Washington Superior Court

The Washington Superior Court, or Superior Court of the District of Columbia, is the local trial court that hears cases involving criminal and civil law, specializing in family court, landlord and tenant, probate, tax, and traffic offenses. Established in 1970, the DC Superior Court is composed of a chief judge and 61 associate judges. Furthermore, the Court is assisted by 24 magistrate judges, and also retired judges who have been recommended and approved as senior judges. The government in Court by the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, or by the District of Columbia, Office of the Attorney General, depending on the characteristics of the particular case at hand.

The Washington Superior Court is divided into different divisions, including the civil division, the criminal division, the family court operations division, the tax division and the special operations division. The civil division deals with temporary restraining orders besides those involving domestic violence, and is subdivided into the civil actions branch, the landlord and tenant branch and the small claims and conciliation brand. The criminal division handles misdemeanor, felonies, and serious traffic offenses. Family court encompasses divorce, legal separation, annulment, child custody, habeas corpus, adoption, juvenile delinquency, child abuse, neglect, establishment of paternity, child support, wage withholding, marriage licenses and records, and others. The tax division covers appeals and petitions for review of assessments made by the District, as well as all proceedings brought by the District for the imposition of criminal penalties. The special operations division has to do with the jurors office, the appeals coordinator's office, the child care center, the judge-in-chambers and the office of court interpreting services.

Other sections of the Washington Superior Court are the domestic violence unit, the probate division/office of the register of wills and the multi-door dispute resolution division.