{"data":{"id":"us-wa/rcw-13.64.040","jurisdiction":"us-wa","citation":"RCW 13.64.040","heading":"Hearing on petition.","body":"(1) The hearing on the petition shall be before a judicial officer, sitting without a jury. Prior to the presentation of proof the judicial officer shall determine whether: (a) The petitioning minor understands the consequences of the petition regarding his or her legal rights and responsibilities; (b) a guardian ad litem should be appointed to investigate the allegations of the petition and file a report with the court.\n(2) For the purposes of this section, the term \"judicial officer\" means: (a) A judge; (b) a superior court commissioner of a unified family court if the county operates a unified family court; or (c) any superior court commissioner if the county does not operate a unified family court. The term does not include a judge pro tempore.","path":["Title 13","Chapter 13.64"],"source_url":"https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=13.64.040","current_through":"July 15, 2026","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-06T01:03:20Z","sha256":"5e123fe7461d15904004c78836e465f9e343597544630d88602b1581baed9d14","source_id":"us-wa","stale":false,"prev":"us-wa/rcw-13.64.030","next":"us-wa/rcw-13.64.050"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}