completed Request Form to:

In most cases, you will receive a response from the court within five (5) business days of submitting your request.  The response will acknowledge your request with one or more of the following:

• Requested records provided.
• Anticipated date of arrival.
• Expected costs required to proceed.
• Further clarification required.
• Explanation for non-disclosable records.

As part of your records request, we are unable to:

• Answer general requests for information.
• Answer questions involving general research or compiling of information.
• Perform legal research.
• Create a record if a record does not currently exist.

Before submitting your request, please review Exemptions to understand which records are specifically exempted under court rule, statute, or case law.

Please note that this page addresses access to court administrative records.  For information on how to access court case records, please contact the Clerk of the Court at (360) 427-9670 ext 346.

Fees

There may be costs for copying or scanning records, and the court may charge a fee for the time it takes to complete the necessary research and prepare the records for inspection or copying if the request requires more than one hour of staff time. Additionally, there may be actual costs of copying or scanning the records. The public records officer will work with you to be sure your needs are understood and, where possible, to narrow the search, making the process as efficient and effective as possible. For most requests, the process of locating the records can be accomplished within an hour. For more extensive requests, the agency may charge for research and preparation time after the first hour.

FEES FOR JUDICIAL ADMINISTRATIVE RECORDS REQUESTS

Exemptions

Certain judicial administrative records cannot be disclosed if prohibited under GR 31.1, or other court rules, federal statutes, state statutes, court orders, or case law.

For records that are not entirely exempt, non-disclosable information will be redacted.
http://www.courts.wa.gov/newsinfo/publication/RecordsExemptfromDisclosure.pdf

If all or part of a judicial administrative record is non-disclosable, you will receive written notification explaining why.

Appeals

Internal Review.  If you disagree with the decision that the record you requested cannot be disclosed or has been redacted, you may choose to request a review of the decision. Requests for review must be submitted within 90 days of the public records officer's decision.  A Request for Internal Review Form for these records is available for your convenience.
External Review.  If you are not satisfied with the decision of the internal review, you may choose one of the following options for an external review:

• File a civil action in superior court to challenge the records decision.
• Request an informal review by a visiting judge or other outside decision maker.

The following materials are set forth to assist members of the public to request access to Mason County Superior Court and Juvenile Court Services administrative records under GR 31.1.

• Washington State General Rule 31.1 
  
• Obtaining Administrative Public Records (Learn more about GR 31.1)
• Records Exempt from Disclosure Requirements
• Request Form
• Request for Internal Review Form
• Request other types of judicial records